This Mediterranean Salad with Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette is an incredibly healthy, flavorful meal! It highlight’s The Mediterranean Diet.
I don’t do the whole New Years resolution thing. However, I am a total cliche when it comes to wanting to eat healthy in January.
For me it has absolutely nothing to do with resolutions; it’s all about recovering from the glutton-fest that is the holiday season. Thanksgiving, Xmas Eve and Day. The holiday office parties. Visits with friends and family. Travel. Airport food. Drinking on New Years Eve.
By January 1st I feel absolutely disgusting. Sometimes the scale reflects the season, other years I break even. But that’s irrelevant to me. In the new year, all I want to do is eat clean, whole, healthy food. I want vegetables, fruits, fresh juices, and smoothies.
I want salads for lunch and dinner.
This is my first recipe based on The Mediterranean Diet. I’ll admit I’d never heard of this diet until recently, but when I did some research, I liked what I saw.
The diet emphasizes produce, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats. These are all ingredients I love to work with so it seemed like a winner. And I’m very happy with my recipe; I’ve been eating this Mediterranean salad nonstop since returning from vacation.
It has so many ingredients I love- farro, roasted tomatoes, pine nuts, olives, feta cheese, white beans, etc. It really packs in a lot of flavor and there’s nothing about it that suggests the word “diet.”
The roasted tomato vinaigrette is my favorite element and I can’t believe I had never previously used tomatoes in a salad dressing.
Mediterranean Salad with Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the vinaigrette:
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more as needed
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tomato juice
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- fresh ground black pepper
Salad:
- 1 slice pita bread, sliced into wedges
- 1/4 cup dried apricots
- baby arugula
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1/4 cup farro, cooked
- 1/4 cup white beans, cooked
- 2 tablespoons kalamata olives, sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
- 2 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Drain whole peeled tomatoes, reserving 2 tablespoons of juice from the can. Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise and gently squeeze out some of the juice and seeds. Place the tomatoes on the prepared baking sheet and lightly coat them with extra virgin olive oil. Roast for 45 minutes, stirring the tomatoes halfway through to prevent sticking.
- In a blender, add the roasted tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, reserved tomato juice, sea salt and a few shakes of black pepper. Puree until smooth (note: the vinaigrette may separate with time so leave it in the blender and mix again right before serving).
- Place the pita bread slices on a baking sheet and brush with a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle some salt on top and bake in a 350 degree F oven until crisp, approximately 10 minutes.
- Reconstitute the apricots in hot water until they soften slightly, 5-10 minutes. Julienne the apricots into thin slices.
- Spread a generous portion of baby arugula on 2 plates. Top with the apricots, pine nuts, farro, beans, olives, mint and feta cheese.
- Drizzle roasted tomato vinaigrette on each salad before serving.
Notes
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
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This salad looks wonderful and refreshing! Love the addition of the nuts!
Jen,
What a refreshing salad–I can see making that vinaigrette with some of my put up slow roasted tomatoes. Thanks!
Oh, I’m digging this roasted tomato vinaigrette. Here’s to a healthier year!
Mmm … lovely mix of wholesome colours and flavours here! And I love anything with feta cheese in it!
You took the words right out of my mouth. I don’t feel like a new year means a new diet, it just means recovery for the binging that took place ALL December long. I love this salad! Thank you so much for sharing!
I am the same away, its something about January I want to jump start my system. I hope it stays the same throughout the year :)
I am totally with you on trying to counteract the over indulgence of the holiday season in January! This salad looks gorgeous!
I found this salad via Feedly and instantly saved it to Evernote – gotta love the iPad! I’m holding onto this dressing – looks very interesting and will pull me behind my usual dijon vinaigrette!
Oh my goodness…this salad is so creative! I love that vinaigrette! I’ve been eating tons of salads since the holidays have passed…they are such a great way to eat healthy and not feel deprived. I think, especially when you include salads like this one, that are loaded with great things, you’ll never miss eating a heavy meal! Love it!
Made this last night and it is delicious! I LOVE the dressing so much…I’m going to be making that a lot for all of my salads! I loved the combination of the hearty farro, white beans and the arugula. All of it….just a perfect salad!
I love EVERY single ingredient in this salad!
I will so need this come January!!
I love every single ingredient in this salad!!
Gorgeous and delicious crunchy salad!
Such a wonderful salad! I love farro and all the rest and the salad dressing is terrific!