This chopped pita salad gives you a fresh, crunchy Mediterranean-style meal that’s ready in 15 minutes, budget friendly, and made with simple ingredients you can find anywhere.
For more Mediterranean-inspired salads, check out our lucky black eyed pea salad, Mediterranean chopped lentil salad, dense chickpea sweet potato salad, and chickpea cucumber salad.
A Simple Bowl That Brings Balance Back to the Table
This Mediterranean pita salad is simple in the best possible way. A bowl of crisp vegetables, crunchy pita, and just enough richness to make it feel satisfying—nothing more than what you actually want to eat 🥗.
There’s no big technique or special ingredient here. Just chopped vegetables, chickpeas for substance, feta for creaminess, and a quick olive oil dressing that pulls everything together. Inspired by Fattoush but adapted for everyday cooking, it’s fresh, filling, and naturally fiber-rich 🌿.
Louise and I have been reaching for this salad again and again lately, sometimes for lunch, sometimes for dinner. It’s comforting without being heavy, made with pantry staples, and easy on the grocery bill ⏱️.
If you’re looking for a meal that feels good to eat and easy to repeat, this one quietly earns its place at the table.
Ingredients
Find complete ingredient list, quantities, and substitutions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
- Pita bread: adds crunch and substance once toasted. Substitute naan, flatbread, or whole wheat pita for a heartier bite in this salad with pita chips.
- Chickpeas: make the salad filling and fiber-rich. Substitute white beans, lentils, or canned butter beans for a similar texture.
- Romaine lettuce: crisp and refreshing. Substitute little gem, iceberg, or chopped kale for a sturdier easy Mediterranean salad.
- Tomatoes: add juiciness and sweetness. Substitute cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes when they’re more flavorful.
- Cucumber: keeps the salad light and crunchy. English or Persian cucumbers work especially well.
- Radishes: bring peppery crunch. Substitute fennel or thinly sliced red onion.
- Green onions: mild and fresh. Substitute chives or thinly sliced shallot.
- Feta cheese: creamy and salty. Substitute crumbled goat cheese or a dairy-free feta alternative.
- Extra virgin olive oil: the base of the dressing for this Mediterranean diet salad recipe.
- Red wine vinegar: adds balance. Substitute lemon juice, lime juice, or apple cider vinegar.
- Oregano: classic and earthy. Substitute dried thyme or Italian seasoning.
- Garlic: adds depth. Substitute garlic powder in a pinch.
- Mustard: helps emulsify the dressing. Dijon works best; yellow mustard is fine.
How to Make Mediterranean Chopped Pita Salad with Feta
Step 1. Toast the pita until crunchy
Cut the pita into small, bite-size pieces. Toss with olive oil, and salt. Toast in an air fryer or oven at 400°F (200°C) until crispy and golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool so the pita stays crunchy.
Step 2. Whisk the dressing
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt, pepper, grated garlic, and mustard. You can also add everything to a jar and shake well until combined.
Step 3. Chop the vegetables and add the chickpeas
Chop the romaine and add it to a large bowl. Dice the tomatoes, bell pepper and cucumber, then thinly slice the radishes and green onions and add them in. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then add them to the bowl with the vegetables.
Step 4. Toss and finish the salad
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Add the toasted pita chips and gently fold them in. Finish with crumbled feta and a light sprinkle of oregano on top. Serve right away so everything stays fresh and crunchy.
Tips
- Toast the pita until deeply golden, not just dry. Good color means better crunch and flavor in this 15 minute Mediterranean salad.
- Let the pita cool before adding it to the bowl. Hot pita will soften quickly once it hits the dressing.
- Rinse the chickpeas well to remove excess salt and improve texture, especially if serving this as a healthy Mediterranean salad.
- Cut the vegetables into similar sizes so every bite feels balanced and easy to eat.
- Dress the salad just before serving to keep the lettuce crisp and the flavors fresh.
- Add feta last and gently, so it stays creamy instead of disappearing into the salad.
- Keep leftovers separate if possible, storing pita chips apart so they stay crunchy.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can prep the vegetables, chickpeas, and dressing in advance, but wait to add the pita chips and feta until just before serving.
Always add the toasted pita at the very end and serve right away. This matters most in an easy Mediterranean salad like this one.
Yes. Just cook them until tender and let them cool completely before adding to the salad.
Crumbled goat cheese works well, cottage cheese, mozzarella balls, or you can use a dairy-free feta-style cheese if needed.
Yes, with chickpeas, feta, and pita, it’s satisfying enough for lunch or dinner. If you’d like to make it even more filling, add a little extra feta and chickpeas, grilled chicken, salmon, or finish with a small dollop of Greek yogurt.
Yes. Use gluten-free pita or leave it out and add extra chickpeas for texture.
Once dressed, it’s best eaten the same day. Undressed vegetables keep well in the fridge for up to two days.
More Easy Salad Recipes
- Chopped Chickpea Salad
- Dense White Bean Salad
- Mediterranean Bean Salad
- Black Bean Corn Salad
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Greek Lentil Salad
- Three Bean Salad
- Greek Orzo Salad
If you tried this Mediterranean Pita Salad recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Mediterranean Pita Salad with Feta
Ingredients
- 2 pita breads chopped into bite-size pieces + a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt for toasting
- 1 can chickpeas 15 oz or 400 g can – rinsed
- 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped – sub cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium cucumber diced
- 1 small green bell pepper diced
- 4 radishes thinly sliced
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- ½ cup feta cheese crumbled
Dressing
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar sub lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon mustard Dijon or yellow
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste + black pepper
Instructions
- Toast the pita: Cut 2 pita breads into small pieces. Put them on a baking tray, add a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and toss with your hands. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 3–5 minutes, until golden and crunchy. Let cool so they stay crispy.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl (or a jar), mix 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 clove garlic (grated), 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Whisk or shake until smooth.
- Prepare the salad: Chop 1 head romaine lettuce and add it to a big bowl. Dice 2 medium tomatoes, 1 medium cucumber, and 1 small green bell pepper. Slice 4 radishes and 2 green onions. Add everything to the bowl. Drain and rinse 1 can chickpeas, then add them too.
- Toss and finish: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently. Add the crunchy pita pieces and mix lightly. Top with ½ cup feta cheese (crumbled), a little oregano, and fresh parsley if you like. Serve right away.
Notes
- Pita bread → Naan, flatbread, or whole-wheat pita
- Chickpeas → White beans, lentils, or canned butter beans
- Romaine lettuce → Little gem, iceberg, or chopped kale
- Tomatoes → Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- Cucumber → English cucumber or Persian cucumber
- Green bell pepper → Any color pepper
- Radishes → Fennel or thinly sliced red onion
- Green onions → Chives or thinly sliced shallot
- Feta cheese → Crumbled goat cheese or dairy-free feta
- Extra virgin olive oil → Avocado oil or a mild olive oil
- Red wine vinegar → Lemon juice, lime juice, or apple cider vinegar
- Oregano → Dried thyme or Italian seasoning
- Garlic → Garlic powder
- Mustard → Dijon mustard (best) or yellow mustard
- Toast the pita deeply golden → Color equals crunch and big flavor, not just dryness.
- Cool the pita before mixing → Hot pita + dressing = instant sogginess.
- Rinse chickpeas thoroughly → Less salt, better texture, cleaner flavor.
- Cut veggies evenly → Balanced bites make a better salad.
- Dress right before serving → Keeps lettuce crisp and flavors bright.
- Add feta last and gently → Creamy crumbles stay intact instead of melting away.
- Store leftovers smartly → Keep pita chips separate so they stay crunchy.
Nutrition
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