Chopped* Greek Salad

You may have heard me pontificate about what makes a real Greek salad–the Horiatiki salad, like my mom used to make, straight from the bounty of our garden. Ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and pungent onions topped with a swirl of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Pure and utter goodness.

So when I refer to a real Greek salad, that is my point of reference. I am not saying other ingredient combinations are wrong, I am just saying they are not right. (I can be a real know-it-all pain-in-the-fanny kinda gal sometimes.)

But enough quibble. Don’t mind me. Just roll your eyes and read on.

This Chopped Greek Salad is nothing short of fabulous. It is chock-full of personality. The grape tomatoes provide a nice zing. Red onion adds a tangy pop of beautiful purpleness. The green bell pepper has just the right amount of bite, and the little cukes are so fresh and sweet. (For funzies I scrape the tines of a fork along their skins. It makes them look really fancy.) Basically, it is everything you could want in a salad–crisp vegetables, tangy dressing, hearty beans and salty feta. It is near perfection!

I have listed two types of lettuce here. I like the body that iceberg has, and I like the color and frilly-ness of Romaine. Use some of both or choose one. You do you. But perhaps one of my favorite leafy greens in this salad is the fresh mint. It adds a sensational, unexpected clean flavor.

When you scroll down you will see the recipe includes a generous dose of dressing because, well, you know…The Man has his portion control issues. Either

A. cut the dressing in half, or

B. make it as listed and refrigerate for later use.

I recommend that you choose B. It is delicious drizzled over baked or grilled chicken or roasted potatoes, as a dressing for a pasta salad, or as a dip for your pita bread or pizza bones. You will find 1,001 uses.

But the truth of the matter is this: like The Man, you will probably have portion control issues. I think you can never go wrong with a simple Oil & Vinegar combo because it doesn’t compete with your salad. Rather, it lets all the delicious personalities of your ensemble shine.

Topping your salad with a crunch adds yet another dimension of flavor and texture. Kangaroo pita chips are light and crispy without too much salt, but you certainly could use any pita chip on the market shelves or even make your own.

All austere guidelines aside, I do love this version of a Greek salad.

It is quite a departure from the real thing, but absolutely delicious, nonetheless.

Enjoy!

XXOO AB

If you make this salad, I’d love to hear your feedback. Leave a comment and tag your photos #nakedepicurean on Instagram so we can celebrate together!

*This salad is absolutely delicious when chopped. For these photos, however, I did not chop the vegetables as directed in the recipe because it was hard to discern what was what. So, in a nutshell, I did not “chop” for aesthetic reasons.