Greek salad

There’s something about this super simple salad that makes me happy, but I’m not sure what exactly it is. Perhaps it is my all consuming love for juicy, ripe tomatoes, or perhaps my love for creamy, salty feta that results in me absentmindedly placing the ingredients into my trolley every time I go to the shops.

As you can imagine, traveling the Greek Islands for me was a real pleasure, I spent two weeks island hopping with my travel buddy Lisa. She never once complained when I ordered a Greek salad in every restaurant, on every island and at every meal – in fact I think it became a sub-conscious effort to try every possible version – no matter how subtle the differences were. I had to find the perfect combination.

Using different varieties of tomatoes really helps this salad to stand out from the rest, as does the addition of fresh dill, adding a greater depth of flavour and freshness to the dish. I think dill is an underutilised herb, which people often forget about, or simply don’t know how to use. Using it in this salad may be a little unexpected, and that’s what I like to do – pleasantly surprise people with little flavour additions which ultimately enhance the overall experience. Eating should never be boring….never ever.

Also, never forget the importance of good quality feta for a Greek salad – its a must. I sourced a traditional Greek variety which is harder than a Danish feta. Mine was a goat’s milk feta, but you can also use a sheep’s milk feta. Leaving it in one whole block adorning your salad means it can sit in the fridge prepped and ready-to-go for a lunch or dinner without going soggy.

Serves 4 – 6

Greek salad, simple and delicious

The list:

1 medium ripe tomato, roughly diced

200g ripe cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 beef tomato, roughly diced

1 medium red onion, peeled and diced

1 cucumber, diced

1 green capsicum, diced

1 handful fresh dill, roughly chopped

1 large handful black olives, stoned

1 Tbs red wine vinegar

3 Tbs good-quality extra virgin olive oil

200g block feta cheese

1 tsp dried oregano

The method:

Combine all vegetables into a large salad bowl, scattering herbs over the top.
Dress with the olive oil and vinegar, season and lightly toss to combine.
Finish by placing your feta block on top and sprinkling over some extra oregano and dill. Serve.

Easy, delicious and semi-healthy. Enjoy!