Mediterranean meals are built for eating outdoors, especially in summertime! Here are 11 of my best picnic recipes for salads perfect for packing, make-ahead-friendly sandwiches, and cooling sides!
How to Pack a Picnic Mediterranean-Style
There’s something about eating a meal outside that, for me, makes everything taste better! I’m looking forward to a summer full of picnicking: outdoor concerts, pool meet-ups and, as long as it’s not too hot, even dinners on the patio. Good news for me is that so many Mediterranean dishes are perfect picnic foods.
Grain salads like tabouli are even better with a little time in the fridge (or cooler) to marinate, and Mediterranean dips like baba ghanoush and muhammara pack up beautifully, plus they’re perfect for the kind of snack dinners I love to lean on this time of year.
To make sure everyone stays hydrated, I’ll bring a big jar filled with Peach Iced Tea or Watermelon Lemonade. For something a little more festive, pack a refreshing summer cocktail to-go. And because pasta salad is a picnic non-negotiable, here are more Mediterranean pasta salad recipes to inspire you. Here’s everything I’m packing for picnics this summer!
Salads Built to Travel
Caprese Pasta Salad
This pasta salad stars the iconic summer trio of sweet tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and fresh basil dressed with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. With only eight ingredients, it comes together fast, and the pasta gets better as it soaks up the tomato juices. I love pairing it with prosciutto e melone.
Greek Potato Salad
No mayo means no anxiety about bringing potato salad to a picnic on a hot day. Instead, warm potatoes drink up the flavor of bold vinaigrette, Kalamata olives, and loads of fresh dill and parsley. It’s equally good warm, at room temperature, or chilled, which makes it endlessly flexible for outdoor eating.
Pesto Pasta Salad
Vibrant basil pesto is the perfect dressing for a summer salad, and this one, bursting with zucchini, snap peas, and cherry tomatoes, soaks up all that summer flavor. Since it’s already brimming with fresh produce, it needs little else. Top it with Grilled Chicken Breast for extra protein!
Chickpea Salad
This is what I make when a picnic is an impromptu decision. All you need is canned chickpeas, plus cucumber, grape tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and a lemony dressing. My one picnic-specific tip is to pack the avocado separately and stir it in right before serving, since avocado doesn’t travel as well as the rest of the salad. This is a nice match with Spanakopita or Turkish Borek.
Make-Ahead Sandwiches
Antipasto Chicken Sandwich
This sandwich tastes like an entire Italian antipasto platter tucked between two slices of pillowy ciabatta. It’s lemony chicken layered with roasted bell peppers, marinated artichokes, olives, and fresh mozzarella. Bonus: the only cooked ingredient is the chicken, so you can swap in rotisserie if that’s easier!
Pan Bagnat
If any recipe on this list was built for picnics, it’s this one. Pan bagnat is a classic Provençal sandwich packed with canned tuna, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, radishes, and olives, all dressed in a punchy anchovy vinaigrette and tucked into a baguette. It’s traditionally wrapped tightly and left to rest before eating, which makes it perfect to pack in your picnic basket or beach cooler. Add a rosé lemonade, and you’re set!
Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Need a vegetarian or vegan main for a picnic? This chickpea-based twist on deli-style tuna salad is one of my favorites. Pack it in a container and use it to fill lettuce cups, wraps, or sandwiches once you’ve got your picnic table set up. It’s great topped with tangy quick-pickled red onions or pickled cucumbers.
Cooling Sides
Cucumber Salsa + Pita Chips
This crunchy and refreshing cucumber salsa skips the tomatoes entirely, but it has jalapeño and Aleppo pepper for kick and pistachios for crunch. It travels easily and makes a fantastic communal starter or side with a bag of pita chips for dipping. It’s also one of my favorite toppings for pan-fried red snapper!
Hummus + Vegetables
No matter what else I pack for a picnic, I always bring at least one of my hummus recipes, and it disappears without fail. Set it out with a platter of crunchy vegetables or Greek salad skewers, and it instantly becomes the dish everyone devours first.
Watermelon Fruit Salad
You can’t have a summer picnic without some juicy watermelon on the table, and this melon fruit salad is dressed up with a honey-lime syrup and toasted pistachios. Melons are naturally hydrating, which makes them a perfect addition for an afternoon outside, and because of the honey, this recipe doubles as a light, no-fuss dessert.
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