Greek Salad

We may be a bit obsessed with ice creams these days, but truth be told, salads are not far behind. Simple fresh ingredients, easy homemade dressing, is all that's needed for making wonderful salads like this Flavourful Greek Salad.

Now, I'm not going to promise you the authenticity of this Greek Salad. What I can assure you though that this is a really good one. Fresh, uncomplicated, colourful and bursting with flavours and textures. Really what one should look for in a salad.

Since North Indian summers are brutal to lettuces and other kinds of salad greens, its best to stick to recipes that don't call for them. Here we use the staple vegetables - onion, cucumber and tomatoes. See, nothing fancy! Well except olives and feta cheese. But those are also very conveniently available now so it doesn't seem like a task at all.

The  Greek Salad dressing is very basic. Splash of lemon juice, red wine vinegar, good quality olive oil and a pinch of dried oregano. I love to add a little bit of honey to balance out the flavours. Making salad dressings from scratch is a cinch. Also, you get to control the amount of salt, oil and sugar that goes in. That's so much better than the bottled, sodium and preservative-laden vinaigrettes that have been sitting on the shelf for God knows how long!

NOTES:

• If time permits, do marinate sliced onions in red wine vinegar for an hour or so. I love to keep a small bowl of these mildly pickled, pink-hued onions in my fridge. They add so much interest to the salad and many other dishes.
• Honey is completely optional too.
• I've added avocado to this salad as I got lucky with a beautiful perfectly ripe one. If you don't have it, don't worry, your salad will still be fabulous.
• I served this salad with homemade beetroot bajra ( pearl millet) and whole-wheat flatbreads. It was such a great combination that we all ( yes, including the kids) ate it for dinner. It made a substantial and delicious meal.

If you try this recipe, do let me know. Please tag me on Instagram @tashasartisanfoods, using the hashtag #tashasartisanfoods. You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST for more fabulous recipes!

Print Recipe

Greek Salad

Simple, fresh, vibrant, bursting with flavours and textures! That's what this wonderful Greek Salad is all about. Healthy and delicious, its substantial enough to serve as a light summer meal!

Servings: 4 persons

Calories:

Author: Natasha Minocha

Ingredients

• 3 Tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 3 medium Cucumbers, sliced thickly
• 1 small Onion, thinly sliced Marinate this in 1 tbsp red wine vinegar for at least an hour, if possible
• 12-15 Olives Add more if you like.
• 1/3 cup Feta Cheese, cut into cubes Add more if you like.
• 1 Avocado, cut into cubes OPTIONAL

Salad dressing

• 1 Tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp Red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Extra virgin Olive oil
• 1 tsp Dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp honey OPTIONAL
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Garnish

• Fresh mint leaves OPTIONAL
• Dried oregano

Instructions

• Place the tomatoes, onions ( without the vinegar in which they were soaked), cucumbers and avocado ( if using) in a large shallow bowl.
• Pour the dressing over the vegetables. Give it a GENTLE stir. Top with the olives and feta cheese. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and dried oregano. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Salad dressing

• Whisk all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust for seasoning.