To me, there’s nothing like a fresh salad for lunch or dinner following a heavy meal the night before and this Greek salad is the perfect example of this. And considering my love for feta cheese and recently discovered addiction to kalamata olives, you can imagine how much I adore this salad. You’ll made a knock-out and crazy simple homemade dressing that includes red wine vinegar, fresh oregano (grow your own this summer!), and fresh garlic to marinate the red onions and cucumbers in order to reduce the bite and boost flavor, respectively. And in just a few minutes time, you’ll be able to throw this salad together and have a light and healthy meal on the table. I know I’m not alone when I say this: the quicker and tastier the meal, the better. Win win!
Greek Salad
Ingredients
For the vinaigrette:
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 ½ tsp lemon juice from 1 lemon
2 tsp minced fresh oregano leaves
½ tsp table salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 medium clove garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 1 teaspoon)
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For the salad:
½ medium red onion, sliced thin (about ¾ cup)
1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices (about 2 cups)
2 hearts romaine lettuce, washed, dried thoroughly, and torn into 1 ½-inch-pieces (about 8 cups)
2 large vine-ripened tomatoes (10 ounces total), each tomato cored, seeded, and cut into 12 wedges
6 oz (about 1 cup) jarred roasted red bell pepper, cut into ½- by 2-inch strips
20 large pitted kalamata olives, quartered lengthwise
5 oz (about 1 cup) feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
-
01
Whisk vinaigrette ingredients in large bowl until combined. Add onion and cucumber and toss; let stand to blend flavors, about 20 minutes.
-
02
Add romaine, tomatoes, and peppers to bowl with onions and cucumbers; toss to coat with dressing. Transfer salad to wide, shallow serving bowl or platter; sprinkle olives and feta over salad. Alternatively, you can dress each salad individually, thereby allowing each person to determine how much dressing they want on their salad. Serve immediately.
adapted from The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook
Lately I’ve been too lazy to make my own dressing but this might motivate me!
Such a fabulous tasty salad!
This salad is awesome! I made it for dinner guests. They loved it and each had two helpings. I’ve already made it again.