The most basic of salads…..but the most famous one. The Greek Salad Recipe .
Let’s start with some basic stuff, the Greek Salads most probably that they serve you in restaurants around London….are not Greek Salads. They are not Greek salads because most of the times they lack one of the basic ingredients and because most of the times…they cost too much.
Unfortunately nowadays, wherever you go and try to buy those ingredients, most probably you will have to pay a fortune but that is another story. Usually, in Greece most of the people outside Athens were growing themselves those vegetables which made it quite easy for them to create this salad. Still Greece is one of the largest exports of tomatoes in Europe, even if the current economic climate has affected its production. Nevertheless, if you try tomatoes in Greece (and most of the Mediterranean countries) you will understand the taste,flavour, colour, size is incomparable to any other country.
This salad is known for the fact that is simple, healthy and can be served as a standalone plate if you like or…in combination. The ingredients for the salad that I am describing over here are the basic ones that you need in order your salad to be described as Greek. Feta cheese is important and you can omit it if you want, but that is the basis of the traditional greek salad.
Tomato,cucumber and peppers are equally important as well as olive oil and oregano.
I have seen many restaurants or people on blogs to add many more things on it like, stuffed vine leaves.. Those are the basic ingredients for me for a Greek Salad, anything other than that is something different.
This salad is a characteristic of Greece and is best during summer- as all the vegetables are growing then and they are as fresh as they can be. Combined with the high temperatures at that time, having a greek salad is like a refreshment.
INGREDIENTS
- 1-2 beef tomatoes (or more small ones)
- 1 medium red onion , peeled
- 1 cucumber chopped
- 1 green pepper
- 1 large handful black olives , stoned
- sea salt
- 3 tablespoons good-quality Greek extra virgin olive oil
- 200 g block feta cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Capers
- Olive oil
METHOD
Its very easy and straight forward, this portions should be more than enough for a dinner of 2-4. What it is really important in this case for me is to have the ingredients cut in different shapes and sizes. After all the characteristic of the greek salad is how organised its un-organisation (if it makes sense) looks.
Place tomatoes and the cucumber in a large bowl and add the onion sliced as well as the green pepper. I prefer to slice the green pepper in bigger slices personally as it looks better.
Sprinkle a good portion of olive oil on top. Salt and Pepper as well as oregano. Throw in couple of spoons of capers and then use your hands or a spoon to mix them up all together.
Add a big block of Feta cheese on top, a bit more oregano and olive and you are ready.
Straight to the table and let them have it… Enjoy!
p.s. I know that Greek Olive Oil is expensive and hard to find but believe me there is a difference in taste.
