Best Feta Salad With Crunchy Veggies

This is the BEST feta salad with carrots, beets, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers, mixed with toasted walnuts, jammy raisins, and yummy aged Balsamic dressing. It’s nutritious, crunchy, and bursting with flavour. Great for lunch, light dinner, and meal prep. Gluten-free, grain-free, vegetarian salad recipe.

I first made this salad as a fridge surprise at the end of our holidays with friends. We’ve been having a lot of heavy dinners and felt like something light and easy for dinner. I audited what we had in the fridge and pantry and this delicious crunchy feta salad was born. I enjoyed it so much that I made it the same way again when we got home the week after and it has become a new favourite.

This salad is all about the textures. We’ve got crunchy carrots, cucumber, crispy apple, nuts, and seeds juxtaposed with softer tomatoes and pickled or roasted beets, jammy raisins, and smooth feta cheese.

Every bite is coated with a wonderful aged balsamic dressing that ties everything together.

Seriously, I can’t recommend this salad enough. It’s tasty, super nutritious, and satiating (even for a vegetarian dish). And if you’re looking for salad recipes with feta, then it’s an absolute must-try!

FETA SALAD INGREDIENTS

Vegetables for the salad: you can use pretty much anything you like but here is a combination that works well: crunchy cucumbers, red capsicum/bell pepper and carrot, softer and sweeter cherry tomatoes, and pickled or canned beets (you can also use roasted or boiled beets). A little onion for sharpness; red or white onion is fine.

Nuts & seeds: Toasted walnuts are the base here, then you can add other nuts or seeds based on what you have. Dried fruit adds that lovely jammy sweetness and chewiness and I had raisins on hand. Cranberries, apricots, or sultanas will work well, chop them up into smaller pieces.

Feta: I find that the milder, smooth feta is best suited for this salad. In Australia, we have Danish feta cheese, which is less salty than Greek feta and is a little bit like goat’s cheese. You can also use regular Greek feta (which you can also find as a smooth rather than crumbly version). Marinated feta is also amazing here.

Dressing: This is super simple and the key is aged Balsamic vinegar or caramelized Balsamic which is thicker and sweeter than regular Balsamic. If you only have the regular stuff, add a teaspoon or two of maple syrup or honey for extra sweetness. Garlic powder or one small smashed garlic clove can be used.

HOW TO MAKE CRUNCHY SALAD WITH FETA CHEESE

Let me show you how to make a great salad with feta cheese, nuts, dried fruit, and lots of crunchy and soft vegetables.

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180 C / 355 F. Lay a piece of parchment paper on a flat sheet pan/baking tray and spread the walnuts. Bake (toast) in the oven, on the middle shelf for 10-12 minutes. Stir halfway and check again closer to the 10-minute mark to make sure they don’t burn. They should be slightly browned and have a nutty, toasted aroma. Once done, cool down for 5 minutes out of the oven.

Step 2. While walnuts are getting toasted, chop all vegetables into similar, small cubes/pieces.

Step 3. Chop the walnuts, almonds, raisins, or whatever nuts or dried fruit you are using.

Step 4. Whisk the dressing ingredients and set it aside.

Step 5. Combine all ingredients and the dressing in a bowl and then top with crumbled feta.

MAKE AHEAD TIPS

This is a great salad to make as part of meal prep. Combine vegetables and divide between storage containers but don’t add the dressing, nuts, or raisins. Top with feta cheese. Store the dressing and the walnuts/almonds/raisins mix in separate smaller containers or in small jars. Combine everything just before serving to keep everything nice and crunchy, rather soggy and watery.

NUTRITION NOTES

This Spanish cauliflower rice dish is high in protein and fiber, satiating yet not heavy, and balanced in most essential nutrients. In fact, I would call it nutrient-dense, especially high in B-vitamins, magnesium, zinc, iron, and antioxidant-potent vitamins C and E. It’s grain-free, gluten-free, low-carb, paleo, and Whole30 friendly.

Nutrition Macros

Per serve: 499 calories, 19.9 g total carbs, 6.1 g fiber (13.8 g net carbs), 38.4 g protein, 28.7 g fat.

MORE HEALTHY RECIPES WITH FETA CHEESE

FULL RECIPE & INGREDIENTS

Find the full list of ingredients, instructions, and extra cooking notes below. If you have questions or cook this recipe, please let me know in the comments and make sure to rate this recipe so it’s easy for others to find.