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What goes into a Greek salad. Greek salad: ingredients, history, interesting facts

My dear lovers of delicious, simple and unusual today I will tell you which salad is the easiest and fastest to prepare, besides, you will need a minimum of cheap products. It will be about the already popular among Russians at the festival and at New Year dish - salad "Greek" according to the classic usual recipe.

Greek salad - classic recipe

Such a healthy and light (low-calorie) dish is prepared quickly. And many already know the real classic recipe Greek salad - it is simple and, on the other hand, piquant because of the Feta cheese (Fetaxa, Brynza) present in its composition.

And now you will see a completely different, unusual "Greek" and its 5 step-by-step recipes.

Greek salad - a classic step-by-step recipe (with photo) from a real Greek chef. cooking secrets

Many people, when traveling, love not only to study exotic flora and fauna, get acquainted with the history of the country, but also learn its culinary secrets.

And now you can travel not only physically by taking a train, car or plane, but also virtually. And thanks to the appearance in many cities of many restaurants of world cuisine, enjoy overseas dishes You can even without leaving your home, but simply by placing an order by phone.

All this is wonderful, but sometimes you want to master the preparation of your favorite dishes in order to enjoy them at any time. Along with the traditional Russian "", "" and "", with the French "" and with Italian pizza, Japanese sushi, french sauces our people are very fond of some of the dishes Greek cuisine, the most popular representative of which we have become Greek salad.

Surely this dish is familiar to many: it is prepared not only in restaurants and cafes, but also served at the table in many homes. Another thing is that it does not always have the same appearance and taste.

As for "appearance", here it is really possible different variants serving and decoration, but the taste of this salad is a matter of principle. To match the taste that real Greeks enjoy, you need to be aware of all the secrets of its preparation and use only those ingredients that are in original recipe, without any initiative in the form boiled potatoes or eggs.

Yes, with them the dish will turn out to be more satisfying, but it will no longer be a Greek salad.

Traditional Greek Salad Recipe

Preparing Greek salad is very easy. If you are already familiar with it, then you probably noticed that all its ingredients are cut quite large, which simplifies the task even more.

As a rule, these are large cubes, but if you want the salad to turn out not only tasty, but also beautiful, you can experiment with the shapes.

Ingredients

You will need for 8 servings:

  • leaf salad,
  • cucumbers - 3,
  • tomatoes - 6,
  • onion - 1,
  • Bell pepper – 1,
  • herbs (preferably basil)
  • olives (a 200 gram jar is enough),
  • lemon juice
  • and, most importantly, good olive oil,
  • and Feta cheese (200-250 grams).

"Feta" - Is it sheep or goat cheese, somewhat reminiscent of the cheese familiar to all of us. In addition, for making Greek salad, it is good to use dried oregano herb, which will give it spicy taste. It is allowed to put a little chopped garlic in the dressing.

Cooking

First prepare the filling.

It consists of a mixture of olive oil with lemon juice (or balsamic vinegar), which can be lightly salted, peppered, garlic and oregano.

Chopped vegetables are placed in a salad bowl on top of whole lettuce leaves, garnished with olives and coarsely chopped herbs and poured with dressing.

Then, on top of all this multi-colored splendor, feta cheese, cut into large cubes, is placed.

That's it, you don't need to put anything else in the Greek salad. Believe me, any other products will be simply superfluous here.

For those who like to see everything with their own eyes (I mean cooking), here is a video recipe for you.

Bon appetit!

And do not dwell on traditions yet - experiment and look further - how you can supplement the usual classics with various additives. And it turns out even very nothing!

Greek salad recipe with Chinese cabbage

A variant of our today's dish with Chinese cabbage. What are we doing? Instead of lettuce, we will take cabbage, and specifically Beijing cabbage, as it is juicy and strong, with its “refined crunch”.

That's all girls and boys, everything else in terms of the availability of products and the cooking process is given above. I think it makes no sense to repeat (just go up to the classic recipe).

And if it’s unbearable, here’s a short one for you:

We prepare the dressing: oil, lemon juice, chopped garlic, herbs, salt and pepper are mixed in a separate bowl.

Cabbage should be cut into strips, but not very finely.

Cheese "Feta" (if there is none and was not found, it will do - "cheese" or "Fetax") cut into large cubes. You can add it to the dressing so that it becomes, as it were, “speckled” (more interesting, after all) or put it later on top of all the ingredients.

We take washed vegetables cucumbers and tomatoes. We shred them the same way we would shred cheese.

After the onion and sweet pepper cut into half rings.

We combine all this “richness of taste” into a common deep plate (do not forget about olives) and mix (just stir a little).

Friends, our Greek salad with Chinese cabbage is ready! Forward for the "biggest spoon"!

And for viewing:

Salad "Greek" with croutons and chicken (classic recipe)

Crackers and chicken - does it remind you of anything? "Caesar"? Yes, something like that. This time we will add just a couple of things to our culinary creation: croutons and chicken meat. Such a salad is no longer quite dietary and light - it is already gaining weight.

With this method of cooking, as with any other, you can not mix all the products, but give the guests the opportunity to do it. By the way, look at the composition and its quantity above (scroll the page up or click:).

You can either buy croutons from the store or make your own. Take the regular White bread- a couple of slices from a loaf. Get rid of the crusts and cut into cubes. Fry in a skillet with oil until lightly browned.

Boil the chicken (chicken fillet), cool and cut into cubes.

The turn of our vegetables has come - we act with them, as in previous recipes - we prepare squares, strips and halves.

We spread the leaves on the dish, on top of the tomatoes and cucumbers, onions, peppers, olives and cheese, and the very last - sprinkle the fried croutons. Salt, spices and herbs to taste.

Greek salad with cheese or feta cheese instead of Feta cheese, as in a restaurant

It's okay if "Feta" is replaced by "Cheese" - both of them have their own specific salty taste, which gives the dish a pronounced piquancy. Such a light meal is just a treasure for those who protect their figure and take care of their health!

As you have already noticed, if you read the article from the very beginning, the classic Greek salad recipe and its basis remain unchanged. Only a few ingredients are changed and added. At first, instead of lettuce leaves, we used chinese cabbage, then updated with chicken and croutons. And now it's time to diversify the main product of the dish - cheese.

Otherwise: the composition and method of preparation will be the same. Almost…

  • fresh tomatoes (cherry tomatoes are also suitable) - 4-5 pieces,
  • cucumbers (it is better only that from the garden, if not, then cut off the bitter skin) - 2-3 pcs.,
  • olives (pitted, olives are also suitable) - 1 can,
  • green lettuce leaves (or Beijing cabbage),
  • Bulgarian sweet pepper (you can have two different colors: orange and red),
  • cheese (fetax) - 100-150 grams,
  • onion (preferably red, if ordinary onion, then pour boiling water over it before laying it out) - one onion is enough.

For dressing (sauce):

  • lemon (its juice),
  • olive oil (again, the most excellent),
  • garlic clove,
  • mixture herbs(there is a ready-made set, it’s called “Greek” or oregano),
  • salt, pepper and a little sugar.

Let's start cooking:

As always, first of all we start with the sauce - we combine all the spices and spices with oil in a separate small container. We let it brew - put it aside.

Wash vegetables and cut into medium pieces. bow and bell pepper- stripes. If using cabbage, also strips.

Be careful with cheese (fetax), it can be too soft and tender, divide into equal squares.

Now we collect everything together (special attention: do not mix!). We make separate portions, pour over with real sauce. If desired, decorate with herbs (with mint special flavor). We invite guests!

The best dressing (sauce) for Greek salad

Have you ever seen any salad without sauce? Refueling must be! dry dish not the best option!

The classic recipe for Greek salad dressing consists in the use of products common to Greeks (mandatory):

  • impeccable olive oil - 100 ml.,
  • lemon juice - a tablespoon,
  • dry crushed fragrant herbs oregano,
  • ground pepper and salt to taste.

Cooking:

Take a medium-sized bowl (a wide glass will do). Add oil and lemon juice. Add herbs and spices. Mix thoroughly until the salt is completely dissolved. We leave "walk" for 10-20 minutes. In general, while you are preparing the base.

Secrets of the best sauce:

  1. For a sweetish taste, instead of lemon, you should use Apple vinegar in sparingly with sugar (you can cane).
  2. If you add finely chopped garlic, the dish will acquire a spicy taste and spicy aroma.
  3. Add melted honey and soy sauce- Greek salad becomes sweet-salty and unique.
  4. For lovers of thick dressing, yogurt or mayonnaise is added to the recipe.
  5. And do not forget about the freshness of the products.

“Taste and color have no comrades,” so you can always improvise and make your own special sauce.

Video preparation of dressing:

Video: Greek salad a simple classic cooking recipe and its delicious dressing

As you can see, my dear gourmets, lovers of delicious, new and unusual, there is nothing complicated and impossible in cooking. This science requires one thing - a vivid imagination and the correct alternation.

And today's masterpiece: Greek salad classic and plus 5 excellent step by step recipe, proved our exact and correct direction - "Cooking tasty and even tastier"! See you again.

A wide variety of Greek salads, whose homeland is Greece, is explained by its wide popularity outside this country. In Russia, the salad became public closer to the new century, only in a slightly modified form. Feta cheese, which is made from goat's or sheep's milk, is added to traditional Greek. More a budget option lettuce allowed cheese. Vegan lovers prefer to replace feta with soybean tofu.

The five most commonly used ingredients in Greek salad recipes are:

The classic composition of a Greek salad basket is as follows:

  • Chees Feta
  • tomatoes
  • cucumbers
  • olives
  • shallot
  • olive oil
    From spices only salt, oregano and ground black pepper.

In different variations of Greek, they add to it: capers, anchovies, Sun-dried tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, lettuce, assorted greens, garlic, the mentioned cheese, croutons, chicken fillet and much more.

Five of the fastest Greek salad recipes:

The main difference between Greek and any other salads is the brightness and larger cuts of vegetables. At home, the salad is not mixed before serving - this is done directly on the plate. It does not affect the taste in any way, rather, a matter of habit. Brightness is achieved with green cucumbers, red tomatoes, black olives, white cheese and yellowness of olive oil. Although the Greeks themselves prefer to peel cucumbers.

  • a little lemon juice in olive oil to add a subtle touch to the salad
  • the dish will be tastier if salt and spices are mixed into vegetable oil then water the vegetables
  • you need to be careful with salt: it is quite enough in cheese and olives

Greek salad, which came to us from the country of the same name, is a frequent guest on the table, whether festive or ordinary. The Greek salad recipe at home is easy to prepare, you need to spend a maximum of 10 minutes on it. Delicious, cheap, and also very healthy appetizer - Greek salad with croutons. Please your family with this treat, cook with us!

One of the recipes for this salad includes vegetables, creamy feta and dressing. The dish turns out to be light, but at the same time satisfying due to cream cheese, which together with oil dressing gives the main calorie content.

What you need for Greek salad:

  • Tomatoes - 140 g;
  • Fresh cucumbers - 130 g;
  • Sweet pepper - 110 g;
  • Olives - 80 g;
  • Cheese - 150 g;
  • Purple onion - 90 g;
  • Green lettuce leaves - 140 g;
  • Sunflower oil - 40 ml;
  • Salt - 12 g;
  • Black pepper - 6 g;
  • Juice of half a lemon.

Greek salad - a simple recipe:

  1. Fresh vegetables must be prepared in advance for further cooking. The processing of vegetables consists in washing each product and then drying it so that there is no excess moisture in the dish.
  2. Cut the tomatoes into slices, not forgetting to get rid of the stalk, cucumbers into rings, not forgetting to cut the fruit around the edges.
  3. Pepper should be separated from the seeds, chopped into thin strips.
  4. Peel the onion, cut in half and chop into half rings.
  5. Tear green lettuce leaves with your hands into large leaves.
  6. Fold in a large bowl, first green leaves, then tomato, cucumbers, sweet peppers, purple onions, pour olives from the jar.
  7. Feta crumbles very well, this cheese is difficult to cut into even cubes, so you need to break it into pieces and add to a common bowl.
  8. For dressing, mix oil and lemon juice, add salt and pepper.
  9. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix.

Greek salad - a simple recipe

In fact, the "Greek" salad may look quite simplistic, include very few products, but at the same time remain tasty and rich. The most important thing is to know the necessary proportions and ingredients.

Required Ingredients (for 4 servings):

  • Tomatoes - 230 g;
  • Cheese - 140 g;
  • Greens - 50 g;
  • Salad - 60 g;
  • Sweet pepper - 110 g;
  • Olives - 90 g;
  • Vegetable oil - 50 ml;
  • Salt - 13 g;
  • Oregano dry - 22 g.

Simple Greek Salad - Preparation:

  1. Wash tomatoes and wipe with paper towels. Cut into large pieces.
  2. Rinse the bell pepper, remove the seeds from the fruit, cut into large pieces.
  3. Rinse greens and lettuce leaves, dry.
  4. Tear lettuce leaves into pieces.
  5. Break the cheese into pieces.
  6. For dressing in olive oil, you need to pour dry oregano, salt.
  7. In a deep bowl, put tomatoes, peppers, pour olives, put washed greens to your liking, add cheese and lettuce pieces.
  8. Pour dressing over and mix.

You can also try cooking, which will not take much of your time to cook.

Delicious Greek Salad - Recipe

Avocado has a wonderful, buttery taste, delicate texture. Many people love to add this fruit to a salad, and in combination with cream cheese, the result is simply wonderful.

Required Ingredients (for 4 servings):

  • Tomatoes - 120 g;
  • Fresh cucumbers - 140 g;
  • Sweet pepper (yellow) - 130 g;
  • Pitted olives - 70 g;
  • Cheese - 110 g;
  • Sweet onion - 80 g;
  • Green lettuce leaves - 130 g;
  • Avocado - 120 g;
  • Lean oil - 40 ml;
  • Salt - 12 g;
  • Black pepper - 6 g;
  • Juice of half a lemon.

Greek salad step by step:

  1. Vegetables need to be pre-cooked. Rinse them under running water and then dry with paper towels. Lettuce must be disassembled into leaves, and only then washed so that dirt does not remain near the root.
  2. Cut the tomatoes into slices, without the stalk, cucumbers into rings, cutting off from both sides.
  3. Bell peppers need to be cleaned from seeds, cut into pieces.
  4. Peel the onion and cut into halves of the rings.
  5. Cut green lettuce leaves into arbitrary segments.
  6. Remove the skin from the avocado and scoop out the ripe pulp with a spoon. Then you need to cut it into cubes.
  7. Put salad in a serving dish, then tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, sweet onions, pour olives, avocados.
  8. For dressing, mix the oil with lemon juice, add salt and pepper.
  9. Grind the cheese and put in the sauce, let it brew for a while.
  10. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir all the products.

Greek salad without olives has a huge number of variations, each of which will definitely find its consumer. After all, the classic recipe of the dish is loved by many, and the varieties of snacks with original additives are sometimes so unusual that they can surprise anyone, even the most inveterate gourmet.

Today, our gastronomic journeys have taken us to Greece, a country with an extraordinary history, architecture, stunning natural beauty and original colorful cuisine. This time we are mastering the recipe for a classic Greek salad!

There are three legends at once, which are accepted as one of the stories of the emergence of a delicious Greek salad. All of them are united by one feature: the simplest, most common products in Greece were chosen as ingredients: vegetables, cheese, herbs, olive oil. Obviously, the creator of the dish did not have the task of impressing with exquisite ingredients, spectacular presentation or a special recipe. Tasty dish simple and fast - that's what the chef was striving for.

Each of us can perfectly repeat the taste of this dish and it's really simple. But sometimes there are some difficulties. And it's natural! We have prepared solutions!

Vegetables and greens

Fresh vegetables without scratches and cuts - the only way they will make your Greek salad amazingly delicious! The tomatoes should be tight so the flesh won't fall apart from the skin when stirred. Greens are also good in a salad - this is fresh chopped basil, which, if desired, is sprinkled on the salad before serving. If necessary, parsley should not be replaced.

What determines such a multifaceted taste of Greek salad?

It's cheese! Cheese sets the tone for the whole dish, it's just that spicy note that creates the perfect symbiosis with the freshness of vegetables. At home, dishes use feta cheese, which should be broken into large pieces or served in a single layer on top of vegetables. This is what the original looks like classic version Greek salad. Later, the cooking option with brynza, which has a light taste, gained particular popularity. creamy taste. In fact, in every restaurant where the menu contains this delicacy, feta is cut at its discretion, but in Russia the most popular form is the cube.

How to cut feta or cheese?

We often notice that the feta crumbles, and the cheese sticks to the knife during cutting. To avoid such a nuisance, keep these products in the refrigerator almost until the dish is served. The cheese must be very cold, then everything will turn out! Also dip the knife in cold water. Do you cut cheese? Brush the knife with olive oil. And you can choose another tool, such as a thread or fishing line.

Greek salad dressing

How simple everything is: olive oil, and nothing more! Not at all. An authentic classic Greek salad recipe requires extra virgin olive oil to be mixed with oregano. Ready meal they also sprinkle lemon juice or add it to the dressing, and a couple of drops of vinegar. You can also add some ground black pepper as well.

Stir or not? How to apply?

Combine all the ingredients, pour generously with dressing and mix thoroughly - actions that are extremely inappropriate. When used, the cheese begins to warm up, and the greens get wet and lose their shape. Vegetables are beautifully stacked together with coarsely torn greens, then cheese - and this is for each serving. Then season with butter sauce.

Classic Greek salad recipe

  • Red bell pepper - 2 pcs
  • Yellow bell pepper - optional
  • Long-fruited cucumber - 1 pc.
  • Feta - 200 gr
  • Red sweet onion - 2 pcs
  • Small tomatoes - 5 pcs or cherry tomatoes - 250 gr
  • Olives - 230-250 gr
  • Salad, you can use your favorite - 1 bunch
  • Basil - 2-3 sprigs

……………………………...

  • Olive oil - 5-6 tbsp
  • Oregano - 0.5 tsp
  • Balsamic vinegar - a little less than 1 tsp
  • Lemon juice - a couple of drops

How to cook:

  1. Rinse vegetables and herbs, dry on a paper towel. At this time, prepare the dressing.
  2. In a bowl, combine the oil and oregano, then stir in the vinegar. Add lemon juice (no more than 0.5 tsp) and mix again until smooth.
  3. Tear the greens with your hands or chop coarsely. Solemn occasion? Separate a few leaves and put on a dish.
  4. Cut the tomatoes into slices, cherry tomatoes into slices, cucumber into thin slices, onion into half rings.
  5. Pepper also cut into large circles, and then into 4 parts.
  6. Grind the basil, you can disassemble it into inflorescences and decorate the salad with it when serving.
  7. In a chaotic manner, lay out all the prepared vegetables on top of the lettuce leaves.
  8. Then distribute the olives and feta cubes.
  9. Drizzle dressing over Greek salad and garnish with basil.