Greek salad - recipes, history and traditions of preparing a Mediterranean dish. Greek salad, classic recipe (5 step-by-step unusual Greek salad recipes)

Generous Greece willingly shares its unique recipes with the world. No one can be surprised by the variety of cheeses, seafood cocktails and a variety of meat dishes traditional for this country. In addition, various salads are very organically combined in the national cuisine. Horiatiki is rightfully considered the most famous - a village salad that has become famous throughout the world under the name “Greek”. The simplicity and availability of ingredients, excellent taste and nutritional value with a relatively low calorie content, coupled with an unusually appetizing appearance - all this guaranteed success.

Our article will tell you how to prepare Greek salad according to a traditional recipe and how you can replace some of the ingredients.

As often happens, this ingenious dish “came from the people,” so the authorship is unknown for certain. At certain stages, new ingredients were added to the dish, thanks to which its taste was modified and saturated. This, for example, happened after the appearance of tomatoes, which were brought into the country no earlier than the 19th century.

Now a classic Greek salad is not complete without this vegetable. In addition to tomatoes, other ingredients must be in the salad, some of them are typically “Greek” products.

Today we can say with confidence that the best traditions of Greek cuisine, coupled with the gifts of the fertile land, are collected in this surprisingly simple and tasty dish.

Greek salad ingredients:

• Vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers, Bulgarian Bell pepper, onion (preferably red);
• Olives, capers;
• Lots of greens: parsley, oregano, lettuce;
• Chees Feta;
• Olive oil for dressing.

The presence of cheese in a salad is a somewhat unusual combination, but it is this ingredient that gives the finished dish an exceptional taste and aroma.

Important nuance: greens and vegetables for salad should be cut into fairly large pieces.

It is this carelessness that creates the special charm of a typical “country” recipe. An attractive look is also achieved thanks to the variety of shades and shapes. In Greek restaurants and cafes, this dish is served with pieces of toasted white bread, which will be doubly delicious if dipped in lettuce wrap.

Classic Greek salad recipe

It doesn’t take much time to prepare; it’s not for nothing that this dish was popular among peasants, whose daily work did not allow them to spend a long time in the kitchen. To make the salad according to classic recipe it is necessary to select and grind all the ingredients, and for dressing, do not spare herbs and olive oil.

• Medium-sized tomatoes - 4 pieces;
• One small cucumber;
• One medium onion, preferably red, of the “sweet” variety;
• Bell peppers, depending on size 1-5 pieces;
• Olives - about 20 pieces;
• Pickled capers - 2 teaspoons;
• Feta cheese - 200 grams;
• Dried oregano - 1 tsp;
• Olive oil - 3 tbsp. l.;
• Salt to taste.

Wash the vegetables for the salad well, cut the tomatoes into pieces, the cucumber into slices, the onion and pepper into half rings. Add olives, capers and seasoning, salt and season with olive oil. Traditionally, the cheese is laid on top in wide slices.

In European cuisine, cheese is cut into cubes and mixed together with vegetables.

Greek Salad Ideas and Recipes

As always happens, recipes are not always used in their original form; most often they are supplemented and modified, adapting them to suit their tastes and in search of new combinations. European chefs have created many recipes based on Greek salad. The main ingredients - cheese and dressing - have undergone many metamorphoses, and now almost every restaurant serves its own version of this dish.

A few ideas for a variation on the traditional recipe:

• The use of cherry tomatoes will give the dish greater aesthetics. Very small specimens can be placed whole, used for decoration, and simply laid out in “artistic disorder” on a dish.
• Lettuce leaves will also fit very organically into the overall taste of the salad. A small recommendation: it is better not to cut this ingredient with a knife, but to tear it coarsely with your hands, this way more nutrients will be preserved, and slight negligence will be quite in the spirit of this recipe.
• It is best to prepare the salad dressing separately and mix it with the main ingredients just before serving. Thus, the vegetables will not drain and will not lose their attractive appearance.
• Shaped cutting of vegetables will make the dish more colorful and original. You can use a vegetable cutter, special attachments, or just use your imagination and make something unusual.

Such tricks will help surprise guests and family, creating a mysterious and very unusual dish. The advantage of this salad will be its absolute versatility.. Traditionally it is prepared in the summer, during the season of fresh vegetables. On the other hand, now you can purchase all the components all year round, so even at New Year's table such a miracle would be very appropriate.

Recipe with feta cheese

Feta goat cheese has a slightly loose structure and a salty taste. Now you can freely purchase this product in supermarkets; it is usually sold in metal or plastic containers and stored in brine. Grinding such cheese is a rather difficult task; it practically crumbles in your hands; you can only get neat cuts with a special knife.

Feta cheese can be used in other recipes; it harmoniously complements many products, making their taste brighter. Despite the rather high caloric content of cheese, the dish itself turns out to be dietary.

This Greek salad recipe with feta cheese is also very healthy due to its high vegetable content.

In Greece itself, cheese is not mixed with other ingredients, but simply placed on top as a decoration and main snack. Modified recipes suggest chopping feta and combining it with vegetables and olives. At the same time, the juice itself, which is obtained from such a combination, is very important. Under no circumstances should you pour it out; it is better to soak it with a piece of bread and taste this excellent combination.

Recipe with cheese

Most often you can find this interpretation of the classic recipe. Feta cheese, which is a little unusual for us, can be replaced with cheese that is closest to its taste. To do this, squeeze out the cheese a little and cut it into cubes or strips, as you like.

The recipe for Greek salad with feta cheese contains less salt, since the cheese itself is quite spicy. Its quantity is taken in accordance with classic proportions; you can slightly adapt the recipe by adding prunes, pre-steamed and cut into pieces. Usage bell pepper different colors will make the salad even more vibrant and appetizing.

The second closest Greek cheese in composition is fetaxa, despite its close relationship with the specimen described above, it is more common in our country. Under this brand it is allowed to produce soft cheese outside of Greece, while feta is exclusively a national product. There are differences both in composition and consistency: instead of goat's milk, cow's milk is used, and fetaki has a greater density.

Despite these differences, both types of cheese harmonize perfectly with vegetables and are very suitable for Greek salad.

If you are lucky enough to purchase the original Greek feta, you can try preparing both options and settle once and for all the debate about the best use of cheese in this salad.

Greek Salad Dressing

If regular olive oil seems too much for you simple sauce For such a delicious dish, you can try to create different variations. Dressing for a Greek salad at home should be exclusively based on olive oil (this is Greek cuisine, you can’t live without it), as well as traditional spices for this country.

The traditional composition of the gas station is laconic and does not require significant costs. For the inhabitants of Greece, olive oil is something so familiar that any dish is unthinkable without it. Olive oil came to us not so long ago, but has already firmly won its place on kitchen shelves.

• Olive oil - 4–5 tbsp. l.;
• Lemon juice - 2 tbsp. l.;
• Ground black pepper - 1 gram;
• Salt to taste.

You can also use regular vinegar as an acid, but it is advisable to take a more “interesting” option: apple, wine or balsamic. This will create the necessary acidic environment, which will be an excellent seasoning for salty cheese and vegetables.

For a unique sweet and sour taste, you can add a little brown sugar. It is usually better to adhere to the following proportions: for 1 tbsp. l. vinegar take 1 tsp. Sahara. It must first be dissolved so that grains do not end up in the salad.

Adapted version

• Olive oil 2 parts;
• Vinegar - 1 part;
• Pepper, salt to taste.

A slightly unusual taste will be obtained if you add a little real pomegranate juice to the dressing (it is better to use freshly squeezed). In addition to the taste, the color will change slightly, but most gourmets prefer this type of dressing.

Original pomegranate flavor

• Olive oil - 4–5 tbsp. l.;
• Pomegranate juice - 1 tbsp. l.;
• Pepper, salt to taste.

You can add a little exoticism using soy sauce. Despite some cultural inconsistencies, adherents of this sauce insist on the amazing harmony of taste. It’s difficult to argue about this, if there are fans for this option, then so be it.

• Olive oil - 3 tbsp. l.;
• Soy sauce - 1 tbsp. l.;
• Pepper, salt to taste.

For those who cannot imagine their life without traditional mayonnaise, you can try this dressing.

The only caveat: The calorie content of mayonnaise is quite high, so the dish can no longer be consumed during a diet, like its traditional recipe.

For mayonnaise lovers

• Olive oil - 2 tbsp. l.;
• Lemon juice - 2 tbsp. l.;
• Mayonnaise - 2 tbsp. l.;
• Liquid honey - 1 tbsp. l.;
• Pepper, salt to taste.

Often, finely chopped greens and even garlic are added to the sauce for Greek salad, although the Greeks themselves have not yet clearly determined whether it is worth highlighting the taste of the salad with overly aromatic spices.

Greens traditionally include parsley, oregano, dill and basil. For decoration, you can use lettuce leaves, as well as sprigs of dill and parsley. The taste of the salad will be brighter if you do not use mustard, mayonnaise or vinegar, but some recipes contain them. This, as they say, is a matter of taste, so it is always possible to modify and adjust the recipe “to suit yourself.”

Calorie content of Greek salad

Despite the rather high fat content of the cheese, the salad can safely be classified as a dietary dish. Its calorie content according to the traditional recipe is approximately 87 kcal per 100 g. portions. At the same time, the content of vitamins and proteins necessary for the body is simply record-breaking for a vegetable dish.

Olive oil is also allowed in the diet, unlike most similar products. Its absolute digestibility and high content of nutrients make it an invaluable source of health.

You can use almost any cheese for Greek salad, the main thing is to choose a salty taste and soft consistency. If “feta” for some reason does not suit you, its analogue is feta cheese or Adyghe cheese. You can often find options with regular hard cheese, but this is most likely too average a version.

A simple recipe for Greek salad has already won a wide audience and is not in last place among similar dishes. In our country, its recipe has undergone few changes, but mostly people have already fallen in love with it, gradually replacing “Olivier” and “mimosa” on the festive table.

Thanks to its high vegetable content and low calorie content, it is very light and perfect for dietary cuisine.

You can diversify the taste of the dish with different types of cheese: traditionally feta and fetax are used, “our” version may include feta cheese or “Adyghe cheese”. A big advantage: by experimenting with the type of cutting vegetables and serving them to the table, you can simultaneously decorate the celebration with a bright and memorable dish.

The most important thing about a Greek salad is the fresh ingredients, not the cutting or serving. The Greeks usually cut their salad into large pieces, and put the olives right with the pit, and the Greek olives have a buttery taste. The main herb in the salad is oregano and a little basil is added.

Cucumbers, shallots, and olive oil are often used in the salad. In general, various tricks and variations are allowed here. After all, Greek salad is a simple version of country salad, made from the most basic ingredients found in every country house.

Often, instead of shallots, recipes use sweet salad onions or even regular onions. Olive oil can be replaced with sunflower oil. It is better to take pitted olives. If you don’t have oregano and basil, you can replace them with simple lettuce leaves or any fresh herbs from the garden - the main thing is that it will be a summer and light salad.

An important ingredient, feta cheese, can be found everywhere today, but in extreme cases it can be replaced with Adyghe cheese, feta cheese.

Greek salad according to the classic recipe

Ingredients:

• cucumber - 2 pcs.;
• bell pepper - 1 pc.;
• tomato with dense pulp - 2 pcs.;
• medium-sized Crimean blue onion - 1 pc.;
• olives, large and pitted - 20 pcs.;
• olive oil - 2-3 tbsp. l.;
• feta cheese - 80-100 gr.;
• oregano - ½ tsp. dry grass;
• lemon juice - 1-1.5 tbsp. l.;
• salt, pepper - to taste.

Cooking process

Wash all vegetables. Cut cucumbers and tomatoes into large pieces (2-2.5 cm). Cucumbers can be peeled first if the peel is too hard.

Chop the blue onion into half rings. Peel the peppers from seeds and white membranes, cut into 2-2.5 cm squares. Olives can be left whole or cut in half.

Place the vegetables in a salad bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything carefully with two large spatulas.

Beat olive oil with lemon juice, add oregano to it, slightly rubbing the herb with your fingers. Season the salad with the resulting sauce.

Cut feta cheese into large pieces, similar to vegetables, and place on top of the salad. Throw a pinch of oregano on top. Salad ready.

It is allowed to replace part of the onion with garlic in the salad, but the cloves will have to be chopped into small cubes with a knife.

Options for preparing ingredients for Greek salad

Onion

Onions can be pre-marinated before adding to the salad. The easiest way is to chop the onion and pour it with a mixture of vinegar (3 parts) and sugar (2 parts) with a pinch of salt. Let stand for half an hour, drain in a colander and add to other vegetables.

To reduce bitterness, you can cut the onion smaller or mix two varieties - white and blue onions in the desired proportion of 1:2 or 1:1.

cucumbers

Cucumbers can be cut figuratively or, for example, alternating pieces with the peel removed and with the peel left. The zebra cucumber looks beautiful in a salad when every piece in the salad looks white and green.

Tomatoes

With tomatoes, it is better to experiment not with cutting, but with a combination of different varieties and colors. Cherry tomatoes look great in a salad. They need to be cut in half. The colors combine red and orange fruits well. It looks impressive, and besides, rich and low-acid orange tomatoes will add meatiness to the salad, reducing the sourness. If desired, you can even peel the tomatoes by scalding them with boiling water.

Pepper

A multi-color option is also suitable with pepper. In this case, it is better to cut fruits of different colors into thin strips rather than into cubes. For those who like to experiment, there is an unusual idea: peel the vegetable with a sharp knife or peeler. This option is for those who want to add sublimity and a delicate taste to the dish; it is also perfect for serving Greek salad on a holiday table.

How to replace feta cheese

Typically in Russian cuisine, feta cheese is replaced with salted feta cheese; a product made from goat's milk is especially suitable.

As a last resort, you can take large pieces of processed cheese with a strong flavor of herbs or smoked meats. In this case, the salad needs a little more salt.

Another option for Greek salad is with Dutch cheese. You just need to make the pieces smaller. This recipe is no longer a classic, but it may well appeal, especially to men.

How to dress a Greek salad

A classic Greek salad is dressed with a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil and fresh or dried oregano. But if for some reason you cannot find these components or you want to diversify the taste of your favorite dish, the option of mixing other seasonings and herbs is allowed. For example, you can add coarsely torn lettuce leaves of different varieties (curly, iceberg) and chopped wild garlic strips to the dish. According to your taste, you can include thyme and parsley in the dish.

For housewives who love experiments, as a bold idea, you can suggest seasoning a portion of Greek salad with honey-mustard sauce.

Honey mustard sauce: an unusual and tasty dressing option

Take medium or mild mustard (can be with grains), honey and olive oil in a ratio of 1:1:2. Mix everything and beat with a whisk. If the sauce is too thick, add more oil. Serve with salad in a separate sauce boat.

You can also vary the dressing for Greek salad by adding other oils (mustard, corn, sesame), bread crumbs or toasted salted croutons for flavor. Those who like a strong taste can add garlic to the sauce, passed through a garlic press.

If you used lightly salted cheese for your salad, such as feta cheese or Dutch cheese, try using a dressing recipe with soy sauce, which is traditionally salty and rich.

Ingredients:

• olive oil - 2 tbsp. spoons;
• soy sauce - 1 tbsp. spoon;
• apple cider vinegar - 1 tbsp. spoon;
• mustard (medium or low heat) - 1 teaspoon.

To prepare the sauce, whisk all ingredients. Serve the dressing separately in a gravy boat.

Greek salad with oregano, dill and mint: step-by-step recipe

Ingredients:

• cucumber - 2 pcs.;
• cherry tomatoes - 300 gr.;
• sweet yellow pepper - 1 pc.;
• handfuls of black olives;
• mint leaves - to taste;
• wine vinegar (can be replaced with apple cider vinegar) - 1 tbsp. l.;
• vegetable oil - 3 tbsp. l.;
• oregano - 1 tsp;
• salt - to taste;
• salad onion - 1 head;
• dill and lettuce - to taste;
• feta cheese - 200-300 g.

Cooking process

Wash all vegetables and dry off excess water. Cut the cucumbers into medium pieces. Cut cherry tomatoes in half or into 4 parts. Place cucumbers and tomatoes in a deep dish.

Cut the pepper into large strips. It is advisable to use yellow peppers so that the colors in the dish blend beautifully.

Add pepper to cucumbers and tomatoes. Cut the onion into thin half rings and separate into thin strips. Add to the dish, mix everything carefully.

Finely chop mint leaves, dill and other greens and add to the total mixture in the dish. Season the salad with salt and pepper, add olives or black olives, mix everything.

Making salad dressing

Pour 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil (or other vegetable) into a deep bowl, add a teaspoon to it wine vinegar. Stir and add half a teaspoon of oregano. Mix everything thoroughly.

Season the salad with the prepared dressing, leaving a little, a little more than a teaspoon. Mix the salad.

Place lettuce leaves on a serving dish and place half of the total mass of vegetables from the bowl on them. Distribute the salad evenly throughout the dish.

Cut the cheese into cubes the size of the olives. Place some of the cheese in a cup with the remaining dressing and roll the cheese in it, so the pieces will not stick together. Plus, these pieces look beautiful.

Carefully place the cheese with some of the dressing on a plate with half of the salad. Place the other half of the vegetable mass on top of the cheese. Carefully level everything out. Place the remaining cheese in the bowl where the salad was, add a spoonful of olive oil, sprinkle oregano on top and mix everything.

Place the cheese and oregano into the salad and spread it over the surface. Sprinkle a little oregano on top of the entire mound of salad. In total, the entire salad will use about 1 teaspoon of oregano. Serve the Greek salad.

Tricks and options for serving Greek salad

The portioned serving of salad, practiced in restaurants in Greece, is interesting. It is extremely laconic: the client receives a deep plate of vegetables without sliced ​​cheese. All the cheese lies in one piece on top of the vegetable slices. Thus, the client himself decides how he will eat it.

Likewise, the sauce is now almost always served in a separate container for each serving. So everyone will determine for themselves how much and when they need to add dressing to the Greek salad.

This is very convenient for the housewife. As long as the salad is not seasoned with sauce, it keeps better. You can chop the vegetables a few hours before the guests arrive, and pour the sauce over them before serving. Moreover, if possible, the salad should be dressed after serving portions, so that guests do not have to worry about putting salad on their plates and distributing the sauce.

Sometimes very large pieces of vegetables and cheese are mixed in a salad without much stirring. Many people don’t like serving in large pieces, but it has its advantages: those who don’t like onions or olives can easily remove them.

The wide variety of Greek salads, whose homeland is Greece, is explained by its wide popularity outside this country. In Russia, the salad became public knowledge closer to the new century, only in a slightly modified form. Feta cheese, which is made from goat or sheep milk, is added to traditional Greek cheese. A more budget-friendly version of the salad included feta cheese. Vegan lovers prefer to replace feta with soybean tofu.

The five most commonly used ingredients in Greek salad recipes are:

The classic composition of a Greek salad basket is as follows:

• Chees Feta
• tomatoes
• cucumbers
• olives
• shallot
• olive oil
  The only spices are salt, oregano and ground black pepper.

In different variations of Greek, they add to it: capers, anchovies, sun-dried tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, lettuce, assorted greens, garlic, the aforementioned feta cheese, croutons, chicken fillet and much more.

Five of the fastest Greek salad recipes:

The main difference between Greek and any other salads is the brightness and larger cutting of vegetables. At home, the salad is not mixed before serving - this is done directly in the plate. It doesn’t affect the taste in any way, rather it’s a matter of habit. Brightness is achieved with green cucumbers, red tomatoes, black olives, white cheese and yellow olive oil. Although the Greeks themselves prefer to peel cucumbers.

• a little lemon juice in olive oil adds a subtle flavor to the salad
• the dish will be tastier if salt and spices are mixed in vegetable oil, then water the vegetables
• you need to be careful with salt: there is quite enough of it in cheese and olives

No trip abroad is complete without getting to know the national cuisine. If we talk about sunny Hellas, then Greek salad has no competition here. The dish is prepared in every corner of the planet, both according to the traditional recipe for the classic Greek salad, and with new variations.

The article is dedicated to the culinary masterpiece that is so loved by all countries of the world. In the material we will highlight the history of the appearance of the dish, talk about what products are included in the Greek salad and tell the secrets of local chefs. We’ll also give you a dozen delicious recipes vegetable food, so there will be no questions left about how to properly prepare Greek salad yourself at home.

Greek salad - the history and secret of the dish’s popularity

Vegetable salads are not uncommon these days, so it’s hard to believe that many of them were invented not so long ago. Thus, it is generally accepted that the birthplace of the current Greek salad is Ancient Hellas. Allegedly, almost the Olympic Gods were the first to know the taste of a dish made from fresh juicy vegetables. Legends are created for tourists everywhere, but history cannot be deceived and rewritten: the facts claim that the origin of the now famous Greek salad chronologically dates back no earlier than the mid-19th century.

During this period, tomato consumption began in Greece: tomatoes were imported into the country only in 1818. Until that time, the Greeks did not even know about such a vegetable, and after its importation, tomatoes were grown as ornamental plants - tomato fruits were considered poisonous. But already 8 years later, by 1825, the consumption of tomatoes became widespread. Consequently, only from this time point could a delicious vegetable Greek salad, in which tomato is one of the main ingredients, begin to exist.

The savvy of an emigrant

The first legend says that the ingredients and method of preparing Greek salad were invented quite by accident.

Allegedly in 1909, a Greek emigrant was returning home from America. The reason was more than significant: the sister invited the man to her son’s wedding. Without thinking twice, the “American” got ready and went to congratulate his beloved nephew on such a significant event. On the way, the man suffered a terrible toothache: the pills dulled the pain, but did not completely eliminate the disease.

So the wedding guest arrived with heartfelt congratulations and persistent toothache. As usual, a sumptuous table with country dishes was laid out in honor of the arrival. Over the years of living in America, the man terribly missed Greek products, but an aching tooth prevented him from fully enjoying the desired treat.

Note that in those days nothing was cut in Greek villages. Tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet onions were simply bitten off, just as apples or peaches are eaten today. The cheese was also eaten as a snack with a thin flatbread. But because of the tooth, the emigrant found it unpleasant and painful to bite into food, so the man decided to break the food into large pieces. He took a clay bowl and chopped all the vegetables into it, putting a wide layer of cheese on top and pouring olive oil over everything to make it softer.

Having tasted a spoonful of the resulting mixture, the man was so delighted that he almost forgot about his toothache. He invited his sister to try the miracle of cooking: she was also impressed by the extraordinary taste of the food. I liked the dish so much that it was prepared for the wedding table. The guests of the celebration were delighted and begged the hostess for a recipe for a hitherto unprecedented culinary masterpiece. This is how flattering reviews of Greek salad spread around the world, which, by the way, is still cut into large slices. And in Greece itself, this dish was given the name χωριάτικη σαλάτα (pronounced HoriAtiki salata), which translated means “village salad.”

Tourist boom

However, there is an opinion that a very tasty Greek salad could only be invented by a person closely associated with cooking, because... the products fit perfectly. The legend about the savvy emigrant is just a fiction to entertain tourists.

Indeed, the benefits and taste of Greek salad began to be cultivated in the 60-70s of the 20th century. It was then that the first wave of the tourist boom came to post-war Athens. Thousands of travelers came to see the cradle of ancient civilization, but the country's infrastructure was not yet ready for such increased demand.

Hotels, taverns and cafes were crowded with tourists. The cooks literally did not leave the stove all day long, fulfilling continuously incoming orders. But there were still dissatisfied people who were disgusted by the long wait for food. Then one of the cooks came up with something to keep tourists busy while waiting for hot food - he quickly chopped up the vegetables, added cheese and olive oil for a delicate taste, garnished his recipe with lettuce leaves and ordered it to be served as “the chef’s dish of the day.”

The success of the new recipe was stunning! Every tourist wanted to try a dish made from traditional Greek products, and the simplicity of preparation allowed the cooks to feed the clients and save time for other dishes. Since then, “Khoryatiki Salata” has been on the menu of any Greek establishment.

And even later, when a healthy lifestyle became fashionable everywhere, people played a significant role in popularizing the dish. beneficial features, found in Greek salad. Fresh vegetables seasoned with olive oil and fermented milk cheese are simply a storehouse of vitamins and nutrients. And that’s not all that Choriatiki (Greek salad) is good for: thanks to the properties of the products, the dish prevents vascular diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, the development of diabetes and obesity, and also promotes the rapid recovery of damage to the body.

Thus, in distribution Greek recipe Around the world, several factors played a role:

• available ingredients;
• ease of preparation;
• delicate and unusual taste of the dish;
• benefits of Greek salad for the body.

It is also important that Greece is visited annually by thousands of tourists who, upon returning home, talk about their impressions and popularize Greek culture and culinary traditions.

To prepare Greek salad at home, you don’t need a long search for rare delicacies. The composition of the dish is extremely simple: all the ingredients for the Greek salad can be assembled at the nearest supermarket in 5 minutes. But if possible, it is better to buy ingredients for Greek salad from farmers: natural vegetables, carefully grown in the garden, are more tasty than agricultural products from large suppliers.

So, what is included in the Greek salad, which in its homeland is called “Village”? Yes, everything that residents of any village in Greece usually put on the dinner table. Namely:

• tomatoes;
• cucumbers;
• bell pepper;
• sweet onion;
• olives with pits;
• Chees Feta.

In addition, more spices are added to the Greek salad with cheese and olives: salt, pepper, and oregano. There are a couple more subtleties in how to prepare Greek salad. So, for beauty, the products included in the Greek salad are placed on lettuce leaves, and for a rich taste, the mixture is poured with a special dressing. In the usual recipe, Greek salad is seasoned with olive oil or lemon juice, but there are also sophisticated options.

Read also: Greek salad dressing - the most successful recipes

Greek Salad Dressing

So, an integral part of every Greek salad is a dressing with spices.

The classic recipe is based on olive oil, to which lemon juice or vinegar is added. But over the years, the Greek dish has acquired many variations of filling. For example, salad dressing can be made from soy sauce, white wine or orange zest. Apple cider vinegar and red pomegranate juice will give the vegetables a tart taste, while Greek honey diluted with olive oil and mustard will add a hint of sweetness to the salad.

For a piquant taste, spices and herbs are added to the salad dressing. In the classics they prefer to use oregano and basil, but for home recipes there are no restrictions. Housewives add pepper, thyme, parsley, garlic, salt and other spices to the dressing. It all depends on the choice of the chef and the taste preferences of the guests.

And we also note that, although the prepared Greek salad is served immediately before consumption, it is advisable to leave the filling for several hours. During this time, the spices will infuse and give the sauce a unique aroma and rich taste.

Making Greek Salad

When you want to make a new dish, questions immediately arise about the recipe, time and cooking steps. Therefore, we propose to analyze the preparation of Greek salad step by step. We'll tell you in detail how much and what to take, how to cut Greek salad and what to season it with. But since the composition of the products that are put in a Greek salad depends on the recipe, we suggest looking at different versions of the dish.

Classic recipe

Classic is the fastest and easiest Greek salad recipe. You will need a standard set of ingredients and 15 minutes of time.

Also, don't forget to prepare salt, pepper and dried herbs for the Greek salad. Let’s immediately say that if you have an individual intolerance, you can prepare a Greek salad without onions or peppers, but you understand that then the dish will lose its classic taste.

So, the composition of the products has been selected - let's start cooking. First, you need to wash the vegetables, dry them with paper towels and cut them into large slices, just like Greek salad has been done for centuries. Cut the tomatoes in half, and then divide each slice in half again. Cut the cucumbers into thick semicircles, the onion into rings, and the bell pepper into strips. Place all the vegetables in a salad bowl and add whole olives to them. The classic Greek salad recipe calls for pitted olives, but pitted olives can also be used.

The salad is almost ready, all that remains is to prepare the dressing and add the cheese. To fill, mix olive oil, squeezed lemon juice and spices: ground pepper, salt and Greek oregano. Season the vegetables and add cheese to the salad. You can do this in two ways: cut the Feta into cubes, or simply put a layer of cheese on top.

The dish is ready! You can invite “Greeks” to the table and surprise them with homemade Greek salad.

Changing the classics

Not a single recipe is reproduced by chefs exactly: everyone brings a bit of their own vision to the preparation, essentially creating a slightly different dish. Horiatiki also received many options: some prepare a Greek salad by adding green salad directly to the vegetables, others make a Greek salad without olives, and still others even manage to prepare a Greek salad without cucumbers!

There are so many opinions and tastes, and each of them has the right to exist. Therefore, do not limit your imagination and do not strive to do everything strictly according to the classics. Let the traditional Greek salad be prepared with bell peppers and olive oil, but if these ingredients are not to your taste, make the Greek salad your own way: without peppers and with vegetable oil. And if you don’t like large cuts, cut the vegetables into cubes, and the Greek salad will become much tastier for you.

Substituting Feta cheese

Of course, to prepare Greek salad the way it is prepared in Greece, you need to have the same products on hand. It is clear that we have no less tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, and finding sweet onions is not a problem. But the cheese that is added to Greek salad is difficult to purchase, if only because it is produced only in Greece. The country has officially patented the Feta brand and does not allow any global company to use the original recipe and name.

But it is cheese that gives Greek salad its delicate creamy taste. Of course, real Feta can be found in specialized stores, but it is still available to a small part of the population. Therefore, there is nothing else left to do but replace the Greek cheese with a similar one Russian product. Our housewives have several options to choose from:

• Fetax;
• Sirtaki;
• Mozzarella;
• Tofu;
• Adyghe cheese;
• Brynza;
• Suluguni.

Each of the cheeses is characterized by its own flavor, as described in the next article. So, even without Feta, you can make, if not 100% Khoryatiki, then certainly a delicious salad with vegetables and cheese based on Greek motifs.

Add meat or fish

A little higher, we have already listed what is included in the classic Greek salad, and mentioned that you can safely change the composition of the food.

So, lovers of hearty and high-calorie dishes can add meat ingredients to the Greek salad. Usually it is chicken, which goes well with vegetables, beef or ham. And you shouldn’t be skeptical about such recipes: if you’re preparing a Greek salad without cucumbers and peppers, then why not add meat for variety. Moreover, in taverns in Greece, ordering a traditional Greek salad is rarely complete without a tasty meat side dish.

In general, Horiatiki goes well with side dishes, so you can experiment with the dish to your heart’s content. So, sometimes seafood is added to a Greek salad: cod, crab meat, shrimp, salmon or trout. In this case, the calorie content of the food also increases.

But the opposite is also true: if we are on a diet, or simply have a preference for vegetarian food, then we prepare a lean Greek salad with a minimum of fat. It is enough to replace high-calorie Feta with dietary Tofu and do not overdo it with the addition of olive oil.

Greek salad – top 10 recipes

All of the above suggests that housewives should not always prepare Greek salad according to the classics. Who, if not the chefs, knows that the same taste of a dish quickly becomes boring, and the recipe for a traditional Greek salad is no exception. Therefore, we offer original options and ideas for Greek salad for cooking at home.

Layered Greek salad with shrimp

This recipe is suitable for those who are thinking about how to make Greek salad at home for a holiday or family gathering. To prepare the dish you will need the following ingredients:

• Artichokes – 400 gr.;
• Sweet onion – 0.5 pcs.;
• Tomatoes – 2 pcs;
• Fresh cucumber – 2 pcs. ;
• Lettuce leaves– 300 gr.;
• Olives– 1 jar (seedless);
• Feta – 200 gr.;
• Shrimp – 300 gr;
• Chopped Cherry and Peperoncini peppers – 1 tbsp each;
• Natural yogurt – 200 gr.;
• Mayonnaise – 100 gr.;
• Lemon juice – 1 tbsp;
• Dill – 1 tbsp;
• Vegetable oil – 1 tbsp;
• Spices and seasonings - to taste.

Let's prepare the filling first. Mix yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice and add dill. Let the sauce sit in the refrigerator.

Read also: Greek cuisine: art in simplicity

Chop the vegetables and lay out our Greek salad in layers. We put lettuce leaves on the bottom, then there are layers of artichokes, tomatoes and peppers. The salad is topped with diced cheese, olives and onion rings. You can add salt if desired, but the flavor added to a Greek salad by pickles is usually sufficient. Cover the dish with a lid and place in the refrigerator for several hours.

And just before the festive lunch or dinner, we begin to fry the shrimp (pre-sprinkled with spices). 1 minute on each side is enough. We take out our salad, decorate with shrimp, add dressing and serve. Bon appetit!

Greek salad with feta cheese

And this dish is reminiscent of Shopska salad, with the only difference being that the Greek version is a salad with olives. We present the composition of the products and the preparation technology.

Horiatiki with chicken and avocado

In taverns, Greek salad is often served with hot meat or fish side dishes. In this recipe we suggest combining meat and vegetables in one dish. And also move away from the classics and prepare a Greek salad with avocado, without peppers and cucumbers.

Ingredients:

• Chicken – 1.5 kg;
• Tomatoes – 4 pcs.;
• Green salad – 2 heads;
• Avocado – 2 pcs.;
• Feta – 200 gr.;
• Green onion – 100 gr.;
• Olives – 100 gr.;
• Lemon juice – 3 tbsp;
• Olive oil – 5 tbsp;
• Oregano, mint, parsley - 1 tsp each.

Wash, cut and fry the chicken. Chop the lettuce and tomatoes into large pieces. Chop the onion feathers along with the white part. Place all ingredients in one salad bowl. Wash the avocado, remove the pit, cut the fruit into cubes and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Break the cheese into a separate plate with your hands and sprinkle it with dried spices. Prepare the filling. Whisk olive oil and lemon juice, add pepper and salt to taste. Pour the infused cheese over the vegetables and chicken, mix the salad and pour the prepared dressing over everything. Top the serving with herbs and a slice of lemon.

Greek salad with Tofu cheese

A classic recipe without the extra calories. We take the usual list of ingredients and replace sweet onions with onions and Feta cheese with Tofu cheese. The cooking sequence is usual: cut the vegetables, prepare the dressing, mix everything and spread the cheese on top. The result is a light Greek salad according to the classic recipe.

Greek salad with pasta (pasta)

And this recipe involves not only new ingredients for Greek salad, but also an unusual method of preparation.

Greek salad in pita bread

An unusual treat for the table is Greek salad wrapped in simple pita bread. The salad is prepared according to the classic recipe, only it is not placed in a common salad bowl, but is wrapped in portions in pita bread.

Salad “Greek motives” with crab meat

And this is a step-by-step recipe for Greek salad prepared with crab meat. We will need olives, crab meat or sticks, sour cream, lemon and fresh vegetables: bell pepper (1 pc.), cucumbers (2 pcs.), tomatoes (2 pcs.) and green onions(100 gr.).

Chop all the ingredients, mix in a salad bowl, season with sour cream, salt and pepper to taste. For a piquant twist, drizzle lemon juice on top and garnish with green onion sprinkles. Bright and tasty Greek salad is ready!

Greek salad on croutons

Another way to prepare Greek salad at home and serve it in an unusual way.

We start cooking with croutons. While the oven is heating, chop the garlic and mix it with olive oil. Grease the slices of bread with the prepared filling and place on a baking sheet. Bake the bread for 2-3 minutes (until crispy), take it out, grease it again with oil and leave it in the oven.

At this time, prepare the Greek salad according to the classics: chop the vegetables, add oil, garnish with olives and Feta cubes. The final touch remains - put the croutons on a large dish and spoon the chopped Greek salad onto them. Sprinkle the finished appetizer with sesame seeds and pine nuts and serve.

Greek salad with shrimp and yogurt dressing

There are recipes for the most delicious Greek salad not only based on olive oil. For example, a delicious dish with green salad leaves, boiled shrimp and yogurt dressing.

Ingredients:

• Romaine lettuce – 1 head;
• Feta – 200 gr.;
• Shrimp – 500 gr.;
• Cucumber – 1 pc.;
• Tomatoes – 2 pcs.;
• Olives – 150 gr.;
• Yogurt – 200 gr.;
• Lemon juice – 2 tbsp;
• Salt, pepper, garlic - to taste.

Place cheese in a blender, add yogurt and lemon juice, add garlic, salt and pepper and chop. Slice the cucumber, add shrimp and season with the remaining yogurt. Place the mixture from the blender on serving plates, add shrimp and cucumber on top, garnish with olives and tomatoes. The dish is ready!

Greek squid salad

According to reviews, the recipe for Greek salad with squid and potatoes is also good.

Chop tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots and boiled potatoes. The squid is boiled and finely chopped into the prepared Greek salad. Pour vegetable oil, lemon juice and sour cream into a salad bowl. Stir, add seasonings and sprinkle with herbs. Ready!

How to serve Greek salad beautifully

Above in the recipes we have already mentioned ways to serve Greek salad beautifully and unusually. But there are other options.

The cooks are always on their guard: the salad is served in a boat made of bell peppers, lettuce or in an avocado peel. They also build towers out of vegetables, separating each layer with a cube of Feta. The salad is often served with bread or in pita bread.

In any case, Greek salad is consumed immediately after preparation, because... fresh vegetables do not last long. The only exception is the “hot” version of the salad.

Bon appetit and see you again!

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