I’ve been lucky to be travelling in Greece and one staple here that I never tire of is the Greek Salad.
It’s a dish that should be in every cook’s repertoire because it goes equally well with meat or seafood and is also excellent as a light meal in itself.
There is much debate on what is a true Greek Salad, but in my book, it is made without lettuce, relying on the juiciness of the tomatoes and crunch of cucumber as its body.
That doesn’t mean you can’t make a Greek-style Salad WITH lettuce of course! That is also a fine salad, but not exactly traditional.
The other ‘must have’ elements are a slab of feta cheese and black Kalamata olives (accept no substitute to these!).
A lemony, extra virgin olive oil dressing and sprinkling of oregano completes the story – use Greek if you can find it as it is more like a wild marjoram and has a different flavour. I sometimes add a little dill for variety, particularly when serving with fish.
Here’s my Classic Greek Salad recipe…
Kali Orexi!
💋
Nx
Photography: Louis Petruccelli
Recipe & Styling: Naomi Crisante
CLASSIC GREEK SALAD
Serves 6
Preparation time 10 minutes
½ red onion, thinly sliced
juice of 1 lemon
3 large vine-ripened tomatoes
2 lebanese cucumbers
½ cup black Kalamata olives
sea salt
200g feta cheese
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
dried Greek oregano, for sprinkling
Combine the onion and lemon juice and stand for 5 minutes. Cut tomatoes into wedges and cucumber into chunks.
Layer tomatoes, cucumber, onion and olives in two layers in a large shallow bowl, sprinkling with a little salt and remaining lemon juice. Cut feta into thick slices and arrange on top of salad. Just prior to serving, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano.
Tip: Serve with crusty bread to soak up the delicious juices!