Low-carb and keto friendly mediterranean salad that you can make anywhere!
I have a job that requires me to travel pretty often so I spend a LOT of time in hotel rooms. I don’t use my travel as an excuse to eat unhealthy so this calls for some serious creativity. My first stop when I arrive in a new town is the grocery store. I will usually pick up some full-fat Greek yogurt and some salami and cheese for snacking. Keeping a few things on hand helps to ward off any temptation to indulge in convenient junk food.
Recently, while traveling through the airport I tried an antipasto salad. I am not a huge fan of olives, or even italian food (other than pizza) so I had never tried it before. OK, full disclosure – I honestly thought antipasto contained pasta! When I really looked at the ingredients, they were a perfect low-carb, keto dish! And – this is so easy to whip up at home or a hotel room!
Antipasto means “before the meal” and is the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal. Typical ingredients of a traditional antipasto include cured meats, olives, peperoncini, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, cheeses (such as provolone or mozzarella), pickled meats, and vegetables in oil or vinegar. For my antipasto I like to keep it simple – especially when traveling. But you can certainly add whatever you like.
Antipasto Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz hard salami
- 6 oz mozzarella cheese, cubed
- 1/4 cup sliced kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and mix well.
Notes
- hack – use mozzarella cheese sticks
- add some cherry tomatoes for added color and flavor – but it will add carbohydrates
- use several different types of salami or pepperoni to add more flavors
- the olive oil will congeal if kept in the refrigerator so bring to room temperature before serving
- use some of the juice from the olives or pepperoncini to add more acid to the dish