Ingredients
- 2 packets (about 400g) best quality feta cheese
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 500g cherry tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 6 spring onions
- 1 small red onion
- 12–18 Kalamata olives, pitted
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Sugar to taste
- Flat leaf parsley (to serve)
The traditional Greek salad is one of the most vibrant salads I have ever tasted. When I was a student I worked on a small Greek Island called Syros for two summer seasons. I probably had this every day for lunch and I never tired of it. I still haven’t. The key to this salad lies in using the finest ingredients.
Instructions
Step 1
Chop the feta into cubes and place in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle over the dried oregano and drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil. Cover and transfer to the fridge to marinate while you prepare the rest of the salad.
Step 2
Slice the tomatoes in half. Chop the cucumber into large cubes, leaving the skin on. Chop the spring onion coarsely, and dice the red onion very finely. Put these into a bowl with the olives .Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and add salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Add in the feta cheese, toss gently and garnish with some sprigs of flat leaf parsley.
Step 3
The feta can be left in the fridge to marinate for a couple of hours; this will only improve the flavour. However, it will need to be left out to come up to room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving. The salad should be dressed only at the last minute or it will go soggy.
And there you have it – a deliciously light salad perfect on a sunny day with fresh crusty bread, drizzled in olive oil!
About Andrew Rudd
Andrew Rudd is a discoverer of all things food.
He has turned a lifelong passion into a successful and expanding career, primarily providing cookery demonstrations, private catering and fine dining to food lovers nationwide. You can follow him on Twitter here, or check out his website here.