Greek salad is a salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, olives and peppers, dressed with olive oil. The key component of the salad is the cheese – traditional Greek cheese – feta from sheep or goat’s milk. The Greek salad has low calories and very useful fatty acids.
The Greek Salad known today has been around for only six or so decades. Everything started at the end of the 19th century. The main meal of that time was reliant on vegetables, cucumber, olives, onion, and tomato, usually accompanied by a slice of bread and rarely some cheese. Villagers and farmers throughout Greece wrapped them in homemade tablecloths and carried them out to the fields at meal breaks.
After, when the salad started to become popular among tourists, the restaurateurs added a non-essential item – feta cheese for higher price for cup of Greek Salad.
Ingredients for Greek Salad
Dressing
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano, more for sprinkling
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
- 1 cucumber, cut lengthwise, seeded, and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 5 ounces feta cheese, cut into ½ inch cubes*
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ⅓ cup pitted olives
- ⅓ cup fresh mint leaves
Nutritional value (per 100 grams):
- Calories: 89.8 kcal.
- Proteins: 2.9 gr.
- Fats: 6.5 gr.
- Carbohydrates: 3.9 gr.
More recipes here. If you want to read more info about feta-cheese, you can do it on the website of National Library of Medicine.
