Greek Salad - "The Pinnacle of"
Discussion
Welcome. I want to discuss the "Greek salad". Something that as a salad lover, has taken me a long time to understand in getting right. But now I have, I am interested in other opinions.
I have long been a salad lover, and have gone from pre packaged bags, to living punnets, and now to full creations from scratch. Normally I mix leaves and protein and still do. But the Greek salad I have been making for the last 1-2 years is just... something I can't live without.
Previously I have used Romaine letuce, finely diced almost julienne, and added diced spring onion, diced tomatoes, fine sliced radish with lots of cracked black pepper. The key and essential item to any salad is the dressing. My go to has always been Dijon, combined with the usual olive oil and white wine vinegar + seasoning. I typically use 2/3 olive oil, 1/3 white wine vinegar and a good dollop of Dijon. Always works and still does, and this combo with steak or meats always delivers.
Around 2 years ago I watched a Jamie Oliver video where he made a Greek salad, and I fancied what I saw. Having repeated the simple recipe I have never looked back - there is a proper hit of flavour every time. For me every ingredient is essential for it to work, but the key stand outs are fresh dill, decent feta and decent olives. The absolute essential part though is the dressing. And how simple - Olive oil and Red wine vinegar. I think the ratio is supposed to be 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil, but I tend to do more vinegar - I always do it by sight but it translates to around 60% oil 40% vinegar. Salt and pepper of course.
So I make this in bulk - basically buy a load of the ingredients and make it into a huge bowl. What you do need to do, is ensure that you use the bowl within a few days. It will last longer but, you lose some of the crispness / freshness. The dressing hides that but at 4 days + you aren't getting the same hit. But easy to use once made, spooned into "tupperwares" for work or just take a bowl at home if you are peckish.
The components are simple but I do believe it matters where and what you buy. For me:
-Cucumber (get anywhere)
-Peppers (any colour, get anywhere)
-Red Onion (get anywhere)
-Tomatoes (Larger is better but any decent quality - spend more here. San Marzano or Vine Ripened, don't skimp and avoid bog basics, doesn't work)
-Olives (Red Kalamata, pitted. I use Waitrose)
-Feta (A decent Feta, I use PDO1 Age Barrelled from Waitrose purely to keep longevity but any should do)
-Oregano (Dried/any)
-Dill (MUST BE FRESH and can be hard to find, Waitrose does well here).
Olive Oil / Red Wine vinegar your budget and your choice, but essential as this is the match that strikes the flavour fire. Add pinch of salt / pepper to a small jug of it at the ratio above and pour at the last moment - heaven.
(By the way there is loads of Feta in that, just not fully tossed)
I have long been a salad lover, and have gone from pre packaged bags, to living punnets, and now to full creations from scratch. Normally I mix leaves and protein and still do. But the Greek salad I have been making for the last 1-2 years is just... something I can't live without.
Previously I have used Romaine letuce, finely diced almost julienne, and added diced spring onion, diced tomatoes, fine sliced radish with lots of cracked black pepper. The key and essential item to any salad is the dressing. My go to has always been Dijon, combined with the usual olive oil and white wine vinegar + seasoning. I typically use 2/3 olive oil, 1/3 white wine vinegar and a good dollop of Dijon. Always works and still does, and this combo with steak or meats always delivers.
Around 2 years ago I watched a Jamie Oliver video where he made a Greek salad, and I fancied what I saw. Having repeated the simple recipe I have never looked back - there is a proper hit of flavour every time. For me every ingredient is essential for it to work, but the key stand outs are fresh dill, decent feta and decent olives. The absolute essential part though is the dressing. And how simple - Olive oil and Red wine vinegar. I think the ratio is supposed to be 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil, but I tend to do more vinegar - I always do it by sight but it translates to around 60% oil 40% vinegar. Salt and pepper of course.
So I make this in bulk - basically buy a load of the ingredients and make it into a huge bowl. What you do need to do, is ensure that you use the bowl within a few days. It will last longer but, you lose some of the crispness / freshness. The dressing hides that but at 4 days + you aren't getting the same hit. But easy to use once made, spooned into "tupperwares" for work or just take a bowl at home if you are peckish.
The components are simple but I do believe it matters where and what you buy. For me:
-Cucumber (get anywhere)
-Peppers (any colour, get anywhere)
-Red Onion (get anywhere)
-Tomatoes (Larger is better but any decent quality - spend more here. San Marzano or Vine Ripened, don't skimp and avoid bog basics, doesn't work)
-Olives (Red Kalamata, pitted. I use Waitrose)
-Feta (A decent Feta, I use PDO1 Age Barrelled from Waitrose purely to keep longevity but any should do)
-Oregano (Dried/any)
-Dill (MUST BE FRESH and can be hard to find, Waitrose does well here).
Olive Oil / Red Wine vinegar your budget and your choice, but essential as this is the match that strikes the flavour fire. Add pinch of salt / pepper to a small jug of it at the ratio above and pour at the last moment - heaven.
(By the way there is loads of Feta in that, just not fully tossed)
Edited by Ubiquitous2024 on Wednesday 15th April 23:11
soad said:
Looks delicious, so vibrant and colourful. I m just not keen on feta, too dry and crumbly.
Fair point, but what is your Feta experience?For years I bought the generic stuff. Now I buy the tub that rests in a lovely bath of brine. It works, as the cheese is dripping and fresh at the moment you use it in the kitchen. And you can leave it in the fridge, and use again, with the same result.
E34-3.2 said:
Greek salad is lovely but I still prefer a traditionnal Nicoise salad.
If you really like Greek salad, have a look at Cretan Dakos for a slight variant.
Will check that out - adding an egg and tuna is easy enough though. The base / foundation is key.If you really like Greek salad, have a look at Cretan Dakos for a slight variant.
You can add anything to this. I am about to share a photo to illustrate
There must be more Greek Salad recipes than just about anything else, as you've found, making one that works for you is what matters.
I don't include lettuce, always use kalamata olives, halved cherry tomatoes and two fresh herbs to give vibrancy.
Another thing I learned was to only add dressing when eating it as the acids degrade the ingredients. It's the reason I don't use lettuce as it quickly goes limp.
I don't include lettuce, always use kalamata olives, halved cherry tomatoes and two fresh herbs to give vibrancy.
Another thing I learned was to only add dressing when eating it as the acids degrade the ingredients. It's the reason I don't use lettuce as it quickly goes limp.
Nice post OP.
My go to is a Sardinian tuna salad. It s tomato based but properly heavy on protein so leaves you full.
- Tomatoes (MUST be very good, this is the soul)
- Red Onions
- Butter/Lima beans
- Tuna
- Red Chilli (optional)
- Basil
- Olive oil
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Seasoning
The key is to let it rest a short while for the flavours to combine and use high quality ingredients throughout. If tou like greek salad i think you ll love this one.
Check out Adam Byatt s method and you cant go wrong.
https://youtu.be/ZzVr6Qx2-wQ?si=g6Wx4Ok8AAJPuBql
My go to is a Sardinian tuna salad. It s tomato based but properly heavy on protein so leaves you full.
- Tomatoes (MUST be very good, this is the soul)
- Red Onions
- Butter/Lima beans
- Tuna
- Red Chilli (optional)
- Basil
- Olive oil
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Seasoning
The key is to let it rest a short while for the flavours to combine and use high quality ingredients throughout. If tou like greek salad i think you ll love this one.
Check out Adam Byatt s method and you cant go wrong.
https://youtu.be/ZzVr6Qx2-wQ?si=g6Wx4Ok8AAJPuBql
Edited by DoubleSix on Thursday 16th April 08:30
The key ingredient is very definitely the tomatoes - and whilst it might be possible to occasionally find a vaguely close approximation it is far from easy.
Plum tomatoes of any variety don't work for me in any type of salad.
The large tomatoes sold as "slicing tomatoes" are probably the best bet, but 80% of the time these are under-ripe and almost flavourless. Smaller tomatoes, like Red Choice from Waitrose or Rosa from M&S don't work - they don't have the right ratios of flesh to seeds. I also think it helps to cut the tomatoes the same way they do in Greece - i.e. randomly, rather than in neat 1/4s, 1/8s, 1/16s or whatever.
Plum tomatoes of any variety don't work for me in any type of salad.
The large tomatoes sold as "slicing tomatoes" are probably the best bet, but 80% of the time these are under-ripe and almost flavourless. Smaller tomatoes, like Red Choice from Waitrose or Rosa from M&S don't work - they don't have the right ratios of flesh to seeds. I also think it helps to cut the tomatoes the same way they do in Greece - i.e. randomly, rather than in neat 1/4s, 1/8s, 1/16s or whatever.
DoubleSix said:
Nice post OP.
My go to is a Sardinian tuna salad. It s tomato based but properly heavy on protein so leaves you full.
- Tomatoes (MUST be very good, this is the soul)
- Red Onions
- Butter/Lima beans
- Tuna
- Red Chilli (optional)
- Basil
- Olive oil
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Seasoning
The key is to let it rest a short while for the flavours to combine and use high quality ingredients throughout. If tou like greek salad i think you ll love this one.
Check out Adam Byatt s method and you cant go wrong.
https://youtu.be/ZzVr6Qx2-wQ?si=g6Wx4Ok8AAJPuBql
The only problem there is the beans aspect - ugh - beans at any point are wrong but in a salad, no way!My go to is a Sardinian tuna salad. It s tomato based but properly heavy on protein so leaves you full.
- Tomatoes (MUST be very good, this is the soul)
- Red Onions
- Butter/Lima beans
- Tuna
- Red Chilli (optional)
- Basil
- Olive oil
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Seasoning
The key is to let it rest a short while for the flavours to combine and use high quality ingredients throughout. If tou like greek salad i think you ll love this one.
Check out Adam Byatt s method and you cant go wrong.
https://youtu.be/ZzVr6Qx2-wQ?si=g6Wx4Ok8AAJPuBql
Edited by DoubleSix on Thursday 16th April 08:30
omniflow said:
The key ingredient is very definitely the tomatoes - and whilst it might be possible to occasionally find a vaguely close approximation it is far from easy.
Plum tomatoes of any variety don't work for me in any type of salad.
The large tomatoes sold as "slicing tomatoes" are probably the best bet, but 80% of the time these are under-ripe and almost flavourless. Smaller tomatoes, like Red Choice from Waitrose or Rosa from M&S don't work - they don't have the right ratios of flesh to seeds. I also think it helps to cut the tomatoes the same way they do in Greece - i.e. randomly, rather than in neat 1/4s, 1/8s, 1/16s or whatever.
Indeed. Finding good tomatoes in the UK is like striking gold. mind you Spain and Greece can be as bad when it comes to supermarket tomatoes. The only countries where i don't get much trouble with quality even if we have to go to a supermarket is France and Italy. Plum tomatoes of any variety don't work for me in any type of salad.
The large tomatoes sold as "slicing tomatoes" are probably the best bet, but 80% of the time these are under-ripe and almost flavourless. Smaller tomatoes, like Red Choice from Waitrose or Rosa from M&S don't work - they don't have the right ratios of flesh to seeds. I also think it helps to cut the tomatoes the same way they do in Greece - i.e. randomly, rather than in neat 1/4s, 1/8s, 1/16s or whatever.
if you are into your olive oil I highly recomend the following ones. a bit pricey but worth every pennys:
Greek:
https://thegovernorevoo.co.uk/
spanish (my favourite):
https://www.spanish-oil.com/es/aceite-bio/rincon-d...
Spanish:
https://www.ventadelbaron.com/en?srsltid=AfmBOoqv6...
French (incredible):
https://www.chateauvirant.com/info/huile-olive-med...
Ialian (resonably priced olive oils, and plenty of choice):
https://www.oliocarli.it/
The Greeks would use larger chunks of tomatoes and cucumbers and also not cut uniformly so as to retain flavour.
My local middle eastern shop sources dried greek oregano stalks and worth seeking out, as the flavour is exceptional as it the texture, being in various states of blossom.
My local middle eastern shop sources dried greek oregano stalks and worth seeking out, as the flavour is exceptional as it the texture, being in various states of blossom.
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