Cooking Lesson #121—Acropolis Greek Salad

Traditional Greek Salad

How you doin’? Πως είσαι'? I bet you never knew my Greek was so good—I’m multi-lingual. In Greece the salad is called “Horiatiki,” which translates to village or peasant salad. It’s a combination of tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, green peppers, olives and feta cheese, dressed in olive oil and sprinkled with oregano.
 
Let me tell you a little bit about traditional Greek salads. The Greek isles have been conquered by many people and Greek salads are no different. Greek salads did not reach world popularity until the end of the 19th century when the tomato became popular in Greece.
 
There is no lettuce or any other leafy greens in a traditional Greek salad. The salad is never mixed before it is served. The feta cheese is never cut in cubes but rather large slices are placed on top of the salad. In Greece, Horiatiki, is served most often from early spring to the early part of fall when the season’s quality produce including juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and onions are at their peak.
 
What goes best with a Greek Salad? Grilled ribeye steak with sautéed onions and mushrooms, loaded baked potato, cheesy broccoli and a horseradish cream sauce is delicious with this salad. Grilled shrimp and peppers are delicious on salad. Grilled steak over this salad is also delicious!
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
 
Ingredients
For the Greek salad dressing
1-1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (1 large clove)
1 1/2 tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon honey
Sea Salt, to taste
6 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
 
For the salad
4 medium Roma tomatoes, diced
1 medium English cucumber, peeled and sliced into circles
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced shreds, rinsed and drained
1 small red or yellow bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
3/4 cup kalamata or black olives, drained and sliced
1 cup (4 ounces) sliced (not cubed or crumbled) feta cheese
1 medium firm avocado, diced
1 loaf warm crusty bread   (Optional: omit if gluten-free is desired)
 
Directions
To make the dressing

1. Add all of the dressing ingredients, except the olive oil, to a blender jar and blend well.  Let the dressing rest for 10 minutes and then blend in the olive oil.
2. Season with salt to taste and store in refrigerator until ready to use.
3. In a large salad bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onions, bell peppers, olives, avocado and feta cheese.
4. Drizzle dressing over top and gently toss to evenly coat. Add dressing within a few minutes of serving for best results.
5. Serve with warm crusty bread.

 
ChefSecret:  Add the olive oil as the last step in making any salad dressing or marinade giving the rest of the ingredients a chance bloom for full flavor. Consider adding slice grilled ribeye, grilled chicken breast or grilled shrimp as a topper to your Greek Salad.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Wash your hands like you just finished a bag of hot Cheetos con limón and you need to remove your contact lenses.”

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