greek salad

servings
4

method

This salad is known and loved around the world. Those of you who’ve been lucky enough to eat this salad in Greece will know that when it’s made well it’s absolute heaven. Hopefully this recipe will help you achieve the big bold authentic flavors that it's known for. The trick is to pay attention to the small details that make it so wonderful: things like finding the ripest tomatoes, good Greek olive oil, beautiful olives, creamy feta and lovely herbs.

I think it’s quite nice to have different shapes and sizes in a salad, so cut your medium tomato into wedges, halve the cherry tomatoes and slice the beef tomato into large rounds. Put all the tomatoes into a large salad bowl. Slice the onion very finely so it’s wafer thin and add to the tomatoes. Scratch a fork down the sides of the cucumber so it leaves deep grooves in the skin, then cut it into thick slices. Deseed your pepper, slice it into rings and add them to the salad along with the cucumber.

Roughly chop the dill and most of the mint leaves, reserving the smaller ones for garnish. Add the chopped herbs to the bowl of salad, then squeeze your handful of olives over so they season the vegetables, then drop them in.

Add a pinch of salt, the vinegar and the extra virgin olive oil. Quickly toss everything together with your hands. The minute all those flavors start working with the veg is when the magic starts to happen. Have a taste, and adjust the flavors if need be.

To serve, pop the block of feta right on the top of the salad. Sprinkle the oregano over the top along with the reserved mint leaves, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and take it straight to the table. It’s confident and scruffy with a bit of attitude. Delicious.

P.S. I’ve been known to pop leftover Greek salad into a liquidizer with a splash of extra virgin olive oil and a few ice cubes, then blitz it up to a smooth consistency so it's basically a Greek gazpacho. It’s not a classic thing to do, but it is very delicious, not to mention a great way of using up leftovers!

• from Jamie does...

ingredients

• 1 medium ripe tomato
• 200g ripe cherry tomatoes
• 1 beef tomato
• 1 medium red onion, peeled
• 1 cucumber
• 1 green pepper
• a handful of fresh dill
• a handful of fresh mint leaves
• a large handful of black
olives, stoned
• sea salt
• 1 tablespoon red
wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons good-quality
Greek extra virgin olive oil
• 200g block of feta cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

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tried this recipe or a similar one? share your tips...

1. by Nikos on Fri 19 Aug 2011 @ 12:29

Good recipe BUT... no dill, no mint and definately no vinegar. Basic ingredients: tomato, cucumber, olives, onion, extra virgin olive oil, dry oregano, salt and a big chunk of FETA cheese. Optional: pickled capers, pickled caper leaves, green pepper, barley rusks. Almost afrodisiac: Big loaf of bread to dip in the juices... Cheers.

2. by Joe on Tue 19 Jul 2011 @ 22:02

I once had a wonderful plate of angel hair pasta in butter with mizithra cheese. As I recall, the cheese was brown. I don't know if that is the natural color of mizithra or if it had been broiled slightly or touched with a torch. Unfortunately, I was never able to duplicate it for myself. Do you have a recipe for such a dish?

3. by Attila on Mon 27 Jun 2011 @ 15:34

Just made it (I take inspiration from your recipes here), it was wonderful. Too bad, I can't put photos here. But on my facebook account I did.

4. by dmou on Mon 27 Jun 2011 @ 15:07

Hiya, It isn't a bad recipe, but one should never put vinegar in a Greek salad. If you salt the tomatoes and let them sit for about 20-30 minutes before assembling the rest of the salad, they release their gorgeous juices - which is what a good greek salad is all about. Also - note to everyone out there - please only use good Greek feta, not the 'white cheese' imitations. Kali orexi!

5. by john21 on Tue 07 Jun 2011 @ 16:31

great instructions, i 'm from greece and when i noticed these greek recipes i was curious to see whether they were accurate, they prove to be pretty good so keep up the good work

6. by maria on Tue 31 May 2011 @ 10:11

hi, really great description for the greek salad! I would like to suggest some tips for it: - cut the tomatoes uneven, like digging them at the same time, in order to extract their juice in the plate, it is really essential because it has to be mixted with the olive oil and make a wonderful marinade - add few cappers or cappers-leaves, the best ones are from Santorini Island. - add barley rusks that you will crumble all over the salad. The best barley rusks are from Creta Island. - if you are on a diet, replace feta cheese with a lighter, un-salted soft greek cheese (anthotiro or mizithra). The result is even better...

7. by Michelle on Thu 14 Apr 2011 @ 23:16

Jaimie, your Gazpacho idea is brilliant! I saw the show where you made this salad and I was salivating! Thanks for everything you are doing!

8. by nicolas1 on Fri 21 May 2010 @ 15:48

Hi Jamie
could you share the name and address of the hebs shop you visited in Athens
the one where you got dry wild oregano and dry blue mints
thanks
N

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