Greek Salad

Nothing adds some life to a table like a colorful salad! There’s no doubt why the summer months are wonderful to enjoy various salads. My favorite reason why I enjoy salads even more in the summer is the bountiful options of colorful vegetables to incorporate into all kinds of salads. For our Mediterranean Grill Party last weekend, this Greek Salad certainly added some beautiful colors to the table and accompanied our menu perfectly…

Greek Salad has this wonderful vinaigrette that really ties all the various vegetables in the salad together. In my mind, the vinaigrette is the key player in this dish. A mixture of extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic and salt/pepper to taste is all there is to it. If you wanted, you could also add a splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice for additional tartness. The original recipe called for tossing everything together including the feta cheese, but I prefer to serve the cheese on the side or to top the salad just before eating.

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 head of romaine lettuce, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large beefsteak tomato, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese (8 oz)
1/2 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large cucumber, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted


In a large bowl, whisk the oil with the vinegar and garlic; season with salt and pepper.  Add the remaining ingredients and toss.