As I dream of going to Greece one day, I will just sit here and continue to explore the food culture in my own kitchen. There isn’t much I enjoy more than a GREAT greek salad. I think I really hit it on the head with this one.
A great greek salad starts with the sauce. The dressing is where all the flavor comes from. It also has a process, and layering in the vegetables has a real purpose.
And to dress it with an extra creamy touch, thin my Garlic Tzatziki with a couple of tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Preparing your Greek Salad
The dressing consists of lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. I also add in some greek seasoning, just to deepen the flavor. Click here to get my favorite greek seasoning.
The process is also important. I start by adding my red onion to the bottom of the bowl with my dressing ingredients. This takes the rawness off of them and gives them a slight pickle while I cut the rest of my ingredients.
I then add my bell peppers, tomato, and cucumber and then toss. You can stop here if you want a super classic greek salad. In Greece, if you order a greek salad this is what you can expect to get, no lettuce or extras, just fresh pure veggies in vinegar.
I enjoy the addition of feta cheese, Kalamata olives and pepperoncini peppers on a bed of lettuce. Top it with some greek chicken and you have a lunch or dinner salad that I would be happy with any day of the week!
In my recipe below I will share my version of a Greek Chicken Salad. Add the chicken or leave it off, serve it on lettuce or not, but this is one of my favorite things to enjoy on a hot day.
Greek Chicken
You want to season your chicken similarly to the way you season the greek salad. Salt, Pepper, Oregano, Greek Seasoning, Olive Oil, and Lemon Juice. Let it sit at least 30 minutes, up to overnight for a more authentic chicken souvlaki.
Grill the chicken and then it is ready to top your salad with.
If you are looking for more greek inspiration, check out Sarah’s Cheesy Spanakopita Bites over at Salt Jar. Or my friend Lori’s Tomato Jam at Josie + Nina.
The dressing forms naturally as you marinate the veggies. Just be sure to get a nice big scoop of veggies from the bottom. It’s everything you need!
Greek Chicken
This chicken is great on top of a salad or to make greek tacos with.
Ingredients
- 4, 6 oz Chicken Breasts
- 1 T Oregano
- 2 t Greek Seasoning
- 1 ea Lemon, zest and juice
- 1 t Salt
- 1/4 t Pepper
Instructions
- Mix the oregano, greek seasoning, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper in a bowl or a zip-top bag.
- Add chicken and let marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
- When ready to cook heat your grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Cook chicken for about 6 minutes on each side, until a thermometer reads 165 degrees.
- Let rest 10 minutes so that the juices will redistribute and the chicken will stay moist.
- Slice or dice and serve as desired.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Greek Salad
This is a salad I pull out any time of year, but it is especially great on a hot summer day.
Ingredients
- 1 Red Onion, medium
- 2 English Cucumber
- 6-8 Tomatoes, on the vine
- 2 Bell Peppers, green is traditional
- 2 Lemons, juiced
- 1/3 C Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 T Oregano
- 2-3 t Greek Seasoning
- 1-2 t Salt
- 1/2 t Pepper
- 2 heads Romaine Lettuce, optional
Optional Toppings
- Feta Cheese
- Kalamata Olives
- Pepperoncini Peppers
Instructions
- First dice the red onion, then squeeze the lemon juice over and add the red wine vinegar in a large bowl. This will begin a quick pickle on the onion and remove the raw flavor from them.
- Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and then into half-moons.
- For the tomatoes, remove the center stem and wedge them into 8th and cut the wedges in half.
- Remove the outer edges of your bell peppers and then slice into strips.
- Add all ingredients except lettuce into the bowl and mix. Let sit for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally to marry all of the ingredients and flavors together.
- Serve over lettuce if desired.
- Add my greek chicken recipe to make it a meal.
Notes
The dressing forms naturally in the bottom of the veggie bowl, just be sure to get a nice big scoop from the bottom when you serve it. I usually end up saving what's left in a jar and keep it in the fridge. It's the best vinaigrette.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
If you make this recipe, please let me know by leaving a review at the bottom of this page!
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Here are a few links to some of my favorite kitchen tools! You get a car, YOu get a car, YOU ALL GET A CAR…in my best Oprah voice
These Rösle Silicone Tongs are a little pricey but they will last you the rest of your life and are the softest in your hand. This is important for someone like m that cooks so much. It reduces strain, I have 4 sets in my kitchen!
These are my FAVE Nordic Ware Sheet Pans, every kitchen should have at least 2 sets of these! I think I have at least 4 of each of these.
This is my favorite pressure cooker, the Fagor is the same concept as the “Instant Pot” but easier to use in my opinion, if you don’t have one you NEED one, it will be your best friend in the kitchen!
A sharp knife is the most important tool in the kitchen, these Japanese steel “Shun” knives are my favorite! And this is a great starter set to build on. Once you try them you will be in love so use this as a foundation you can build on for years to come.
This Scanpan 11″ skillet is just the right size for almost anything you will need to cook and my best friend and a real workhorse in my kitchen, it’s also a great deal at $99. Scanpan is the best in the world for healthy cooking. It is coated with a proprietary ceramic-titanium coating that is durable while allowing you to use fewer fats and oils when cooking. It is a coating only they use. I could talk all day about my love for these pans, message me if you want more info. Here are some other sizes that are available if you are looking to outfit your kitchen with some new goodies. 8″ & 10″ Skillet set or 8″ Skillet, I still need this one for my kitchen Also, I don’t really know how to cook small so the 12.5″ is my other fave!
This giant vat of olive oil is my favorite, I decant it into a smaller bottle for my counter. Or put this spigot on top of a wine bottle!
My favorite baking dish that is so easy to clean even burnt on cheese slides right off!
This Tovolo jar scraper has to be my single favorite kitchen tool, it is definitely the most used tool in my kitchen. If you are NOT a gadget person, this is the only necessity I say is a MUST beyond the wooden spoon.
A great wood spoon is essential, this Olive Wood one is my favorite, I have more than I can count. But can you really ever have too many?
A food scale can be a very important tool in your kitchen, this one is the one I use every day!
If you love Joanna Gaines as much as I do then the ‘Magnolia Table Cookbook’ is a must in your kitchen, get a copy HERE!
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