Greek Village Salad Recipe – Classic Greek Salad – Horiatiki

To say that I am obsessed with Greek food would be a total understatement. At least twice a month, if we are getting take out it is usually from one of our local family-owned Greek restaurants. I am in love with the flavors of the Mediterranean (if you can’t tell by the recipes I post), and Greek cuisine is high up on the list of food I love.

Today I am sharing with you a recipe from a beautiful cookbook I received recently, It’s All Greek to Me by Debbie Matenopoulos. When I opened up this book I could tell right away how authentic it was, and I was excited to read through it (am I the only one who likes to read cookbooks before they cook from them?).

When I looked through this book, it wasn’t just the beautiful and traditional recipes that caught my eye, it was also all of the gorgeous photos capturing the Greek culture that reminds me so much of my own Italian heritage – full of love, food and living life well. The underlying focus of this cookbook is not only delicious Greek recipes, but including and enjoying whole, natural ingredients as those in the Mediterranean part of our world do effortlessly as part of their lifestyle.

I love it. (and I love this Greek Village Salad too…the first of many recipes I want to try from this book.)

Let’s talk about this salad. This Greek Village Salad is a perfect example of using good Greek eating.

This bowl is filled with crunchy vegetables, tangy feta, olives and is simply dressed with lemon, olive oil and crushed oregano (tip I learned from this book: crush the dried oregano in your hand before adding to your dish to release the flavor). I could pretty much eat this bowl of goodness every single day. To make this a complete meal, add some grilled chicken, fish or beans to it and enjoy all spring and summer long.

{Be sure to enter the giveaway for your own copy of this cookbook below!}

Print Recipe

Greek Village Salad (Horiatki Salata)

Yield: SERVES 4 TO 6

Ingredients:

• 1 seedless English cucumber, peeled and sliced
• 4 to 5 large ripe tomatoes, sliced into wedges
• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 1 large green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 cup Kalamata olives, plus more to taste
• 1/4 pound brine-packed Greek feta cheese, drained and sliced lengthwise
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained (optional)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon cut into wedges, to serve with salad
• Sea salt (optional)

Directions:

1. Toss the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and olives together in a large salad bowl and top with the slices of feta. Crush the oregano in your hand to release its fragrant essential oils, then sprinkle over the salad along with capers (if using). Drizzle the lemon juice over the salad, then the olive oil. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes, or serve immediately with some lemon wedges alongside for added zest. The feta is quite salty, which usually eliminates the need for added salt. Give the salad a taste just before serving, and sprinkle a pinch of salt over the tomatoes and cucumbers, if desired.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway starts Thursday, April 30 and ends Wednesday, May 6. Winner will be chosen through Rafflecopter/Random.org. Winner will be contacted by me via email and will have 48 hours to reply before another winner will be selected. Sorry, but giveaway open to US addresses only.

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Good luck and thanks so much for entering!

(Disclosure: This book was provided to me for review. There are affiliate links in this post. I make small earnings through any purchases made through these links. Thank you for supporting Aggie’s Kitchen!)

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