Greek Salad
This recipe creates a classic Greek Salad featuring fresh vegetables like cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, and red onion, tossed with diced feta and calamata olives. It's dressed with a simple yet flavorful vinaigrette made from olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, and oregano. The salad rests for 30 minutes to allow flavors to deepen before serving at room temperature.
Equipment
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chef's knife
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl For salad
- 1 Small Bowl For vinaigrette
- 1 Whisk For vinaigrette emulsion
Ingredients
Main
- 1 hothouse cucumber unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 1 red bell pepper large-diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper large-diced
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 1/2 red onion sliced in half-rounds
- 1/2 pound feta cheese 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)
- 1/2 cup calamata olives pitted
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup good olive oil
Instructions
- Place the cucumber, peppers, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl.
- For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Still whisking, slowly add the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta and olives and toss lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
The 30-minute rest is crucial for flavors to meld; don't skip it. Using block feta and dicing it yourself provides a superior texture to pre-crumbled. Ensure all vegetables are uniformly sized for a balanced bite and presentation. Whisk the vinaigrette thoroughly to create a stable emulsion. Serve at room temperature – chilling dulls the vibrant flavors. Use high-quality olive oil and vinegar for the best dressing.