Vegetarian Greek Salad

Contains:  Nightshades, dairy.  Is:  Quick and easy, vegetarian.

Yummers…

It’s Greek Month!  I’m starting out the month with simple recipes – two of which will be posted today.  Later in the month we’ll see more complex dishes, some of which I’ve never made before.  I simply love the flavor profile of Greek food, and truly want to delve into it.

This is a basic Greek salad, with a typical Greek salad dressing.  Ditch the feta or goat cheese for a vegan whole food rendition.

Prep of salad proper is complete.

At this time of year, regular tomatoes are tasteless.  However, grape or cherry tomatoes somehow retain most of their flavor, so I am using these.  Use the regular ones when in season, should you wish.

I tried my hardest to find pepperoncini for this.  If you have them, by all means, please add some!

Greek Salad Dressing

I’m using feta here, because it is more traditional, and because I’m using soft goat cheese in the omelet recipe, also posting today.

I was in the mood for red leaf lettuce, but Romaine is a good thing.  I did add some iceberg lettuce for the crunch.  Also, one could very well omit the lettuce; just add more cucumber.

Close up

This dish can be served as a side, or as a whole meal.

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Cook Time: Negative. 
Rest Time:  I’d wait about 30ish minutes for flavors to meld, but no one objects if this is served earlier.
Serves: 1-3
Cuisine:  Greek.
Leftovers:  Yes, as long as you don’t add the dressing until shortly before or up to an hour before serving said leftovers. The salad won’t last more than two days.  The dressing should keep at least two weeks in the refrigerator.

A Vegetarian Greek Salad

• 4 ounces / 115 g lettuce.  Romaine may well work the best, but I used red leaf lettuce.
• 7 ounces / 200 grams cucumber, sliced.  If regular supermarket cuke, peel it.  I used English cuke and did not peel.  Home grown cucumbers also don’t need to be peeled.
• 4 ounces / 115 g grape tomatoes, whole.  (If cherry tomatoes, halve them.  If it is the time of year for tasty local tomatoes, wedges would be good.)
• 6-8 Kalamata olives, de-seeded.
• 4 ounces / 115 g marinated artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped.
• 2 – 3 ounces / 60 – 85 g Feta cheese, in chunks.
• About 3 slices of red onion.
• 1 scallion / green onion, chopped.
• 3 – 4 pepperoncini.  (As noted, I couldn’t find them in my supermarket.  By all means, use if you do.)

Layer all the above together at your desire, and adjust concentrations of the above at your whim.  Or, put in a suitable bowl and toss.  If one wishes to make a non-vegetarian dish, select appropriately among Greek chautercerie.

A Greek Salad Dressing

• 2 garlic cloves, minced.
• 1.5 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• Juice from one fresh lemon
• 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano.
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup extra virgin Greek olive oil

Mix all together – easiest if put in a mason jar with a lid, and shaken.

One can also blend all the above together except the oil, using an immersion blender, then slowly add in the oil.  It will be less prone to separating.

EDIT:  I just learned one can often find pepperoncini in the canned/jarred condiment area.  I was looking in the vegetable produce area and on the olive serve-yourself platform (the latter place is where I’d found them back down in my old state of Connecticut).  Dagnabit!  DO add three or four in!

SHARED WITH:

• Fiesta Friday, with this week’s great co-host, Liz, Liz @ Spades, Spatulas & Spoons.
• Full Plate Thursday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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