Description
Authentic Greek Salad is a fresh, vibrant Mediterranean dish featuring crisp vegetables, briny olives, and creamy plant-based feta cheese. Perfect as a light lunch, side dish, or appetizer, it offers a balanced mix of textures and flavors, dressed simply with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and dried oregano for an irresistible taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 4 ripe tomatoes, cut into chunky wedges
- 1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced into half-moons
- 1 medium red onion, finely sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
Other Ingredients
- 1 cup Kalamata olives
- 100g plant-based feta cheese, crumbled
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (natural)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (natural)
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Optional Variations
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas (optional)
- Fresh herbs like parsley, mint, or dill (optional)
- Yellow or orange bell peppers instead of green (optional)
- English or Persian cucumber varieties (optional)
- Natural gelling agent dressing (optional)
Instructions
- Prep Your Vegetables: Start by washing all your vegetables thoroughly. Cut the tomatoes into chunky wedges, slice the cucumbers into half-moons, finely slice the red onion, and thinly slice the green bell pepper. Set aside.
- Combine the Ingredients: In a large bowl, gently mix the tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, bell pepper, and Kalamata olives. Be careful not to crush the delicate pieces, preserving their texture.
- Dress the Salad: Drizzle good-quality extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice over the mixture. Sprinkle with dried oregano (natural), sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper, then toss lightly to combine all flavors evenly.
- Add Plant-Based Feta Cheese: Top the salad with crumbled plant-based feta cheese, allowing it to mingle with the dressing and vegetables, enhancing the creamy and tangy contrasts.
- Serve Fresh and Enjoy: Serve immediately or let the flavors mingle for 10 minutes at room temperature for a more cohesive taste experience. The salad is best enjoyed fresh to preserve its vibrant colors and crispness.
Notes
- Use fresh, ripe vegetables for the best flavor and texture.
- Invest in a high-grade extra virgin olive oil (natural) for authentic richness.
- Keep lemon juice and olive oil balanced to let fresh flavors shine.
- If not serving immediately, refrigerate briefly to maintain crispness.
- Add sea salt just before serving to prevent sogginess.
- Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, keeping plant-based feta cheese separate if possible.
- Freezing is not recommended as vegetables lose crispness and become watery.
- Enjoy the salad cold or at room temperature; reheating is not advised.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: No Cooking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: Greek salad, Mediterranean, plant-based feta, vegan salad, fresh vegetables, healthy salad, gluten free, quick salad, appetizer, side dish
