This easy and delicious recipe for Mediterranean Diet Ranch Dressing can be made vegan and is perfect for salads or as a dip.

Grab some inspiration from these 6 Mediterranean Diet Salads for Spring!

Here are some of the best ideas for healthy salads that are also friendly to the Mediterranean diet!

6 Mediterranean Diet Salads for Spring

Everyone seems to agree that possibly the best part about following the Mediterranean diet, besides the healthy benefits of course, is the food choices that are recommended. By 'food choices' I am referring to all of the fresh fruits and vegetables (YAY! for Spring and Summer!).

Many of these recipes will actually work any time of the year.

This is especially true if you live in location that has availability of the food year round.
While many of these recipes are not necessarily specific to the Mediterranean regions of the world, they are however friendly to the Mediterranean diet itself.

Do you want to learn more about the Mediterranean Diet?
Find out how to follow the Mediterranean Diet here.

Possibly the most popular question of the diet is what is not allowed on the Mediterranean diet.

To be honest, the diet is largely all about the moderation of food.
By moderation, I mean eating more of the fresh fruits and vegetables and less of the meats, sugars, and processed stuff.

Here is what is not allowed on the Mediterranean diet, or allowed in moderation.

I mentioned processed stuff, such as many snack foods (which most diets would agree should be avoided).
Other foods to avoid on the Mediterranean diet include refined sugar, refined grains (white flour etc) and non-vegetable based oils.

Here are some helpful tips for enjoying salads on the Mediterranean diets.

I know that I just mentioned that it is the fresh fruits and vegetables that make this diet so good. So, a salad just seems to be a no-brainer on the Mediterranean diet (that is every day for me)!

Here are some more great salad making tips for you.

Combine both fruits and vegetables in your salad. You will find that they can work well together to provide the perfect taste to the salad as a whole.
Another great reason to combine fruits and vegetables in your salad is that they provide a colorful and thus, more appealing salad. This makes following the diet even easier!
Add a bit of texture such as crunch or 'chew' to your salad to make eating it more enjoyable. For crunch, think chopped nuts or legumes. The chew element can be as simple as adding some crumbled cheese.
Lastly, personalize your salad with seasonings and fresh herbs.

Here is how to make a salad last longer.

Wait until you are ready to serve your salad before tossing it with the dressing.
When making a salad to go, simply use a small airtight container to hold the dressing until you are ready to eat it.
Use a salad spinner to help dry out the lettuce before storing the lettuce in the refrigerator. I actually use salad spinners in my restaurant!
Store your lettuce in an airtight container with a paper towel to absorb any moisture.
Consider investing in a storage container that is specific for salads.

The secret to storing salad or lettuce is to keep it from getting moist.

The tips that I just shared with you should help with that. Salads (the lettuce kind) can keep for up to a week in the refrigerator when properly stored.

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6 Mediterranean Diet Salads for Spring

Cucumber Shepherds Salad

Simple and Delicious Shepherd's Salad

A classic salad from the Mediterranean region that celebrates the cucumber.

Simple and Delicious Shepherd’s Salad I call this salad a ‘celebration of fresh vegetables’ because I really believe that is it. What I especially enjoy about this salad is that the ‘fresh’ vegetables that are ‘celebrated’ are fresh vegetables that I can easily find year round at my local grocery store.

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Spinach, Avocado, and Apple Salad.

I love that this recipe includes two of my favorite foods. The apple and the avocado are always on my mind!

What I like best about this Avocado Apple and Spinach Salad is that you can add so much more than those three ingredients.
I also like that this is a salad of great flavors that work so well together.This salad is the perfect balance of crunch and flavor. It is also the perfect balance of color as well.

Asian Slaw in Peanut Butter Dressing

Did someone say peanut butter?
Just kidding. 🙂

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Asian Coleslaw in Peanut Butter Sauce

This slaw is the perfect picnic or summer get together salad or side.

I like that his recipe for Asian Coleslaw With Peanut Butter Dressing is vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and friendly to the Mediterranean diet. Even better, this is really an easy recipe to make, thanks to a really nice hack.

Beetroot and Arugula Salad

Arugula is that one kind of lettuce that comes with its own unique flavor.

Beetroot and Arugula Salad

This recipe for Beetroot and Arugula Salad is actually easier than you may think to make.

I like how colorful it is when I serve it up for folks.
You may be surprised to learn about the benefits of eating beets. Beets are the root portion of the beetroot plant, in case you were wondering. What surprises me the most about this colorful root vegetable is how low in calories it is at less than 60 calories in a cup!

Kale and Quinoa Caesar Salad

This is really a classic salad that has been updated with kale and quinoa.

Kale and Quinoa Caesar Salad

This recipe for Kale and Quinoa Caesar Salad is one of my favorite ones this time of the year.

This version of a Caesar Salad is a vegan friendly one. While the standard Caesar salad has anchovies or anchovy paste, I will offer an alternative to that. While this recipe does not call for any kind of meat, you are welcome to add chicken or your choice as well.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

Yay for strawberries in the spring!
I know that I am a fan.

Amazing Spinach and Strawberry Salad

This salad is a true celebration of spring.

I say this because this salad features strawberries.
Strawberries are that fruit (well, along with blueberries) that take us from spring and into summer.
They are also pretty yummy to eat whether alone or in a salad.

These are the best recipes that I have found. 6 Mediterranean Diet Salads for Spring. Healthy and delicious choices. Vegan, Vegetarian, low carb alternatives.

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4.28 from 22 votes

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Mediterranean Diet Ranch Dressing

This easy and delicious recipe for Mediterranean Diet Ranch Dressing can be made vegan and is perfect for salads or as a dip.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Easy

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Search Result: Dip, dressing, easy, Homemade, Mediterranean Diet, salad, vegan

Servings: servings

Servings: 1g

Author: 🔪 Food, Wine, and Love

Equipment

Ingredients

Vegan or Low Fat or no fat or olive oil Mayonnaise– 1 cup.
Plant Based Milk or Greek Yogurt- ½ cup
Vinegar– 1 tablespoon omit if you are using yogurt.
Apple cider vinegar works great. Seasonings- 5-6 teaspoons total however, you can adjust this to your likings
Seasonings- 5-6 teaspoons total however you can adjust this to your likings.
I gave this recipe above for making your own dry ranch dressing ingredients obviously yielding more than you will need for this recipe:
onion powder 1 tbsp
garlic powder 1 tbsp
dill 1-2 tbsp parsley (1 tbsp)
salt (pinch or as desired)
pepper pinch.
An easy cheat for the seasonings is to use ranch dressing dry mix or seasoning please read the ingredient labels or you can explore other seasonings such as one of my favorites from Trader Joes! Optional- hot sauce– as desired.

Instructions

In a mixing bowl using a whisk or n a mixing bowl or you can use a blender, blend together the mayonnaise, milk or yogurt, and the vinegar (omit if you are using yogurt).
Blend in the seasonings. Taste the dressing and adjust for flavor and consistency as needed.
Store the ranch dressing in a covered container, such as a bottle like these, in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Recipe Notes

As mentioned, mentioned that ranch dressing is normally a dairy (with fat!) based recipe. However, using alternatives such as Greek Yogurt, Vegan plant-based milk (soy, unsweetened almond etc) and we will use a vegan mayonnaise that is also lower in fat, we can make this a Mediterranean diet-friendly ranch dressing.

I also mentioned that the seasonings used in this recipe are also important.

An easy cheat for the seasonings is to use ranch dressing dry mix or seasoning (please read the ingredient labels) or you can explore other seasonings such as one of my favorites from Trader Joes!

originally posted:

April 16, 2020

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Nutrition

Please note: Nutritional data has been calculated using a tool that comes with this recipe card and not by me. This means that Nutritional Information is only an estimate and can vary especially with ingredients that you use. The accuracy of this tool may differ from other tools as expected. Also note that there is no instructional value to the video that may be attached to this recipe. It is only there for visual pleasure. For more information about the images in this recipe, please refer the the recipe instructions. Thank you!

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