Chunky Greek Salad Tossed in a Homemade Oregano Dressing

Traditional salads from Greece omit lettuce entirely. This Chunky Greek Salad Tossed in a Homemade Oregano Dressing relies on green bell peppers, cucumber rounds, and tomatoes cleared of their watery seeds. A garlic and extra virgin olive oil mixture infuses on the counter for 20 minutes before coating the vegetables.

The Vinaigrette

While authentic preparations from Greece usually skip a mixed dressing in favor of straight extra virgin olive oil, this recipe builds a vinaigrette instead. You drop minced garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper directly into a glass jar. A secure lid gives you the ability to shake everything vigorously until the liquids and spices look thoroughly combined.

The Vinaigrette sits on the counter for 20 minutes. This resting phase gives the sharp garlic time to mix with the oil and vinegar.

The Salad

Traditional Greek salads skip the lettuce leaves entirely. The bulk comes from thick pieces of cucumber, tomato, and green bell pepper. You need four Lebanese or Persian cucumbers for the base. You cut the cucumbers into 1/5-inch (0.5 cm) thick rounds. Very thick cucumbers need to be split lengthwise down the middle first. This turns the rounds into half-moons. You core a small green bell pepper and carve it into short ribbons.

Tomatoes hold a lot of water in their centers. You start with three tomatoes about the size of a tennis ball. You core them and slice each one from top to bottom into six sections. You look at the seed pockets inside each wedge.

You use a teaspoon to scoop out any watery centers. You remove these seeds to keep the final dish crisp. The watery liquid will dilute the dressing if you leave the seeds inside the tomatoes. You chop each cleaned wedge into three or four smaller pieces.

Onions and olives

Red onions have a naturally milder flavor than white or yellow varieties. You peel half of a small red onion and shave it into very thin slices. You can soak these slices in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes. This step mellows their sharp taste even further.

High-quality Kalamata olives appear full and very dark black. Relying on pale, faded olives reduces the overall quality of the dish. Keeping the seeds inside allows the olives to stay juicier than pitted versions. You can substitute pitted olives if you wish to avoid the seeds.

The feta cheese

A classic Greek preparation tops the vegetables with a solid block of feta cheese. You chop an 8-ounce (250 g) block of feta into uniform 2/5-inch (1 cm) cubes instead. This cuts the cheese into bite-sized pieces that mix evenly throughout the bowl. A low-fat feta block works as a direct replacement for full-fat cheese to lower the overall calorie count.

Tossing and serving

You drop all the chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, shaved onion, bell pepper ribbons, cubed feta, and black olives into a large serving bowl. A final teaspoon of dried oregano goes over the top. You pour the rested vinaigrette over the ingredients. You toss the vegetables gently to coat them in the oil and vinegar.

You must serve the dish immediately after mixing. The acid in the dressing softens the vegetables over time. The ingredients lose their crunch if you wait too long to eat them. You can serve this dish alongside chicken souvlaki. It also pairs well with tzatziki, flatbreads, and lemon rice to make a complete meal.