my big fat greek salad

With warmer days around the corner, the thought of turning on the oven will soon be intolerable. After a day in the sun, the last thing I feel like doing is preparing a heavy meal. I want to eat light dishes made with simple, good quality ingredients. With that in mind, I present to you this salad which requires (almost) no cooking. It’s so easy to toss together–mix in the different components or serve them “a la carte” so everyone can customize their own plates. If you want to cheat, you can even buy some of these ingredients ready made and no one will be the wiser–I promise I won’t tell. Enjoy this crunchy, satisfying delight of a salad and don’t sweat it!

Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Spiced Pita Chips


This salad begins with crispy romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion. Build on that base by adding creamy feta cheese, salty olives, and luscious roasted red pepper. To add flavor interest and variety to this meal, I like to serve hummus and stuffed grape leaves alongside. The pita chips that also accompany this salad are savory and yummy and add the perfect crunch.




Chop up romaine hearts, wash them, and spin dry in a salad spinner. Put the lettuce into a large salad bowl and top with diced tomatoes, cukes, and red onion. 

 


Top the chopped veggies with cubed French feta, Kalamata olives (I prefer the one with pits because pitted olives tend to be soggy–just be sure to warn your guests!), and chopped roasted red and yellow peppers. First confession: I use good quality roasted peppers from a jar–you can roast peppers yourself, but why go to all that trouble?

 


Fresh hummus is a nice accompaniment to this salad–I love its thick, tangy creaminess. Hummus is not difficult to make yourself: blend canned chick peas and tahini sauce with seasonings and a bit of olive oil in a food processor. But I want easy, so–second confession–I’m quite content serving store bought hummus. Whole Foods brand is rich and has a lovely lemony flavor. I also love rice stuffed grape leaves, but would really never think to make them myself. Thankfully, my local market makes them fresh. I think they add an unusual element to this meal.

 



These Spiced Pita Chips have been in my repertoire for a while and for good reason–they’re salty, crunchy, but with an unusual spice element that makes them immensely delicious. Using a sharp knife, split mini pitas in half. Brush the halves with olive oil and sprinkle with za’atar spice, which is a Middle Eastern blend of sesame seeds, sumac and dried oregano, thyme and marjoram. I also sprinkle on fleur de sel and a special favorite seasoning of mine called nigella seed. Nigella seed, also known as onion seed, black cumin, or black caraway, has pungent taste that adds a unique characteristic to these chips. You can usually find za’atar and nigella seeds in the ethnic section of your market, but if not, substitute a mix of cumin, ground coriander, dried oregano, sesame seeds and black sesame seeds.


Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cut the pita halves into quarters and lay out on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, watching closely, until crisp and golden brown.

 


The final component is a Red Wine Vinaigrette, which adds bite and tang to this satisfying salad. Whisk together pressed garlic clove, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, and kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Slowly add in extra virgin olive oil, until the dressing is emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed–I like my dressings to be on the tangy side; you may prefer to add less vinegar and more oil. Toss the big salad with the vinaigrette and serve with hummus, grape leaves and pita chips on the side. Sit back, enjoy and revel in the fact that there are no pots to clean up after dinner!

 


Serves 4 to 6:

 
3 romaine hearts, chopped
2 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, diced
1 english or hothouse cucumber, peeled and diced
1 small red onion, diced
8 ounces feta cheese, preferably French Valbresso, diced
6 ounces Kalamata olives (with pits)
4 roasted peppers from a jar, chopped
6 ounces hummus
8 stuffed grape leaves
Spiced Pita Chips:
 
4 mini pitas, split and quartered
extra virgin olive oil
za’atar spice
fleur de sel
nigella seeds, or black sesame seeds
Red Wine Vinaigrette:
 
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil


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