How to make a Greek salad: a classic recipe and 5 most creative ideas

How to make a classic Greek salad

Traditional Greek salad is easy to prepare. The main rule is to use only fresh and high quality products.

Ingredients

2-3 tomatoes;
1 cucumber;
1 small onion;
a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil;
6-8 kalamata olives;
100 g feta cheese;
salt to taste;
1-2 teaspoons dried oregano.

Preparation

All ingredients must be coarse. Small cubes may look more aesthetically pleasing, but they distance the look of the salad from the original.

Cut the tomatoes in half and cut into large wedges. Peel the cucumber and cut into thick circles or semicircular slices. Peel the onion, cut in half, cut into half rings and separate with your hands.

The peculiarity of Greek salad is that the ingredients are not mixed.

Place tomatoes and cucumbers on a salad platter and drizzle with oil. It is better not to save on its quantity, because high-quality olive oil will give the salad an excellent taste. Top with onions and olives.

In the traditional recipe, feta is not diced or crumbled.

Cut 1–2 large rectangular slices about 1 cm thick from the cheese and place on top of the vegetables. Then add salt to the salad, sprinkle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with dried oregano. You will need a little salt, since the olives and feta are quite salty.

Serve the Greek salad immediately after cooking. He shouldn't insist. It is usually served with bread, which is dipped in a mixture of butter and vegetable juice left over from the salad.

How to diversify your Greek salad

The most commonly added traditional ingredients are bell pepper, lettuce, ground black pepper and lemon juice. Instead of feta, you can add cubes of feta cheese, tofu or mozzarella.

In addition to cheese, or even instead of it, fried meat is added, such as beef or chicken, as well as fried or baked fish, most often salmon. Meat or fish fillets can be put on salad, like feta, or cut into pieces.

But there are also more unusual variations of the salad. Here are the most interesting ones.

1. Greek salad with shrimps, avocado and capers

With new ingredients and an original aromatic dressing, the taste of the salad will sparkle with new colors.

Ingredients

3 eggs;
½ canned baked pepper;
200 ml of olive oil;
100 g canned capers;
80 ml red wine vinegar;
a few sprigs of parsley;
1 ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
400 g small peeled shrimp;
10 small tomatoes;
2 red or white onions;
1 head of romaine lettuce
250 g feta cheese;
3 ripe avocados;
salt to taste;
ground black pepper - to taste.

Preparation

Boil hard-boiled eggs, peel and cut into small cubes. Cut the baked peppers as well. Combine these ingredients with oil, chopped capers (along with liquid), vinegar, chopped parsley, and mustard. Refrigerate the dressing for a couple of hours.

Place the shrimp in boiling water and cook for 2-4 minutes. Cut the tomatoes into large wedges and the onions into small cubes. Coarsely chop or tear lettuce leaves by hand and sprinkle them into the bottom of the bowl. Top with vegetables, shrimp and diced feta.

Peel the avocado, remove the pit and chop the flesh into large pieces. Add the avocado to the salad along with the chilled dressing, season with the spices, and stir.

2. Pasta "Greek salad" with chicken and creamy sauce

A complete hot dish with a Greek touch.

Ingredients

450 g penne (feather-shaped pasta);
salt to taste;
350 g chicken breast fillet;
ground black pepper - to taste;
1 teaspoon dried oregano
a few tablespoons of olive oil;
2 cloves of garlic;
180 ml heavy cream;
220 g cream cheese;
80 g feta cheese;
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
200 g cherry tomatoes;
100 g kalamata olives;
1 cucumber;
¼ a bunch of dill;
a few sprigs of parsley.

Preparation

Boil the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente according to the instructions on the package.

Rub the fillets with salt, pepper and oregano. Heat the oil in a skillet and roast the chicken over medium heat, about 6 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

If the pan is dry, add a little more oil. Add finely chopped garlic and sauté for about a minute. Add cream, cream cheese and crumbled feta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cheeses are melted. You should have a smooth, creamy sauce.

Add lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper and stir. Place the pasta, halved tomatoes and olives, cucumber cubes and chopped herbs in the sauce. Stir well and serve immediately.

3. Greek salad with mint and baked beets

The highlight of this salad is the beetroot spaghetti.

Ingredients

2 large beets;
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 clove of garlic;
2 teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon of Dijon mustard;
salt to taste;
ground black pepper - to taste;
1 small red onion;
1 small cucumber;
1 yellow bell pepper;
1 bunch of green salad;
a handful of olives;
a few sprigs of mint.
60 g feta cheese.

Preparation

Peel the beets and cut into a thin spiral using a vegetable cutter. Season the resulting spaghetti with 1 tablespoon of oil and stir. Cover a baking sheet with parchment, spread the beets on it and place in an oven preheated to 200 ° C for 5-10 minutes. The beets should soften but remain slightly crispy.

Meanwhile, combine lemon zest and juice, remaining oil, minced garlic, oregano, mustard, salt and pepper. Cut the onion, cucumber and bell pepper into small cubes. Chop or pick lettuce leaves. Combine all the vegetables, add the olives and mint, pour the dressing over the salad and place on a serving platter.

Spread small pieces of feta and beets on top.

4. Greek salad canapes with pickled feta

A completely different salad serving in case of a buffet table or a big party.

Ingredients

4-5 tablespoons of olive oil;
1 tablespoon lemon juice
a few sprigs of dill;
a few sprigs of parsley;
salt to taste;
ground black pepper - to taste;
a pinch of ground red pepper;
200-300 g feta cheese;
a handful of cherry tomatoes;
1 cucumber;
a handful of kalamata olives.

Preparation

Combine butter, lemon juice, chopped herbs, and spices. Cut the feta into large cubes, put in the marinade, stir and leave for 15 minutes.

Cut the tomatoes in half and cut the cucumbers into thick semicircular slices. Place half a tomato, a wedge of cucumber, an olive and a cube of cheese on each skewer.

5. Sandwich with Greek salad and chickpea paste

Non-standard performance for those who like to experiment.

Ingredients

150 g canned or boiled chickpeas;
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ a bunch of parsley;
½ small red onion;
salt to taste;
ground black pepper - to taste;
80 g feta cheese;
8 slices of bread;
4 lettuce leaves;
1 cucumber;
1 tomato.

Preparation

Grind the chickpeas with a blender, add 1 tablespoon each of lemon juice and oil, and chopped parsley. Cut the onion into thin half rings, add the remaining lemon juice, ½ tablespoon oil, salt and pepper and stir. In a separate container, mash the feta with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Spread the chickpea paste over 4 bread slices. Top with a leaf of lettuce, thinly sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, and onions. Spread feta on the remaining slices of bread and cover the sandwiches with them.