This Greek salad is a traditional that you simply’ll end up making repeatedly. It takes simply minutes to make, and the mixture of crisp greens, briny olives, salty feta, and the sunshine French dressing is not possible to withstand!
Spring is right here, and summer season shall be right here earlier than you understand it. I don’t learn about you, however when the climate begins warming up, I discover myself craving mild meals stuffed with shiny colours and daring flavors.
All these creamy casseroles and comfy soups do an important job retaining us heat throughout the lengthy, chilly winter months, however now it’s time to fill our plates with colourful contemporary vegatables and fruits.
Enter this Greek salad.
Greek Salad
It is a dish the place colours, flavors, and textures take middle stage. Juicy tomatoes and crisp cucumbers and peppers; briny kalamata olives and salty feta.
And all of it comes along with the best Greek salad dressing, seasoned with oregano for a few of that signature Mediterranean aptitude. Pair it with Greek hen for the right heat climate dinner.
Dietary Notice
If you happen to’re on a dairy-free weight loss program – otherwise you’re not a fan of feta – you possibly can skip it or swap it out with additional olives. A briny inexperienced olive can be a pleasant shade distinction to kalamatas.
Components and Substitutions
- Cherry tomatoes – I like the cherry tomatoes that come on the vine, however you should use one other selection when you’d like. Grape tomatoes, colourful heirloom varieties—they’re all an important addition to a Greek salad.
- English cucumber – English cucumber has smaller seeds than backyard cucumbers; when you use an everyday cucumber, you possibly can lower it lengthwise after which scoop out the seeds with a spoon earlier than slicing it. It will hold the salad from getting soggy.
- Inexperienced bell pepper – Inexperienced bell pepper has a extra pungent taste than pink, orange, or yellow.
- Pink onion – If you happen to’re not a fan of onions, strive slicing them so skinny they’re nearly shaved. As soon as they’re tossed within the dressing and left to soak it up a bit, their taste shall be a lot milder.
- Olives – We used pitted kalamatas.
- Feta cheese – Diced or thick-sliced—whichever you favor.
Greek Dressing:
- Further-virgin olive oil – Greek salad is an effective excuse to interrupt out that bottle of tremendous fancy olive oil out of your pantry.
- Pink wine vinegar – To me, that is actually key to that traditional Greek salad taste, though some individuals choose lemon juice.
- Dry oregano
- Sea salt
- Floor pepper
Variations
- Attempt swapping the inexperienced bell pepper for pink bell pepper, or use a mix of each. Not a fan of the feel of contemporary bell peppers? Attempt roasted pink peppers as a substitute.
- Make additional dressing and use it as a marinade for grilled hen or shrimp. Add the hen or shrimp to the Greek salad for a whole dinner.
- Serve the Greek salad with cooked quinoa or toss it with orzo for a deli-style salad that’s excellent for work and faculty lunches.
Instructions
- Make the dressing – Mix all the dressing elements in a jar and shake it vigorously till the dressing is emulsified.
- Assemble – Pour the dressing over the salad elements, gently toss to coat, and sprinkle the salad with further oregano earlier than serving.
Tip
You possibly can assemble this as a tossed salad, or prepare your Greek salad elements on a platter for extra visible affect after which pour the dressing excessive.
Shortcut
For a salad with virtually no prep time, go to the salad bar at your grocery retailer and purchase all of the veggies, olives, and feta there. No slicing, dicing, and chopping wanted!
The best way to Retailer
Retailer Greek salad in an hermetic container within the fridge. If you happen to’ve already added the dressing, it’s going to final about 2 days; undressed salad can final 3 to 4 days. Give the dressing shake earlier than utilizing it.
Ceaselessly Requested Questions
No, Greek salad doesn’t sometimes comprise lettuce, though you possibly can positively add it when you’d like! Historically, although, Greek salad is a mix of vine-ripened tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, olives, feta cheese, and pink onions all tossed collectively in a light-weight French dressing.
Greek salad is a good selection for anybody who desires so as to add extra greens to their weight loss program. The pink wine French dressing is olive oil-based, so it’s a lot decrease in energy and saturated fats than most creamy dressings, and all the contemporary greens are loaded with nutritional vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
I exploit halved cherry tomatoes, however when you’re utilizing bigger tomatoes, lower them into wedges. It will give your salad extra visible enchantment than diced tomatoes!
Greek salad pairs nicely with grilled meats, hen, and seafood. It additionally tastes superb as a topping for gyros or pita sandwiches. For a vegetarian meal, you possibly can serve Greek salad with roasted chickpeas or baked falafel—crumbled falafel is so good on a salad!
Ideas
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For additional taste, add some contemporary herbs—mint, parsley, basil, and oregano all work nicely with the Mediterranean flavors of Greek salad. You possibly can add capers to the dressing too, when you’d like.
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Dry the greens nicely; if there’s any water clinging to them while you toss them collectively and add the dressing, your salad will find yourself soggy and the flavors shall be watered down.
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Serve it with crusty bread or pita to absorb the dressing and bits of feta which can be left in your plate.
Dietary Issues
- Gluten Free
- Dairy Free (make sure you’re select a feta cheese created from sheep’s milk or goat’s milk)
- Nut Free
- Vegan
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Greek Salad
This Greek salad is a traditional! It takes minutes to make and the mixture of crisp veggies, briny olives, and feta is not possible to withstand.
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Directions
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Place the dressing elements in a jar and shake vigorously. (Alternatively, you possibly can place them in a bowl and whisk them.)
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Pour the dressing over the salad elements, toss to coat, and sprinkle with further oregano earlier than serving.
Vitamin Data
Energy: 335kcal (17%), Carbohydrates: 6g (2%), Protein: 4g (8%), Fats: 34g (52%), Saturated Fats: 7g (35%), Polyunsaturated Fats: 3g, Monounsaturated Fats: 22g, Ldl cholesterol: 17mg (6%), Sodium: 632mg (26%), Potassium: 225mg (6%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 3g (3%), Vitamin A: 522IU (10%), Vitamin C: 27mg (33%), Calcium: 116mg (12%), Iron: 1mg (6%)
Estimated diet info is supplied as a courtesy and isn’t assured.
