Mediterranean Cucumber Salad
These flavors are always a good idea - and with the warm weather creeping in - this is a staple almost every week - because I use it in so many ways. It is great to add to big salads, as a side to a meal, as a snack that is low calorie…you can build it up to have higher calories, make a full meal out of it by adding protein…or just grab a little bowl and enjoy the delicious flavors with a high-volume, low calorie snack.
Recipe:
(this makes about 3 servings or so…I will often double this so I have enough for the week depending on what I plan to use it for)
2 medium cucumbers chopped (about 360g) - I also de-seed them so the salad doesn’t get too soggy if you are prepping it for the week.
95g grape tomatoes
50g red onion
6g olive oil
salt & pepper
THIS IS THE BASE OF THE SALAD. But….you can also build off it.
55g of Kalamata olives
if I’m adding it to a meal, I add in about 3.5+ ounces of grilled chicken
can also add cooked shrimp (can even buy shrimp cocktail at the market for SUPER easy, no-cook prep for some added protein)
can add some feta to it when you are ready to serve, etc.
Instructions:
lol…I almost feel silly about writing up instructions…but this is kind of a chopped salad - meaning - everything is chopped. So - step one is chopping the onions, tomatoes, and cukes (as well as any additional toppings).
Add them all to a bowl, drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle w/ salt & pepper
Serving:
When I am ready to serve, I add to the BASE salad that was listed above in the “RECIPE”. So - chicken, cheese, etc. is all added on the day I’m eating it.
The macros for the base salad alone: (and then you can build the rest of the meal from there!)
Serving is 200g of the mediterranean cucumber salad (without the olives, or chicken - those are add-ons).
PROTEIN: 0g
CARBOHYDRATES: 6g
FAT: 2g
CALORIES: 45
If I add in Kalamata olives…which I did…I added 55g to the base salad recipe - this will add some more fat - but still VERY low calorie, only adding another 1g of fat per serving.
If I add in grilled chicken tenderloin…which I did…I air fried them and sprinkled with S&P and garlic powder - 4oz of the grilled chicken tenderloin adds an additional 22g of protein + 1g of fat.
When I eat this as a snack…I will often just add a small portion to a bowl without added protein - just a little something to snack on that won’t really contribute all that much to the overall calorie total…but that WILL be a tasty treat!
ENJOY!! If you try it, tag me on IG @hannahj28 or comment below with how you made it your own!