Here at the Conscious Cleanse, we’re unashamedly pro-salad. We believe in making a salad into a full meal with tons of protein and crunch, always topped off with a delicious dressing. The way we see it, if you pooh-pooh salads there’s a good chance you’ve just never had a good salad.
So today we’re sharing another good salad recipe with you that will convert any salad hater into a salad lover. This Mediterranean Summer Salad with Goat Cheese Feta has all the salt, tang, crunch, and creaminess you could ask for!
Love tomatoes? Love goat cheese? We put the two together to make a salad that will really float your boat.
For the cleansers in the room: this tasty salad falls into our 80:20 category for two simple reasons.
First, are the tomatoes, which are nightshades and can contribute to inflammation, aches and pains in the joints. So we prefer to keep nightshades off of our plates during a cleanse – but if you don’t suffer with any of the above, tomatoes are super delicious this time of year!
Tomatoes are best when local, fresh and organic and here’s a fun fact for you: several studies have found that tomatoes have UV protective properties! Tomatoes are high in the antioxidant lycopene, which has been shown to help shield us from the sun.
So try eating more tomatoes to help protect your body from sunburn from the inside out! (Psst, and don’t forget the sunscreen too).
The second reason this is an 80:20 salad is because of the feta cheese. And what Mediterranean cuisine would be complete without feta cheese?! We’re all about ditching dairy, but sometimes you need a little creamy treat.
This recipe calls for goat cheese feta, which is always my pick over regular feta and usually a bit easier for most people to digest (thanks to a lower level of lactose!).
Check out the recipe for this delicious Mediterranean Summer Salad with Goat Cheese Feta below and let us know what you think. If you want to enjoy this recipe while you’re cleansing, don’t worry – it’s easy to make 100% cleanse-friendly.
Do you have a favorite summertime salad? Tell us about it in the comments below.
With summer salad love,
The Conscious Cleanse Team
Mediterranean Summer Salad with Goat Cheese Feta
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 pre-grilled chicken breasts, diced*
- 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, cut into thin ribbons
- 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
- 2 tbsp Ume plum vinegar
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp honey
- Zest of 2 lemons
- Juice of half a lemon
- ½ cup goat feta cheese**
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Directions:
In a large salad bowl, add chicken*, romaine, cucumber, tomatoes, basil, onion and olives. Toss and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegars, olive oil, honey, zest and lemon juice. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Top with goat cheese feta**.
*Variation: Plant lovers can skip the grilled chicken in place of 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed.
**Not a goat cheese fan? Try our Cashew “Feta” Cheese
If you liked this salad, we invite you to join our online community! When you sign up you’ll receive regular healthy lifestyle tips and new recipes. As a welcome-gift, we’ll send you our FREE Taste of the Conscious Cleanse eCookbook to get you started with more delicious recipes.
Welcome! We’re so glad you’re here.
