How to make a Greek salad: a classic recipe and 5 the most creative ideas

How to cook a classic Greek salad

Traditional Greek salad is easy to prepare. The main rule - to use only fresh and quality products.

Ingredients

• 2-3 tomatoes;
• 1 cucumber;
• 1 small red onion,
• a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil grade (Extra virgin);
• 6-8 kalamata olives;
• 100 g of feta cheese;
• salt - to taste;
• 1-2 teaspoons of dried oregano.

preparation

All ingredients should be large. Small cubes, can, and look aesthetically pleasing, but postpone the appearance of salad from the original.

Cut tomatoes half and slice into large pieces. Peel the cucumber and cut into thick slices or semicircular pieces. Peel the onion, cut in half, cut into half rings and share them with your hands.

The peculiarity of the Greek salad is that the ingredients do not mix.

Put the tomatoes and cucumbers on a dish and pour over the salad oil. On its quantity is better not to save, because the high-quality olive oil will give the salad an excellent taste. Top with onions and olives.

The traditional recipe is not feta diced or crumbled.

Cut the cheese 1-2 large rectangular slice thickness of about 1 cm and place on vegetables. Then podsolite salad, generously pour the olive oil and sprinkle with dried oregano. Need a little salt because the olives and feta quite salty.

Serve Greek salad immediately after cooking. He should not insist. Usually it is fed with the bread that dipped into the remainder of the mixture under a salad oil and vegetable juice.

How to diversify a Greek salad

Traditional ingredients often are added pepper, lettuce, ground black pepper and lemon juice. Instead of feta can add cubes of cheese, tofu or mozzarella.

In addition to cheese, or even instead of it added to fried meat, such as beef or chicken and fried fish-done, or, more often salmon. Meat or fish fillets can be put on a salad, as feta, or cut into pieces.

But there are also more unusual variations of lettuce. Here are the most interesting ones.

1. Greek salad with shrimp, avocado and capers

With new ingredients and original taste of the salad dressing flavored sparkle with new colors.

Ingredients

• 3 eggs;
• ½ canned baked pepper;
• 200 ml of olive oil;
• 100 g of canned capers;
• 80 ml of red wine vinegar;
• a few sprigs of parsley;
• 1 ½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard;
• 400 g of small peeled shrimp;
• 10 small tomato;
• 2 red or white bulbs;
• 1 head romaine lettuce;
• 250 g of feta cheese;
• 3 ripe avocado;
• salt - to taste;
• ground black pepper - to taste.

preparation

Boil hard boiled eggs, peel and cut into small cubes. Just chop the roasted peppers. Mix these ingredients with oil, capers (together with the liquid), vinegar, parsley and mustard. Place dressing in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Put shrimp into boiling water and boil for 2-4 minutes. Slice the tomatoes large slices, and onion - small cubes. Coarsely chop or tear lettuce hands. Put these ingredients in a bowl for the salad and add the crumbled feta.

Peel the avocado, remove the stone and cut the flesh into large chunks. Add avocado to a salad with the cooled sauce, season with spices and stir.

2. Pasta "Greek salad" with chicken and cream sauce

A full hot meal with a Greek note.

Ingredients

• 450 g penne (pasta in the form of tubes);
• salt - to taste;
• 350 grams of chicken breast fillet;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano;
• a few tablespoons of olive oil;
• 2 garlic cloves;
• 180 ml whipping cream;
• 220 g cream cheese;
• 80 g of feta cheese;
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice;
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel;
• 200 g of cherry tomatoes;
• 100 g olives kalamata;
• 1 cucumber;
• ¼ dill beam;
• a few sprigs of parsley.

preparation

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente state according to package directions.

Rub fillets with salt, pepper and oregano. Heat the oil in a frying pan and roast chicken on medium heat for about 6 minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

If the pan is dry, pour a little oil. Put the chopped garlic and cook for about a minute. Add the cream, cream cheese and crumbled feta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. You should have a homogeneous creamy sauce.

Add the lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper and stir. Pour the sauce into the pasta, cut in half the tomatoes and olives, diced cucumber and chopped greens. Mix well and serve immediately to the table.

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3. C Greek salad with mint and baked beets

The highlight of this salad - beet spaghetti.

Ingredients

• 2 large beet;
• 3 tablespoons olive oil;
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel;
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• 2 teaspoons of dried oregano;
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard;
• salt - to taste;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• 1 small red onion,
• 1 small cucumber;
• 1 yellow bell pepper;
• a handful of olives;
• 60 g of feta cheese;
• a few sprigs of mint.

preparation

Peel beets and cut into thin spiral using vegetable slicers. Fill the resulting pasta 1 spoon of oil and stir. Cover the baking parchment, spread it on beets and put in a preheated 200 ° C oven for 5-10 minutes. Beet should soften, but remain slightly crunchy.

Meanwhile, mix the lemon zest and juice, remaining oil, chopped garlic, oregano, mustard, salt and pepper. Put the beets in a bowl, add to it chopped onion rings and refueling. Mix and place on a serving dish.

Top with cubes of cucumber and peppers, olives and small pieces of feta. Sprinkle salad with mint leaves and ground black pepper.

4. Canapés "Greek salad" with marinated feta

It is quite different in case of the supply of salad buffet, or a big party.

Ingredients

• 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil;
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice;
• a few sprigs of dill;
• a few sprigs of parsley;
• salt - to taste;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• a pinch of red pepper;
• 200-300 g of feta cheese;
• a handful of cherry tomatoes;
• 1 cucumber;
• a handful of kalamata olives.

preparation

Mix the oil, lemon juice, chopped fresh herbs and spices. Cut the feta into large cubes, put in the marinade, stir and leave for 15 minutes.

Cut the tomatoes in half and cut cucumbers with thick semi-circular slices. Place the skewers on each of half a tomato, a slice of cucumber, olives and cubes of cheese.

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5. Sandwich with a Greek salad and chick-pea paste

Non-standard version for fans of the experiments.

Ingredients

• 150 g of cooked or canned chickpeas;
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice;
• 3 ½ tablespoons olive oil;
• ¼ parsley;
• ½ small red onion;
• salt - to taste;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• 80 g of feta cheese;
• 8 slices of bread;
• 1 cucumber;
• 1 tomato.

preparation

Crush chickpeas blender, add 1 spoon of lemon juice and oil, and chopped parsley. Cut the onion into thin half-rings, add to it the remaining lemon juice, ½ tablespoon of oil, salt and pepper and stir. In a separate container mash the feta with 1 spoon of olive oil.

Spread gram paste 4 slices of bread. Top with cucumbers and tomatoes, cut into thin slices, and onion. On the other slices of bread Spread feta and cover them sandwiches.

see also

• 15 unusual vegetable salads →
• 9 warm salads, worth cook →
• 10 salads for those who love meat →
• 5 fruit salads that are worth a try →