• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Taste Love and Nourish logo

  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Seared Scallops | @tasteLUVnourish on www.tasteloveandnourish.com

Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Seared Scallops…and a Giveaway!

March 22, 2013 By Caroline 6 Comments

TwitterFacebookPinterest

This salad is full of the flavors I grew up with. I’ve mentioned before, I’m an Armenian girl who grew up eating a lot of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. One bite of this salad and I feel like I’m back in my Mom’s kitchen. The flavors of the Feta cheese, Kalamata olives and red onion are bold, tangy and salty. They are balanced by some of the other ingredients, like the creamy nuttiness of the chickpeas, the crunch of the pita chips and the brightness of the lemon zest. Speaking of lemon…this dressing is based on the dressing my Mom always made. It’s full of fresh lemon juice and just a hint of cumin and oregano.

The scallops are my addition to this familiar salad. I love scallops. They are tender, buttery and have such a mild flavor, they go so well with this bold salad. This is my favorite way to eat them…seared. And I think I’ve got the technique down. It’s really easy. There are just a few things to keep in mind when searing scallops. I’ll take you through the steps in the recipe below.

Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Seared Scallops

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
about 2 handfuls of mixed greens
1/2 cup grape tomatoes
1/2 cup large seedless cucumber, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
about 4 ounces Feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half
1 1/2 cups broken pita chips

Dressing
juice of one lemon (about 1/3 cup)
zest of half of a lemon
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano (crumbled between your fingers)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Scallops
1 pound sea scallops
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
kosher salt and pepper

Assemble and divide the salad ingredients on four dinner plates. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside while you prepare the scallops.

Preheat a cast iron pan over medium high heat. Most store bought scallops are stored in a liquid that keeps them fresh. Ask if you are unsure. If they are, you should give them a bit of a rinse under cold water. Pat dry your scallops with paper towels whether you’ve rinsed them or not. You want them to be dry. Next, you want to pull of the little tab of muscle that most of them have. It can get tough once cooked. Lay the scallops out and very lightly sprinkle them with kosher salt and some black pepper on both sides. Add the olive oil and the butter to the pan. Once the butter has melted add the scallops. You will probably have to do this in two batches. A crowded pan won’t give you a nice sear. Once you’ve placed them in the pan…do not move them at all for at least 2 minutes, but not much more than that. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes. They should be golden.

Pour about 2 tablespoons of dressing on each salad. Top each salad off with some scallops. I like to zest some additional lemon zest from the remaining lemon half over the top of each salad.

Notes:

  • If you are concerned about buying scallops stored in liquid, buy them from a fish monger and ask for “dry packed” scallops.
  • One easy way to chop the romaine into small pieces is to cut the whole head in half lengthwise, then cut each half once more. Rinse the sections, then cut across each section into small pieces.
  • I use less salt in the dressing than I normally would because so many elements in the salad are pretty salty.  Adjust to your own taste.

Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Seared Scallops | @tasteLUVnourish on www.tasteloveandnourish.com

Filed Under: Seafood Tagged With: chopped salad, dinner, easy, feta cheese, fresh, garbanzo beans, healthy, how to sear scallops, Kalamata olives, lemon, lemon vinaigrette, low fat, lunch, mediterranean salad, onion, recipe, red onion, romaine, salad, scallops, seafood, tomato, vegetables

Previous Post: « Baby Kale Salad with Strawberry and Avocado
Next Post: Armenian Easter Bread Rounds (Choereg) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carole

    May 24, 2013 at 12:02 am

    Lovely work! Would you be happy to link it in to the current Food on Friday which is all about scallops? This is the link . I do hope to see you there. Cheers

    Reply
    • Caroline

      May 24, 2013 at 8:42 am

      Thank you Carole. I’m so happy you like this salad! I’d be happy to share it with you!

      Reply
      • Carole

        May 24, 2013 at 4:32 pm

        Caroline, thanks for stopping by to add this to the collection. I do hope to see you again soon. Cheers

        Reply
        • Caroline

          May 24, 2013 at 4:39 pm

          Thank YOU Carole for the opportunity! Have a wonderful weekend!

          Reply
  2. Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe

    March 24, 2013 at 11:32 pm

    Your photos are making my mouth water! The flavors in this salad sound amazing!

    Reply
    • Caroline

      March 25, 2013 at 5:48 pm

      Amanda, you put a big smile on my face! I needed that! :D So glad you like it!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

My name is Caroline. I’m so happy you’re here! I’m a bit obsessed with food, cooking and nutrition. Here you'll find plant-based recipes using seasonal, fresh and whole-food ingredients that are completely decadent and gratifying.

What’s For Dinner?

Kung Pao Eggplant - this easy recipe is so much better than any takeout you can order..and ready in 30 minutes or less. Naturally vegan and gluten-free.

Kung Pao Eggplant

Tortilla Soup - You will love this spicy, smokey, flavorful soup topped with buttery avocado, crisp tortilla strips, fresh cilantro and citrusy lime. This easy soup makes a quick and delicious dinner. #tortilla #soup #vegan #vegetarian #glutenfree #easy #healthy #onepot #dinner #recipe #tasteloveandnourish

Tortilla Soup

Baked Macaroni and Mushrooms - macaroni and deeply browned mushrooms baked in a creamy béchamel sauce. Wonderful comfort food. | From @tasteLUVnourish on www.tasteloveandnourish.com

Baked Macaroni and Mushrooms

Empty Bowl Lentil Soup - this recipe is the most requested for good reason…simple ingredients and a straightforward recipe yields an amazingly delicious soup! @tasteLUVnourish

Empty Bowl Lentil Soup

See All Posts >

Instagram

Instagram post 2177247117310162770_252735222 This Tortilla Soup will warm you to the core! Spicy, smokey, flavorful and topped with buttery avocado, crisp tortilla strips, fresh cilantro and citrusy lime. It’s an easy one-pot meal that’s ready in about thirty to forty minutes!
•
•
•
•
•
#soup #comfortfood #todayfood #cookmagazine #plantbased #vegansofig #veganfoodshare #whatveganseat #veganfood #glutenfree #vegan #vegansofinstagram #dinner #plantstrong #onthetable #healthyrecipeshare #lifeandthyme #feedfeed #food52 #thekitchn #foodgawker #buzzfeedfood #huffposttaste #foodphotography #eeeeeats #bareaders #tortilla #recipe #onepot #tasteloveandnourish
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2019 TASTE LOVE AND NOURISH