Roasted Vegetable Greek Salad

As soon as I wrote my Skinny Secrets post, I found myself surrounded by so many temptations. If I said I didn't go out and enjoy a few drinks and a humongous slice of pizza this weekend, my nose might grow a few inches. It's funny how sharing skinny tips and tricks is so much easier than sticking to them. Oh well...good thing bikini season is still a few months away!

In attempts to reverse the calorie overload that I indulged in this weekend, I treated my body to a delicious and healthy salad topped with one of my new favorite foods: roasted vegetables. I don't know what it is about roasting a plain old tomato or pepper, but it makes it taste ten times better than any other method of cooking it. Forget about microwaving or steaming vegetables; roasting is definitely the way to go.

I grabbed random vegetables to throw together in a salad and quickly realized that my random selection was starting to develop a Greek theme. The only ingredient I forgot to add is chickpeas (which is why they aren't pictured). But the glorious thing about this salad is that you can roast any of your favorite vegetables and make your own version of this roasted vegetable salad. I added grilled chicken, but you can add flank steak, shrimp, salmon, tofu, or nothing! The roasted vegetables are flavorful and delicious enough on their own.

If you find yourself feeling guilty for a recent binge fest at your local pizza place, treat your taste buds and waistline to this easy, flavorful, and healthy salad!

Roasted Vegetable Greek Salad
(4-6 servings)

1 bunch fresh asparagus, ends trimmed, stalks cut
1 package (about 10) fresh vine tomatoes, halved
1 onion, yellow or red, diced
4-6 bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut
1 can chickpeas, drained of liquid
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp Mediterranean seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and dried
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, already cooked
4 ounces reduced fat feta cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

Wash and prepare vegetables. In a large bowl, mix asparagus, tomatoes, onion, bell peppers, chickpeas, enough olive oil to coat them (I used about 3-4 tablespoons), Mediterranean seasoning, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Toss ingredients together. Layer ingredients on the prepared cookie sheet. Make sure the vegetables are in a single layer and don't overlap (if you have a lot of vegetables, use two cookie sheets).

Roast vegetables for 25-30 minutes, or until fragrant and soft. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut up Romaine lettuce. Plate lettuce and top with grilled chicken, roasted vegetables, and feta cheese. Serve with your favorite salad dressing or olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Print this recipe!

Nutritional Info (for 1 cup roasted vegetables, 3 oz. chicken, 1 oz. feta cheese, and 3 cups chopped Romaine lettuce)
Servings Per Recipe: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 346.8
Total Fat: 14.2 g
Cholesterol: 58.8 mg
Sodium: 472.4 mg
Total Carbs: 26.4 g
Fiber: 7.7 g
Sugars: 3.3 g
Protein: 30.1 g

Pros:
-Easy to prepare
-Minimal clean up
-Delicious, fresh meal, great for lunch or dinner
-Versatile-use as many vegetables or other ingredients as you want, try different combinations of seasonings, use different salad dressings or make your own

Cons:
-Lots of prep work (washing and cutting the vegetables)