your best greek salad recipe

[IndyGirl]

What should I add to this, if anything?

Romaine
lemon/olive oil/salt dressing
kalamatas
thinly sliced red onion
cucumber
feta

[taryn]

i add chickpeas

[Amanita]

Someone posted a recipe for Dukkah here about a month ago, with thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds. Taste probably similar to the Greek oregano someone else mentioned, I'm guessing.

[lmtakacs]

We just had a great greek salad for lunch a few minutes ago! In addition to the above, (sans the cukes- we are not real fans), I add artichokes,tomatoes, beets, & banana peppers. We also marinade chicken breat in the dressing and grill- then put some chicken right on top!

[butterchicken2nan]

How do you prepare the beets for your salad - I always slice them into long ribbons using a vegetable peeler - gives a great colour contrast to the white feta cheese.

[starlady]

Toamtoes, Red Peppers, Cukes, Red Onion, Kalamata Olives (pitt them myself) - Dressing - Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Garlic, Oregano (preferally Greek), S&P, and my own touch fennel seeds. Totally works.
That and some bread makes dinner for me often in the summer :)
Oh and a handful of Feta :)

[itryalot]

I am not Greek but make it with traditional cuke, tomatoes, kalamata with pits (tastier), onion, green pepper for my hubby, and oregano. EVOO and red wine vinegar with some Greek Oregano and a slice of the best imported feta I can get on top. The key: It's all about the ingredients; best with heirloom or fresh garden picked tomatoes and cukes.

[LizG]

If you live in Michigan, Greek salads have beets. I know that this is not 'authentic,' but the combination is tasty. I've lived in many places; I've never seen beets in any other Greek salad versions. It's definately a Michigan-thing. Since moving away, I miss it (and Coney's)!

[emilief]

Beets are a typical greek veggie but they are usually served with skordalia- a sauce made of mashed potatoes, garlic and evoo ( although sometimes made with bread and/or walnuts).

[lorimav]

By the way, that was the " standard Greek Salad " recipe that they will serve you in 90% of the restaurants in Athens and the "horiatiki salata" is what most Greeks will call a Greek Salad. There is also a fairly "standard" lettuce salad recipe and a "standard" cabage salad recipe that they will serve you in most homes and restaurants.

[lorimav]

I lived in Greece for 10 years so I will try to give you an authentic recipe for a Greek salad. A greek salad is called an Horiatiki Salata ( Village Salad ). There is no lettuce in a greek salad. The standard ingredients are tomatoes, long cucumbers, onion usually red but sometimes yellow, green peppers, a few kalamata olives, a liberal amount of greek oregano, greek feta made from sheep or goat's milk, salt and greek olive oil.
As far as I remember neither vinegar nor lemon juice is traditionally used. We always did add a greek red wine vinegar and sometimes capers at our house and I am sure some others did as well, but a restaurant will typically serve the salad with just oil and a slab of thinly sliced feta, never crumbled. Anyone who tries an authentic greek red wine vinegar, we used "Top" brand usually asks me to bring some back from Greece or for the website to buy some in the U.S.. Also, I have not found an Italian or American olive oil that I have liked. We used to get wonderful cold pressed olive oil form the village with a lot of wonderful olive crud on the bottom. Our local Fresh Market stocks a 3 liter tin of Aria brand olive oil from Crete and it is similar to the oil in the greek supermarkets. I tried some Bertoli my Mom bought from Sam's club and almost gagged. It had a strong chemical taste. The Berio brand is not as bad. In Greece the olives are usually picked by hand so the oil is of a good quality. Greek oregano also tastes different and so does the feta. I tried Krinos brand sheep's feta from Bulgaria and it was very good. Other Bulgarian feta was so so. Locally the French goat feta is okay. Experiment with feta until you find a good one.

[ali patts]

I have two - the 'regular' one and the local potato salad from the island I used to visit (Karpathos). The potato salad is boiled new potatoes (shock) chopped in decent sized pieces, large (but still chopped) chunks of boiled eggs and tomatoes, served with evoo and some chopped herb. The closest herb I can get is chives. oh, and 'greek' salad on Karpathos tends to be with manouri rather than feta...

[Pagsey]

Hi, could you please send me the website where I can purchase Top brand greek wine vinegar. I live in CT and cannot find it anywhere. Thank you.

[Diana]

I like toasted pine nuts. But is it really Greek?

[butterchicken2nan]

There is also the "other Greek salad"

Romaine
Dill
Scallions
all chopped really fine and tossed in olive oil, lemon juice and then sprinkled with feta.

[Spoonula]

If you've ever been to Hellas in Tarpon Springs - Greek oasis in the States.... they put a yummy potato salad in the bottom of their Greek Salad - soaks up all the yummy dressing.
I prefer the traditional no lettuce Greek salad, but when I'm at Hellas - bring on the lettuce.

[bakergal]

Well, that brought back memories! I remember getting a Greek salad in Tarpon Springs, and finding a big mound of potato salad in the bottom. That just seemed the strangest thing to me. All I could think was that the kitchen was a little long on potato salad that day, lol.

[steakman55]

I was going to mention the great potato salad at the bottom as well...I think it originated with Pappas's in Tarpon Spgs., which is sadly closed. I always looked forward to eating down to that potato salad. It added something special

[scubadoo97]

Yeah that was Pappas who started that and if you make Greek salad without the potoato salad everyone wants to know why you left it out. I personally like it when it mixes with the dressing. Just love those bad carbs ya know.

[jsmitty]

i just went to kefi on 79 b/t amst and b'wy. slowly, b/cmuch of the press, becomin a popular uws spot, i think the shaved, fresh, thinly sliced,crisp fenne lin the greek salad put it over the top. use great greek feta, fresh as can be greens, and vinaigretee you are comfortable making(nothin with balsamic) with an herbacious finish. you got it. also go there and pick there brain a bit. it was one of thebest i've had.... go do it!

[jenniebnyc]

for the best greek dressing.................

in wooden salad bowl smash a few cubes of the feta in with the oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and oregano.

[Stack8]

No lettuce in a true greek salad.

[emilief]

Having visited Greece about 20 times, I have never ever ever seen an anchovy or a stuffed grape leaf in a Greek salad. The typical Greek salad (horiatiki) is cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, feta, red onion dressed with oil,vinegar or lemon juice and oregano. No lettuce of any kind.

[marlie202]

just getting a little creative with the stuffed grape leaves and anchovies--I like creative and horiatiki as well

[Becca Porter]

Man, anyone who has Peter Reinhart's American Pie, should try the greek salad pizza. It is astounding in its goodness. You bake a pizza crust with cheese and an incredible greek dressing. Then you pile on greek salad on the hot crust and fold over.

The book by itself is awesome but it is worth the price just for these recipes!

[Romanmk]

Great baker. Great teacher. Love his pizza margherita.

[smartie]

white cabbage not lettuce in Greece and in English Greek restaurants.

and never seen anchovies in a Greek salad.

[JNUNZMAN]

I can't believe that nobody likes anchovies!!!! Sorry, Marlie.......just caught that.

[kleinfortlee]

yes, definitely...anchovies in a greek salad...smushed or whole laying on top...pepperocini peppers...NEVER, EVER, NO WAY...tiny rice-stuffed, lemony grape leaves...yes!
hoopah

[marlie202]

yum--but in Greece they DO NOT use lettuce-romaine or any type--
olives,onions,tomatos,cucumbers,stuffed grape leaves,feta cheese and anchovies--lemon juice and olive oil dressing and some oregano-

[IndyGirl]

I like this kind, too! I wanted some greens for tonight, though. Anchvies are a good idea.

[ngardet]

A little garlic, crushed.

[Spoonula]

Greek Peppers!

[mnosyne]

I like to buy the Kalamatas in oil and use the oil as part of the dressing.

[brokergal]

I toss cut-up whole wheat pita bread with a little olive oil and salt, and then toast it on the grill until it crisps. Add to the salad right before serving - gives a nice little added texture.

[laylag]

One of our all-time favorites. We eat it at least once a week often more. I do all that you said although I use a dressing from a local greek restaurant which has oregano and other spices plus I add:
Tomatoes (so good with the feta)
peperoncini
Fresh dill: finely chopped and tossed through - not too much

Sometimes I make as a whole meal with grilled chicken breasts seasoned with a greek spice blend. Yum.

[flipkeat]

Gotta have Greek Oregano in there for sure!!!

[Gin and It]

I'd throw a few peperonchinis on there, too.

[IndyGirl]

oh, my SO loves those. Good idea!