There are salads you keep on making and making. They are not specifically excited, or special, or extraordinary. But they are just so tasty. A good example is the Greek salad. The meaning of this salad in Greece is ‘village salad’. This is the actual proof of how casual this salad is. You can put it on the table, all day every day; as side dish, a lunch or even as a main; always a winner. The secret for a good Greek salad if you’d ask me? Quality tomatoes, sweet and ripe. A beautiful olive oil, tasteful (not gummi) feta cheese and a generous amount of freshly grounded black pepper.
Ingredients (for 4 people as side dish)
2-3 ripe tomatoes, in bite-sized chunks
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1 red onion, finely chopped in rings
2-3 tablespoons Kalamata olives
150 gram feta, crumbled or in cubes
1 green bell pepper, sliced
40 ml olive oil, extra virgin (if possible choose a nice one)
10 ml red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 handful of garden mint, roughly chopped (optional)
pinch of salt
good amount fresh black pepper
Method
Cut you onion as finely as possible. Let them soak for about 10-15 minutes in the vinegar, what makes the taste of raw onion a bit softer and delicate. Cut the tomatoes and sprinkle them with some salt and pepper, and (if necessary) a little bit sugar. When tomatoes are not in season, they can be a bit sour sometimes. If your tomatoes are ripe and sweet enough, forget the pinch of sugar. Cut the cucumber and the bell pepper in chunks and divide on a big salade plate. Add the tomatoes, onions (keep the vinegar) and olives.
Whisk some salt and pepper in the vinegar, and start adding some olive oil, a bit at the time. If you prefer to have your dressing bit thicker (like me), use a teaspoon of Dijon mustard to bind the vinaigrette (note: for an original Greek salad you don’t use mustard). Add 2/3 of your dried oregano, season to taste and use on your salad.
Arrange your feta on top and sprinkle 1/3 oregano and (optional) mint leaves on it. If you don’t like mint in salads you can also use parsley. Bon Appétit!
