I’ve practically been living off of this Mediterranean-inspired summer salad. It’s perfect for those hot, humid days and is full of refreshing, vibrant flavors.
I love a good salad all year long but there is just something about summer that takes it to the next level. Maybe it’s the satisfying crunch that breaks through the humidity or, most likely, the fact that summer is peak produce season for tomatoes, cucumbers, and other salad ingredient champions.
I mentioned to a friend recently how I wanted to cut back on my red meat intake and return to more plant-based meals. She highly recommended Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burger and into the shopping cart it went the next time I was at Wegmans.
On a whim, I chopped up the veggie burger and tossed it into a Greek-ish salad I was preparing for lunch. Ever since then, I’ve been loving this salad for a light summer lunch that just hits the spot every time. I also made this lemon-dill vinaigrette on a whim and holy cannoli, I cannot get enough of it!!
Preparing this salad is incredibly simple, I can easily whip it up during my lunch break away from my desk. Greens, chopped tomatoes, cucumbers (really any veggies you have on hand will work!), protein of your choice, the amazing lemon-dill vinaigrette, and a good sprinkle of feta are all you need. Let’s get into it!
Mediterranean-Inspired Summer Salad
Start with A Simple, Flavorful Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette
Vinaigrettes are my favorite salad dressings. They are simple and easy to adjust based on what you have on hand in your pantry. I stumbled upon this lemon-dill vinaigrette by complete accident – using the universal vinaigrette equation. 1 part vinegar (or acid) + 2 parts olive oil + salt + pepper. Add in herbs if you’d like!
For this vinaigrette, I make it straight in a large mixing bowl using 1/2 of a lemon (the citrus squeezer is an unsung kitchen hero) and around 1.5-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Add salt, pepper, and fresh dill, and whisk to combine.
If you don’t have fresh dill or (like me) you don’t like buying fresh herbs just to throw most of them away because you can’t use them fast enough – then do I have the solution for you. I started using Wegmans Organic Dill Stir-In Paste months ago for homemade tzatziki. And it’s amazingly flavorful and lasts for a long time in the fridge. I add 2-3 squeezes of Wegmans Dill Stir-In Paste for this vinaigrette. And I swear it tastes like I just picked the dill from the garden.
You can find the assorted stir-in pastes in the Wegmans produce section next to their fresh herbs.
Now that we’ve got the vinaigrette done, I add a generous amount of arugula to the mixing bowl and give it a toss to coat evenly. I like how the vinaigrette works to soften the arugula while I prepare the rest of the salad. You can use your favorite greens for this dish, I enjoy arugula and its peppery flavor for this dish.
How To Make a Mediterranean-Inspired Summer Salad
When it comes to preparing Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burger, airfrying is my preferred method because it gives a nice outside crunch. I take the veggie burger straight from the freezer and into the AirFyer. Then set the temperature to 400 and the timer for 8 minutes and flipping halfway through. I typically do this before I start preparing the vinaigrette.
Here is where the veggies enter the chat. I dice up a handful of cherry tomatoes, chop up a mini cucumber, add a little bit of diced shallots (you don’t need a lot of shallots to get that flavor), and add it all into the big mixing bowl with the dressed greens. After a sprinkle of feta, I end with a chopped up California Veggie Burger and give it one more toss to mix everything together.
Other Mix-Ins To Add To a Summer Salad
The beauty of this Mediterranean-inspired summer salad is that you can customize it based on what you have in your kitchen. Here are some mix-in ideas to inspire:
Roasted Vegetables
Grilled Baguette Pieces (A la a panzanella salad!)
Chickpeas
Grilled Chicken
Lamb
Orzo, Couscous, or Fusili
Halloumi
