As with so many dishes, a lot of things go by the name “greek salad.” Some of them even involve lettuce and mostly conform to the typical expectations that come with the “salad” category. I have no idea what is most authentic in this case, and in all likelihood, most versions are equally valid. After all, how many cooks in America make their salad exactly the same way as the cook next door, or at the restaurant, or in the cafe? Yeah. So, this is the version that my family makes, and that I particularly like. Of course, as with many salads, it’s functionally “to  taste,” so tweak away if you like different proportions :-). I’ve filed it as a side dish on here, but it can be a good main dish when you put it in a pita bread. I eat it that way for lunch all the time. Probably wouldn’t cut it to serve as a dinner that way, but as a dinner for one (or even for two, on a busy night) it’s quite nice.

If you are putting this up as part of a Greek dinner you should make it earlier in the day and let it sit for a while, so the flavors combine. It’s tastier that way. This salad goes well with other Greek dishes like spanikopita, but it is also nice as a side dish for lighter summer meals like veggie burgers or sub sandwiches.

Ingredients

8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

1 1/2 large cucumbers (like the English hothouse cucumbers)

2-3 large tomatoes

1 large red bell pepper

1 – 1.5 cups pitted kalamata (Greek) olives

1 medium onion

3 TBS olive oil

1.5 TBS fresh lemon juice (you can use bottled if you must, but fresh is much better)

1 tsp dried oregano

Directions

1. Put the olive oil, lemon juice, and dried oregano in a small bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

2. Slice the cucumber into reasonably thin half-rounds, chop the tomatoes and red bell pepper, and chop the onion very finely. Combine in a large bowl with the olives and crumbled feta cheese and mix well.

3. Pour the dressing you made in step one over the salad and mix to get it well-distributed. While you can eat this right away it is much better if it sits for at least two hours (refrigerated, by preference, since there is cheese it in and it is tastier a little chilled). Enjoy as a side dish to a Greek dinner (or at a potluck :D), or put it in a half of a pita bread and enjoy as a quick meal on its own.