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Fresh Greek Salad Recipe with Homemade Zesty Dressing

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A vibrant and refreshing Greek salad featuring crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and tangy feta cheese, all tossed in a homemade zesty dressing. Perfect for summer meals, BBQs, and picnics.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 large cucumbers, peeled and diced
  • 4 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
  • 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
  • A handful of fresh parsley or oregano leaves, chopped
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh, finely chopped)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the vegetables by peeling and dicing cucumbers into 1/2-inch cubes, chopping tomatoes, thinly slicing red onion, chopping green bell pepper if using, and roughly chopping fresh parsley or oregano.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, gently toss together cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, olives, bell pepper, and herbs without bruising the tomatoes.
  3. In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake together olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and honey (if using) until well emulsified.
  4. Pour the zesty dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
  5. Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese over the top and give a gentle final toss or leave it as a garnish.
  6. Serve immediately for best crispness or refrigerate for 15-20 minutes to let flavors meld, but avoid storing too long to prevent softening.

Notes

Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil for best flavor. Add mustard before olive oil when whisking dressing to emulsify properly. Rinse sliced onions with cold water to mellow sharpness if desired. Drain excess tomato juice to avoid watery salad. For dairy-free, omit feta or use vegan cheese. Store dressing separately to keep salad crisp.

Nutrition

Keywords: Greek salad, fresh salad, homemade dressing, summer salad, Mediterranean, healthy salad, feta cheese, Kalamata olives

Find it online: https://elvafood.com/fresh-greek-salad-recipe-with-homemade-zesty-dressing-easy-and-perfect-for-summer/