The Ultimate Greek Salad

I have many fond memories of travelling from one Greek island to the next, sampling different variations of this simple Greek staple. As a frugal backpacker, I used to order a side of tuna (which often, because of the unusual request, I wouldn’t get charged for), turning this supposed side dish into a satisfying lunch. A salad like this is only as good as the ingredients you put into it, so choose ripe, luscious tomatoes, good-quality olives and finish with a generous drizzle of dressing with your best extra virgin olive oil.

Makes: 4 serves
Takes: 10 minutes to prep

Vegetarian | Gluten-free 

Ingredients: 
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1⁄2 teaspoon caster sugar

salt and freshly ground black pepper
8–10 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into bite-sized wedges

1⁄2 red onion, sliced as thinly as you can

1 cucumber, roughly chopped into chunks
1 cup kalamata olives, stone in

1 tablespoon capers, drained

200g feta

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Method: Whisk together the vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and caster sugar in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and set dressing aside. Toss together the tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, olives and capers in a bowl. Arrange the salad on a platter and top with generous slabs of feta. Sprinkle the feta with oregano. Drizzle dressing over the whole salad to serve.

Variation: The addition of a can of tuna (albeit not very fancy) transforms this salad into a light lunch or simple dinner.

Tip: If the taste of raw onion is too strong for you, try soaking the sliced onion in ice-cold water for 10 minutes before serving. This will crisp the onion up and remove some of its pungency. Drain well before using.