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This vegan Mediterranean salad is one of the best vegan diet recipes. Enjoy the Mediterranean vegetable salad and dressing!
Seeking Mediterranean diet recipes? Whip up this vegan Mediterranean vegetable salad. You’ll also find a Mediterranean diet salad dressing recipe.
You’ll find these Mediterranean salad ingredients are just what you need! I’m pretty sure it will become one of your go-to Mediterranean diet vegetarian recipes.
Looking for a new Mediterranean diet recipe? Whether you’re a newbie to this eating plan or are a long-time follower looking to mix things up, you’ll love this Mediterranean vegetables salad!
It really highlights how good it tastes and feels to eat the rainbow—and why doing so is essential for good nutrition and health.
Thanks to the folks at Sunsweet for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own, as always.
Say ‘yes’ to vegan Mediterranean food
By this time of the year, you’ve probably seen story after story in the news about different types of diets promising to help your health and make you feel good.
While I can’t speak for all of them—and there are definitely ones I’d dismiss super quickly!—there is one I wholeheartedly recommend you pay attention to. This is the Mediterranean diet.
A Mediterranean lifestyle provides a refreshingly balanced way of eating that has stood the test of time.
And this year it totally came back to the top of the diet list when it was named a top diet by U.S. News & World Report. That’s one of the reasons why I love this vegan Mediterranean salad so much.
How to follow the Mediterranean diet
The eating style focuses on taking in ample amounts of important nutrients, including fiber.
If you were wondering, women ages 19 to 30 should get 28 grams of fiber a day, while women ages 31 to 50 should get 31 grams daily, and women 51 and older should aim for at least 22 grams per day.
Men require a little more: 34 grams a day for ages 19 to 30, 31 grams daily for ages 31 to 50, and 28 grams per day for ages 51 and up.
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes:
Generous amounts of
- Fruits and veggies
- Whole grains
- Beans and legumes
- Nuts and seeds
- Olive oil
- Fish and seafood
- Spices and herbs
Moderate amounts of
- Poultry
- Eggs
- Cheese and yogurt
- Red wine
Saved for special occasions
- Foods with added sugar (like baked goods)
- Red meat
Ingredients
I sought out to create a vegan Mediterranean salad with some of my favorite ingredients. Here’s what I included in the salad with Mediterranean vegetable salad recipe.
Fruits and veggies
Ingredients: garlic, prune juice, arugula, beets, prunes, and red onion
The star of this vegan vegetable salad is prunes, an ingredient I also love to snack on. Each serving of the vegan Mediterranean salad provides five prunes, the amount that research shows may help prevent bone loss when eaten on a daily basis.
A serving of prunes is a good source of fiber, providing 3 grams. The prune juice is another good source of fiber, also offering 3 grams per one-cup serving.
Fiber is important for the health of the microbiome—the part of your body that’s made up of beneficial bacteria.
The prunes and prune juice also supply many vitamins and minerals, including potassium, riboflavin, copper, niacin, and vitamin B6, that help keep your digestive and bone health in tip-top shape.
One of the main concepts of the Mediterranean diet is to eat the rainbow for a variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants—and this is why I included the garlic, arugula, beets, and red onion.
If you’d like, you can even add bell peppers and lemon juice or lime juice.
Plant-based protein
Ingredient: edamame
The Mediterranean diet promotes eating a variety of plant-based proteins, including beans and legumes.
As a vegetarian, I rely a lot on these foods in my own diet, and edamame (aka soybeans) is an excellent source of protein. And it takes just minutes to prepare! Is soy good for women?
Healthy fats
Ingredients: olive oil and almonds
One of the main teachings of the Mediterranean diet is that healthy fats are, well, healthy.
Those monounsaturated fats, or MUFAs, in olive oil and almonds? They not only help keep you fuller for longer but also benefit heart health.
Whole grains
If you want an extra hearty meal, serve this salad on a base of whole grains, such as quinoa, couscous, barley, or brown rice. Whole grains offer beneficial fiber, as well as a variety of other important nutrients.
Herbs and spices
Ingredients: balsamic vinegar, black pepper, parsley, and mint
You’ll see that many Mediterranean diet recipes are seasoned naturally with low-calorie but flavor-packed spices, herbs, and seasonings.
The balsamic vinegar, black pepper, parsley, and mint make this meal even more mouthwatering.
Step-by-step instructions
Ready to have a tasty meal at the ready in minutes? I can’t wait to hear what you think of this Vegan Mediterranean Prune Salad!
This vegan Mediterranean salad is pretty easy to make! First, you’ll make the salad dressing. To do this, add garlic and prune juice to a small sauté pan; cook over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally until mixture begins to reduce.
Then, stir frequently until semi reduced, about 7 to 8 minutes. Next, pour mixture into a small bowl, and combine with vinegar, olive oil, pepper, and salt; whisk and set aside.
To create the salad, toss arugula, parsley, and mint together in a medium bowl. Plate salads with greens mixture, topping with beets, edamame, prunes, almonds, and red onion. Toss with prune dressing.
I recommend eating this salad in a large bowl, so you can toss the ingredients together. I like to add the dressing before I toss. If you’d like, you can add a dash of salt and pepper.
And hey, you can serve with a side of fresh fruit and even drizzle leftover fruit salad dressing or lime juice over it!
And if you want to make the salad vegetarian instead of vegan, you can add some crumbled feta cheese. Now, enjoy this Mediterranean salad recipe!
Recipe FAQ
How do you follow the Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet focuses on taking in ample amounts of important nutrients, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, olive oil, fish, seafood, spices, and herbs.
How much fiber do you need daily?
Women ages 19 to 30 should get 28 grams of fiber a day, while women ages 31 to 50 should get 31 grams daily, and women 51 and older should aim for at least 22 grams per day.
Men require a little more: 34 grams a day for ages 19 to 30, 31 grams daily for ages 31 to 50, and 28 grams per day for ages 51 and up.
How do you roast beets?
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the beets into wedges, then place beets on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle the beets with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
Toss everything, then roast for 35-40 minutes, or until fork tender. Toss halfway through.
More vegan prune recipes
If you’re looking for other ways to cook Mediterranean style with prunes, try these recipes. You’ll find some vegan prune recipes in the list below.
- Citrus Salad Recipe with Honey-Orange Dressing
- Cheese Appetizer with Prune Jam
- Healthy Energy Bars
- Brownies with Prunes
- Pineapple Sangria with Rosemary Syrup
Sources
- Best Diets Overall, U.S. News & World Report
- The Effect of Two Doses of Dried Plum on Bone Density and Bone Biomarkers in Osteopenic Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized, Controlled Trial, Osteoporosis International
Vegan Mediterranean Salad with Prunes
This vegan Mediterranean salad is one of the best vegan diet recipes. Enjoy the Mediterranean vegetable salad and dressing! Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 5 minsCook Time 10 minsTotal Time 15 mins Course SaladCuisine Mediterranean Servings 2Calories 450 kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup Sunsweet Amaz!n Prune Juice
- 2 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Dash black pepper
- Dash sea salt
- 2 cups packed baby arugula
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 2 tsp chopped fresh mint
- 1 medium beet, roasted and sliced
- 1½ cups frozen shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions
- 10 Sunsweet Amaz!n Prunes, sliced
- 2 tbsp sliced almonds
- 2 tbsp sliced red onion
Instructions
Salad Dressing
- Add garlic and prune juice to a small sauté pan; cook over medium-high heat.
- Stir occasionally until mixture begins to reduce; stir frequently until semi reduced, about 7 to 8 minutes.
- Pour mixture into a small bowl, and combine with vinegar, olive oil, pepper, and salt; whisk and set aside.
Salad
- In a medium bowl, toss arugula, parsley, and mint together.
- Plate salads with greens mixture, topping with beets, edamame, prunes, almonds, and red onion. Toss with prune dressing.
Nutrition
Calories: 450kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 17gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 180mgFiber: 12gSugar: 32g Keyword Prunes, Vegan Did you make this recipe?Mention @amydgorin and tag #plantbasedwithamy
Let me know if you try this vegan salad. Have you ever had prunes in salad? What are your other favorite healthy vegan salads for weight loss? I hope this quickly becomes one of your go-to weight loss vegan recipes. What other vegan Mediterranean recipes do you love?