Before we start cooking, we will prepare a board on which we will cut, a sharp large knife, a salad bowl with high sides and a narrow bottom. If everything is clear with the board and knife, then the choice of utensils is not obvious. The fact is that the narrow bottom and high walls of the container will allow excess juice from vegetables and dressing to drain freely, and coarsely chopped cucumbers and tomatoes will not cake and sour at the bottom.
It’s better to add salt already on the plate, but in Greece such behavior can be regarded as disrespect and bad form
- Wash and dry vegetables. All vegetables must be washed well, as bacteria from the soil and fertilizers accumulate on the skin, which can speed up the process of souring the salad and cause slight illness. For the same reason, you should dry vegetables on disposable paper towels, and not on cloth kitchen towels, which the whole family uses to wipe their hands together.
- Peel cucumbers and peppers. It is customary to add peeled cucumbers to Greek salad. Firstly, it is tough, and secondly, it is in the peel that nitrates and other substances harmful to humans accumulate. Peppers must be cleaned of seeds and thin films on which they grew, as they can become very bitter.
- Slice the cucumbers. We cut the peeled cucumbers into round pieces 7-9 mm thick and pour them into a salad bowl. They come first because they are denser than tomatoes and produce less juice.
- Chop the pepper. Cut the sweet pepper into half rings 7-9 mm thick and pour into a salad bowl.
- Chop the tomatoes. First cut the tomatoes in half. Using a knife, carefully cut out the growth area of the twig in the shape of a small triangle. Then we cut each half into another 3-4 slices, depending on the size of the fruit, and place them in a salad bowl.
- Peel and chop the onion. Red sweet onions must be thoroughly peeled. No wilted, dry or spoiled onion layers should be included in the dish. If the onion is very hot, you can cut it in half and put it in salt water for a short time. Then cut it into the thinnest half rings.
- Pour in the olives. Usually olives with pits are added to the dish. This is inconvenient and will force guests to be more careful not to damage their teeth and jaw, since it is almost impossible to chew the bone. Of course, you can use pitted olives, but according to Greek chefs, the taste will not be the same.
- Cut and add feta. The cheese in a real Greek salad is never cut into small squares. Culinary customs require that feta be cut into large slices 10-15 mm thick. After which they are randomly placed on top of the vegetables.
- Drizzle dressing over salad. Shake the prepared and infused sauce for Greek salad well and pour it over all the products, so that it gets on the cheese, olives and vegetables.
It is in this form that the dish is served on the table in a large salad bowl. It is not stirred or salted before serving. If you add even a pinch of salt, the vegetables will give juice, which will accumulate at the bottom, and the salad itself will become tasteless. It is better to add salt directly on the plate if there is an urgent need for it, but in Greece such behavior can be regarded as disrespect and bad form.
Real Greek salad is ready. Bon appetit!
Composition of Greek salad
- tomatoes (medium) – 3 pieces;
- sweet green pepper (medium) – 1 piece;
- olives (black olives) – 10 pieces;
- cucumbers – 3 pieces;
- feta cheese – 300 grams;
- red onion – 1 head;
- Greek salad dressing - 2 tablespoons.
How to choose ingredients for Greek salad
Vegetables
Greece is a country of sea and sun. Here vegetables can be grown all year round and most of the time in the open ground, so Greek salad is especially tasty in its homeland. Traditionally, it was prepared from freshly harvested, garden-ripened vegetables.
People's need for food has forced science to greatly transform agricultural production. The massive task of feeding an ever-increasing human population has led to the fact that the quality of food has taken a back seat to quantity.
Residents of large modern cities are often not even familiar with the taste of cucumbers and tomatoes grown on the ground under the sun. And even more so, few people know that they have a bright aroma. Ground-grown tomatoes and cucumbers are much tastier than greenhouse-grown ones, and even more so than vegetables grown hydroponically (a method of growing plants in a nutrient liquid medium without soil or natural light).
Real tomatoes should be red, firm, juicy, with a tomato aroma, and preferably with a green sprig.
A real Greek salad is best made from real vegetables. Tomatoes should be red or almost red, firm, juicy, but not watery. Tomatoes should have a pronounced tomato aroma. Sourness or complete absence indicates that the fruit is already spoiled or picked unripe.
It is better to choose those fruits that are sold together with the twig. You can always use it to determine the quality of tomatoes. A red ripe vegetable and a dense green twig will confirm that it is ripe and was picked recently.
The quality of cucumbers is determined by the condition of its skin. It should be dense without dents or yellow spots. These are the signs that often indicate an excess of nitrates. In a Greek salad, it is better to use medium-sized cucumbers with pimples. They taste better and are not so watery.
Red onion is one of the healthiest foods; it is much healthier than regular white onion. Because it has twice the amount of antioxidants that help fight inflammation. Red onions have recently been replaced with white ones, for example in the Mimosa salad recipe. According to recent studies, red onions contain substances that promote weight loss.
The popularity of Greek salad around the world has led to a demand for feta cheese. Almost all dairy companies began to try to produce it. Therefore, several years ago, after a major legal battle, feta cheese received the status of a “controlled designation of origin”. This means that only cheese produced in Greece can be called feta cheese.
Real feta can only be made in Greece
In Russia, manufacturers often use the name feta for products that have nothing to do with cheeses, and sometimes with dairy products. The most common trick is to give the product a name similar in sound to the name of cheese: fetax, fetaki, etc.
Therefore, when purchasing, carefully read the ingredients: real feta must be made from sheep’s milk, sometimes with the addition of goat’s, and always in Greece. Everything else, no matter what it is called, is not Greek cheese.
One of the facts about cheese is that with feta the Greeks prepare not only salads, but also meat, sauces, mayonnaise and even bake muffins. Feta can be replaced with feta cheese in a Greek salad recipe. It is also prepared with the addition of sheep and goat milk, but based on cow milk. Cheese cheese is usually denser and saltier.
Sometimes, in order to bring its taste closer to the taste of feta, feta cheese is soaked in regular cow's milk. To make a vegetarian or meatless Greek salad, you can use tofu instead of feta. However, it is somehow difficult to call the dish resulting from such substitutions a Greek salad.
Thanks to its sour-salty taste and dense texture, feta makes ordinary chopped vegetables a delicious salad. Feta is one of the few cheeses that can be stored for up to six months if it is kept in brine. However, without it, the shelf life is calculated in hours. It's worth keeping this in mind if you're planning on putting your prepared Greek salad in the refrigerator for a day or two.
Olives (olives)
Olives are the fruits of the olive tree, which has been grown to produce olive oil since ancient times. This name is used exclusively in Russian and other Slavic languages. The common name for these fruits is olives.
In many world religions, the olive is a symbol of peace, goodness and prosperity. The ancient peoples of the Mediterranean considered it an irreplaceable and extremely valuable plant. Olive oil, olives and bread have been the basis of the diet of the region's inhabitants for several millennia.
In Russia, it is customary to distinguish olives and black olives by color: some are green, others are black. In connection with this, there is a misconception that green olives are unripe olives. In fact, olives are ripe fruits collected from different varieties of olive trees.
Olives are usually larger, darker, and oilier. They are used to obtain oil and are considered the most valuable. However, finding real black olives in the store is very difficult. Most of the canned olives on the shelves have not been ripened in the sun and they have not been soaked for a long time in salty sea water to get rid of their natural bitterness.
In large industrial enterprises producing “mass products”, olives are harvested slightly ripe, brought to the desired degree of ripeness using chemical treatment, immersed in a solution containing a food additive - ferrous gluconate (E 579) and packaged in sealed tins. Ferrous gluconate has a weak coloring effect, but is excellent for imparting an even, glossy black color to olives.
Naturally blackened olives have an uneven dark brown color and dull skin.
Olives that have turned black naturally usually have an uneven dark brown color with a matte skin. They are preserved in glass containers, since there is no need to hide the color of the brine and light will not affect the quality of the product.
Olives colored with iron gluconate are not dangerous in themselves, as long as the proportion of the substance in the brine is observed. But their taste is far from real and they are not suitable for Greek salad.
Greek Salad Dressing
The whole world is sure that it is enough to season a Greek salad with olive oil and some dry seasonings, that its preparation is no more complicated than a simple omelet. However, the Greek salad recipe requires a more careful and careful selection of herbs and oil. Properly selected aromas can turn ordinary vegetables and cheese into a work of culinary art.
How the Greek salad recipe conquered the world
A summer salad made from vegetables, vegetable oil and herbs has been known since the appearance of tomatoes and cucumbers in Europe. In most European countries, you can find a snack in which tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucumbers, onions and herbs are mixed.
Olives and olive oil in Mediterranean countries are mandatory ingredients in any dish, with the possible exception of tea and ice cream. The Greek salad recipe owes its name not to the composition of the vegetables, but to one single ingredient - feta cheese.
Feta is made from goat and sheep milk. All over the world, such cheese is usually called Greek. Although the recipe for its preparation was known to the ancient Egyptians, Romans, Phoenicians, etc. In the Byzantine era, sheep's milk cheese received the official name "Prosfatos", which translates as "recent". In the 17th century, the name “Feta” was assigned to it, meaning “piece” or “hunk” in Italian.
For quite a long time, vegetables in Greek salad were cut into large pieces so that they could be easily eaten with your hands, dipped in olive oil mixed with herbs in a separate container. Subsequently, the culture of eating changed and the use of cutlery became the norm, which led to a reduction in the size of the pieces and the addition of olive dressing directly to the dish.
The recipe for Greek salad has not changed over the centuries. Order it in the best restaurants, regardless of the city, country or even continent, the Greek salad will be Greek. The only significant difference may be the way the dish is presented.
In the classic recipe, feta is cut into large thick slices
In the classic version, feta is cut into large thick slices, while the Central European standard involves cutting the cheese into small cubes. There is also a more original way: a piece of cheese is strung on a wooden skewer, followed by an olive, pieces of vegetables and placed in one large dish, pouring olive oil mixed with finely chopped herbs on top.
According to estimates from several popular American publications dedicated to health and a healthy lifestyle, 20% of residents of metropolitan areas prefer to start lunch with Greek salad. In recent years, it has secured the title of the main international lunch dish.
Most nutritionists recommend eating salad during the day, as it contains many substances that must enter the body before 6 pm. Despite all the difficulties associated with finding quality products, it has long been one of the most popular salads for the New Year.
Chefs of leading restaurants claim that dressing plays an important role in a Greek salad recipe. Properly mixed herbs and olive oil give the dish an unforgettable aroma and taste.
Greece is home to picturesque islands, intriguing antiquity and a love for large families. What is a large family? This is constant cooking - no frills, but with fire. When several generations gather at one table - this is love squared, and even cubed! Feed tasty, satisfying, healthy food to everyone at once. Greek salad can do this. No wonder it has become a brand of a country full of vivid emotions.
Low calorie content is a special charm of the Greek hit
There are no more than 130 kcal per 100 grams of salad. If desired, this figure can be further reduced. It helps to serve the vegetables, cheese, and dressing separately.
Quick navigation through the article:
Cooking classics of the genre
First, we will describe the Greek salad according to the classic recipe with photos step by step, and for the appetizer we will leave secrets, tricks and variations. There will be a lot of them! Each stage contains an opportunity to do things differently. And the new result will remain just as appetizing.
We need the following vegetables -
Let's estimate piece by piece to get the proportion for quick cooking at home:
- Cucumber - 2 pcs. (not small)
- Tomato - 2 pcs. (larger, dense-fleshed variety)
- Bell pepper - 1 pc.
- Crimean onion (blue) - 1 pc. (the average size)
- Olives - 20 pcs., large, pitted
- Feta cheese - 80-100 g
- Oregano (oregano) - ½ teaspoon of dry herb
- Extra virgin olive oil - 2-3 tbsp. spoons
- Lemon juice - 1-1.5 tablespoons
- Salt, pepper - to taste
How to cook.
- Cut tomatoes and cucumbers into large pieces (2-2.5 cm). Cucumbers can be peeled if the skin is too hard.
- Cut the blue onion into rings or half rings. For a family where raw onions are treated with caution, the cuts are thinner, into quarter rings.
- We clean the pepper from seeds and internal white membranes. Cut into large squares - about 2-2.5 cm.
- The olives can be left whole. Very large ones - cut in half.
- Place the vegetables in a large bowl and mix gently. 2 large spatulas will help. Salt and pepper - to taste. At the same time, do not forget about the saltiness of the cheese we use.
- Whisk olive oil with lemon juice. This is the sauce. Dress the salad and sprinkle with oregano. No need to rush: just a pinch, slightly rubbing the herb in your fingers. Oh, what a scent!
- Cut feta cheese into large pieces. Compare it with slicing cucumbers, you can’t go wrong. Place in a picturesque disorder on top of the vegetables. The last pinch of oregano and the beauty is ready. Amazing simplicity!
Classic ingredients: what else can you do with vegetables
Onion. It makes sense to pre-marinate. The simplest way is to sprinkle chopped onions with a mixture of vinegar (3 parts) and sugar (2 parts), add a little salt and let stand for 25-30 minutes. Then drain the juice and add the chopped vegetables to the other vegetables. Or cut the onion smaller - into quarters and eighths of rings.
It is also interesting to take two varieties - white and blue. Choose the proportion yourself: 1:2, or even 1:1. If the white onion is very pungent, it is definitely worth softening it with pickling. You can also replace a quarter of the onion with garlic cloves. A nuance is important here: chop the garlic into small cubes with a knife.
For the base you need:
- Medium-sized cucumbers and tomatoes - 3 pcs.
- Onions – 1 pc. (preferably sweet variety)
- Salted cheese - up to 100 g
Bright additives:
- Chicken fillet - 500 g
- Olives - 12 pcs.
Scrambled sauce:
- Lemon juice - 2 tbsp. spoons
- Olive oil - 4 tbsp. spoons
- Garlic - 2 cloves
- Fresh herbs - to taste and for decoration
- Ground black pepper, salt - to taste
The best summer accent for the meat version is fresh mint.
We do it lightly, because we already know the principles of cutting and assembly.
New to the mix is chicken. Ideally, we marinate the fillet in advance - 2-5 hours before preparing the salad. Any standard marinade will do. For example, oil with lemon juice and spices, led by curry or paprika. Or simply coat the meat with mayonnaise. After the marinade, the fillet should be cut into small pieces - up to 3 cm. Throw into a heated frying pan and fry, covered, until cooked. The main guest of the recipe is ready! Let the meat cool and add it to the vegetables.
You can do it even simpler - boil any part of the chicken and let it cool in the broth. Then the chicken will be the softest. We cut it across the grain into small pieces.
Cut cucumbers, tomatoes and onions into your favorite bite size. Leave the olives whole or cut them in half. Combine with meat and mix gently. Shake the ingredients for the sauce with a fork. Add salt, pepper and pour over the vegetables.
Place the cheese component on top of the mixture. And if the selected cheese holds its shape well when sliced, you can gently mix all the ingredients.
Note - 2 best ideas!
It is the meat version that goes great with different sauces. Mustard with honey and salty dressing with soy counterpart. Scroll a little lower - you won’t regret it! :) We have described the proportions.
Don’t ignore the simple variation with crackers. Literally 2 bucks for a Greek salad with chicken... And you won’t recognize the recipe! Everything will sparkle in a new way - crispy, fresh and very beautiful.
How to replace feta cheese and is it possible without it: 3 more recipes
A budget alternative is salted cheese, including goat cheese. A rich selection awaits you at any bazaar.
Or large pieces processed cheese with a strong flavor. Let the accent be greens, smoked meats, and tomatoes. In this case, all the treats need a little more salt.
Not bad and option with Dutch cheese. Just make the pieces smaller. Yes, this will not be a pure classic. But who knows, maybe your family won’t like it much more? Husbands are often conservatives. They understand Dutch cheese and goat cheese much more than overseas feta.
If you decide to omit the cheese component, rely on our second option with meat. But choose something smoked and well salted. Please note: this salad will not be stored for long. There is too much dissonance between fresh vegetables and smoked meats.
In addition to meat in the recipe you can add mushrooms. Not only champignons, but even the simplest pickled chanterelles. The main thing is to thoroughly rinse them from mucus and dry them. The perfection of a simple base and your imagination are the best team for creativity!
Tricks for serving a classic salad
Pros of serving in large pieces: those who don’t like olives can easily remove them. The same goes for thick onion rings.
Sometimes the plate even looks like a rough cut of vegetables with cheese. Large slices are placed on a dish without stirring.
Portion serving in Greek restaurants is often extremely laconic. You get a deep plate with no sliced cheese. The whole feta lies in a piece - right on top of the vegetable slices. How to deal with it is up to you.
You can serve the sauce in the same way - in a separate container for each serving. There is a practical business sense in this. As long as the salad is not covered in sauce, it will keep better.
Helpful advice!
It is beneficial to season the dish only after serving portions. This way you can keep the cuts longer in the refrigerator. If suddenly the family does not cope with vitamin happiness in one go.
Olive oil, lemon juice and oregano. With this sauce a classic Greek recipe was born. So he fell in love with millions and is vividly remembered by neophytes.
However, there is no need to be afraid of other seasonings and herbs! The dish will easily accept coarsely torn lettuce leaves and delicate Chinese cabbage. You can add basil, thyme and parsley if you prefer.
And now let’s smile intriguingly... And fill up the next portion honey mustard sauce. Making the sauce is easy!
- Mild mustard (can be with grains), honey and olive oil in a ratio of 1:1:2, whisk. If the sauce is thick, add more oil.
Greece's culinary signature is so inviting for variation that you'll inevitably end up trying a less salty cheese.
We really liked the version with lightly salted cheese. A third recipe for dressing will always come in handy - with soy sauce. It is traditionally salty and rich and gives the recipe a new twist.
Cooking, as before, is simple - whisk the ingredients. We need:
- Olive oil 2 tbsp. spoons
- Soy sauce - 1 tbsp. spoon
- Apple cider vinegar - 1 tbsp. spoon
- Mustard (medium or weak) - 1 teaspoon.
What else is added to Greek salad toppings and dressings?
- Other oils - mustard, corn, sesame - for the sake of aroma.
- Fried salty crackers. Or large bread crumbs. They are easy to make by crushing the crackers with a rolling pin.
- Garlic pressed through a garlic press. By the way, one of the most despised methods from a cooking guru. They consider chopping garlic at every opportunity to be the first sign of a master. Well, that's what a guru is for. Who else suits a peacock tail like that?!... You say the same! (c) And do it your own way.
Real Greek salad - video recipe for cheerful sirtaki
A great mood for a culinary masterpiece from the very first frame! And a very laconic video. Pay attention to the proportion. They suggest taking a little more tomatoes than other vegetables.
“Greek” salad for the New Year - with baked eggplants and magic sauce
Creative thought is a restless phenomenon. Don't limit yourself to the classics. Get ready for this unique option too. Juicy - to the point of trembling in the knees, tender - to the point of insanity. He will easily place Olivier and fur coat on the festive table and will break all records even on the New Year's menu. And it’s easy and simple to do.
Take medium-sized vegetables:
- Fresh cucumber - 1-2 pcs.
- Tomatoes - 2 pcs.
- Sweet pepper - 1 pc.
- Red onion - ½ pc.
- Eggplant - 1 pc.
- Olives
- Lettuce leaf - 3-4 pcs.
- Spinach - a small handful
- Arugula - to taste (ours is on par with spinach)
- Feta cheese - as much as you like
- Dried oregano and salt
For the original sesame sauce:
- Olive oil - 3 tbsp. spoons
- Water - 2 tbsp. spoons
- Sesame seed - 2 teaspoons
- Walnut - 3 halves
- Feta - 25 g
- Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon
- Mustard (spiciness to taste) - 1 teaspoon
Preparation.
We prick the eggplant with a knife, put it in a mold and put it in a preheated oven. Bake at 200℃ for 20-25 minutes. Let cool, peel and cut into pieces, not too small.
We make an amazingly flavorful dressing. Lightly brown the sesame seeds in a frying pan. Let cool and place in a blender bowl. Add all other ingredients and beat well. We put the deliciousness in the refrigerator until it’s time to season the dish.
Cut cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers into your favorite size. About the same as eggplant. We plan the onion with feathers or quarter rings.
Tear the lettuce leaves into pieces. Cut the spinach in medium steps. Add arugula to taste. We're not big fans of mustard weed, but it's delicious added here. It gives a light nutty aftertaste and a pleasant bitterness.
Combine vegetables and herbs. Add some salt and pour olive oil: just a little - 1 tablespoon.
It is better to serve the salad in portions. For a formal meal, an interesting option is bread plates. This is a pita flatbread made from yeast dough with a slotted window. Place 1-2 spoons of salad, randomly drip the prepared cheese dressing with sesame seeds on top. Vegetables again - dressing. On top of the slide are pieces of feta cheese and olives. The miracle Greek “Finger-licking goodness” is ready!
Life hack from the chef!
Before adding to the salad, cut the cheese into pieces and sprinkle each with dried oregano. Beauty!
Our carefully collected ideas for the culinary brand of Greece are waiting for additions in the comments. Which option do you like? Shrimp, pieces of fluffy omelette, grainy cottage cheese, Chinese cabbage. These products also work well with Greek salad, the classic recipe for which with step-by-step photos is always at your service at the beginning of the article.
Greek salad is the most popular and easiest to prepare classic salad. This dish is often served in cafes and restaurants. It can also be easily prepared at home.
The main advantage of the Greek salad is that its ingredients do not require heat treatment. All you have to do is chop the vegetables coarsely, add cheese and season all the ingredients with delicious butter and lemon juice.
Tomatoes and cucumbers for Greek salad should be dense and meaty. Ideally, onions should be sweet, without a pronounced smell. Crimean (blue) onions are perfect for salad. If desired, it can be marinated in water with the addition of a small amount of vinegar.
If you like light vegetable salads, try making them too. It will be delicious!
Ingredients
Calorie content
Calories
188 kcal
Squirrels
3.9 g
Fats
17.8 g
Carbohydrates
3.4 g
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients for the salad, wash and dry the vegetables. It is better to take a dense cucumber so that it does not drain quickly. You also need to take one large pepper or two halves of colored bell pepper. In the second case, the salad will turn out even brighter and more beautiful.
Step 2
Peel the bell pepper from the seeds and cut it into large pieces (squares, about 1 - 1.5 cm). Place it in a large bowl in which it would be convenient to mix vegetables.
We used half a red and half a yellow pepper for the salad to make the salad brighter and more appetizing.
Step 3
Cut the cucumbers into large pieces. It is advisable to choose large and dense cucumbers. If the skin on them is too hard, it is better to remove it and cut the cucumber itself into cubes or half rings - as you like.
Step 4
Cut tomatoes into large pieces. It is also better to choose tomatoes for Greek salad that are not too juicy and with dense flesh.
Step 5
Cut half an onion into half rings. If the onion has too strong a smell, it is better to pre-marinate it in cold boiled water with the addition of a small amount of table vinegar.
Step 6
Typically, the classic recipe contains whole pitted black olives. However, if desired, they can be cut in half or cut into rings.
Step 7
Mix all the vegetables, salt and pepper to taste. Please note that the cheese will add its saltiness to the dish, so it is better to salt the vegetables moderately.
Step 8
We are preparing the dressing. To do this, mix olive oil and lemon juice in a separate bowl. Mix thoroughly until smooth.
Step 9
Pour the sauce over the salad and mix gently.
Step 10
We place our dish on serving plates and add feta cheese cut into large pieces on top. If desired, it can be replaced with fetax or feta cheese.
Sprinkle the salad with oregano or a mixture of Italian herbs. Serve immediately.
The finished Greek salad looks very appetizing and is rich in vitamins. You can eat it as a separate dish or together with meat dishes and even fish. Bon appetit!
How to replace Feta cheese in salad
Feta cheese is typically used when preparing a Greek salad. This cheese has a pleasant curd flavor and goes well with vegetables and olive oil.
If you don’t have Feta cheese on hand, you can easily replace it with pickled cheeses. For Greek salad, you can use feta cheese instead of feta. However, do not forget that feta cheese is usually saltier, so you should salt vegetables in moderation.
By the way, removing excess salt from cheese is also quite easy. So, it can be placed in milk or cold water (mineral water can be used) and left for 12 hours.
Some housewives prefer to add Imeretian or Adyghe cheese when preparing Greek salad. Fans of vegetarian dishes can add tofu - it will be not only tasty, but also healthy!
Simple, appetizing and delicious Greek salad has long been loved by our compatriots due to its ease of preparation and its beneficial properties. Indeed, the salad, the recipe for which we will consider today, is a real vitamin bouquet with a rich taste and excellent appearance.
In fact, there are quite a lot of recipes for traditional Greek salad. They may differ in the composition of vegetables, types of cheese and, of course, types of dressing.
Another significant advantage of Greek salad is its low calorie content. So, 100 g of this product contains no more than 135 kcal, which will especially please people watching their figure.
You can easily prepare a classic Greek salad at home. We have selected for you some of the best Greek salad recipes that are suitable for preparing a tasty and healthy lunch for every day.
Greek salad with croutons
The idea of adding croutons to the salad is rather borrowed from the traditional Caesar recipe. Nevertheless, this option also has the right to life. Crautons make Greek salad more nutritious. In addition, they go well with the taste of cheese and add new flavor notes to the dish.
Ingredients:
- Fresh cucumbers – 1 piece
- Olives – 7 pcs.
- Cherry tomatoes – 10 pcs
- White bread – 50 g
- Olive oil – 100 ml
- Lemon juice – 20 ml
- Spices, herbs - to taste
- Salt - to taste
Preparation:
- Making a salad with croutons is very simple. First, cut white bread into large pieces and fry the bread in olive oil in a frying pan. If desired, you can squeeze a clove of garlic into the frying pan to give the crackers a pleasant aroma and piquant taste.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Cut the cucumbers into thin strips.
- Place vegetables on serving plates and add olives.
- Season our dish with olive oil, add lemon juice and sprinkle with spices and herbs. If desired, the salad can be lightly salted.
- Place croutons on top of the salad and serve immediately. Bon appetit!
Remember that crackers get soggy quickly. That is why they should be added immediately before serving the dish!
Greek salad with lettuce leaves
If you want to add some zest to your Greek salad, try making it with pine nuts. Such nuts will not only make the dish more nutritious and healthy, but will also add new flavor notes to it.
Ingredients:
- Meaty pepper – 1 piece
- Tomatoes – 2 pcs.
- Large cucumber – 1 piece
- Lettuce leaves – 5 pcs.
- Feta cheese – 100 g
- Olive oil – 50 ml
- Salt, pepper - to taste
- Spices (oregano) – to taste
Preparation:
- Cut the bell pepper into large pieces and place in a deep bowl.
- Add chopped cucumbers to the pepper (can be cut into cubes, half rings or even rings), as well as tomatoes.
- We tear the lettuce leaves with our hands and add them to the vegetables.
- Add cheese.
- Season the salad with olive oil. Add salt and spices to taste.
In the classic version, Greek salad is seasoned with oregano (oregano). However, you can use any other spices or herbs you like, such as parsley, dill, cilantro, ground pepper, etc. By the way, if desired, olive oil can be mixed with 1/3 teaspoon of mustard or 2 teaspoons of lemon or lime juice. It will be even tastier!
Classic salad recipe with feta cheese and olives
If you don’t like the options with feta cheese, you can prepare an equally tasty and more nutritious Greek salad with feta cheese and olives. Cheese cheese will give the dish a more piquant taste and make it even more interesting.
Ingredients:
- Bell pepper – 1 piece
- Tomato – 3 pcs.
- Cheese cheese – 150 g
- Olives (olives) – 100 g
- Blue onion – 1 piece
- Olive oil – 100 g
- Salt - to taste
Preparation:
- Wash, remove seeds and cut the pepper into rings.
- Cut the tomatoes into slices and place in a deep bowl.
- Cut the onion into rings. If desired, marinate.
- Add the diced cheese.
- Olives can be left whole or cut into slices.
- Add oil and mix thoroughly. Salt if desired.
The salad with cheese turns out very tender, beautiful and tasty. It can be served as a separate dish or together with meat dishes.
Making a classic Greek salad dressing
In Greece, a very simple sauce based on olive oil and spices is usually prepared for dressing. Let's try to prepare a traditional Greek salad dressing.
Ingredients:
- Olive oil – 120 ml
- Lemon juice – 60 ml
- Salt, ground pepper - to taste
- Oregano – ½ teaspoon
Preparation:
- Pour olive oil into a small bowl or bowl.
- Add freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Grind the dried oregano and add it to the oil.
- Mix thoroughly with a fork.
- Season the salad with the resulting sauce and serve.
By the way, many chefs prefer to add spices and salt directly to the dish before serving. The sauce is prepared by mixing oil and lemon juice.
Low-calorie Greek salad dressing
This type of dressing has little in common with the traditional one. However, many housewives, especially those who watch their figure, prefer to use it because of its low calorie content. So, a similar salad sauce is made from natural yogurt. Lemon juice and wine vinegar are another way to get rid of extra calories.
Ingredients:
- Natural yogurt – 150 ml
- Lemon juice – 2 tbsp. spoons
- Garlic – 1 clove
- Wine vinegar (red) – 10 ml
- Salt, pepper - to taste
Preparation:
- Pour yogurt into a bowl or deep plate.
- Add fresh lemon juice to it.
- Squeeze out a clove of garlic.
- Add wine vinegar.
- Salt and pepper if desired.
- Mix all ingredients thoroughly and season the salad.
Greek salad with natural yogurt turns out tender and light. It tastes in no way inferior to the traditional one, but helps get rid of extra calories. By the way, if you don't like garlic, you can simply omit it. You can also add finely chopped fresh dill to the sauce, which will make the dish even more aromatic and tasty.
Spicy sauce for Greek salad
If you want to give your Greek salad a new flavorful twist, try making a special spicy sauce for it. Spices can be selected according to your own taste. You can also add a little herbs, such as parsley or cilantro, if desired.
Ingredients:
- Garlic – 1 clove
- Olive oil – 70 g
- Ground pepper - to taste
- Salt - to taste
- Honey – 1 tsp
- Lemon or lime juice – 1 tbsp. l
Preparation:
- Pour olive oil into a bowl or plate and squeeze in lemon or lime juice.
- Add a little honey. Honey will neutralize the acid and make the sauce more refined and delicate.
- Squeeze a clove of garlic and add ground pepper to taste.
- Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Salt to taste.
The prepared spicy sauce can be immediately added to the salad or left in a closed container in the refrigerator. If desired, during dressing, you can chop a little greenery and mix it with the resulting sauce.
Mustard-honey dressing
Another delicious dressing recipe includes mustard, honey and lemon juice. By the way, you can also use it to season other vegetable salads.
Ingredients:
- Vegetable oil – 100 g
- Ready mustard – 0.5 teaspoon
- Honey – 20 g
- ½ lemon
- Salt, pepper - to taste
Preparation:
- Pour vegetable oil into a bowl.
- Add mustard and juice of half a lemon.
- If the honey is liquid, immediately add it to the rest of the ingredients. It is better to preheat the candied honey so that it becomes liquid.
- Mix all ingredients and taste. Add salt and ground pepper if desired.
Pour the prepared dressing over the salad and serve. It turns out very tasty! Bon appetit.
Soy sauce based salad dressing
Soy sauce is perfect for dressing vegetable salad. To do this, you need to mix it with lemon juice and olive oil, and if desired, add a little honey to adjust the acidity.
Products:
- Honey – 20 g
- Soy sauce – 40 ml
- Lemon juice – 25 ml
- Olive oil – 90 ml
Preparation:
- Mix olive oil, soy sauce and honey in a bowl.
- Squeeze lemon juice and mix all ingredients thoroughly.
- Let's taste it. Depending on the salinity level of the soy sauce, you can adjust the flavor of the dressing by increasing the amount of lemon juice or honey.
We dress our salad and serve. Bon appetit!
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