Sometimes in life you need something light for dinner and nothing screams fresh and light like a simple Classic Greek Salad.  My boyfriend has requested this dish a couple of times since I originally made it (most often after a gratuitously indulgent weekend) to sort of cleanse the palate and recharge the batteries.  You won’t need many ingredients for this recipe.  Just enough crunch and the right amount of color make any Greek Salad a classic.   

Traditonally, a Greek Salad does not have lettuce, but I like to add a head of fresh buttery Boston lettuce.  Toss in some diced onion and tomato, chunky bite-sized slices of baby cucumbers, pitted chopped Kalamata olives and a dusting of fluffy feta cheese.  If you are feeling creative and want more of a zing, a handful of pickled peperoncini peppers (say that 3 times fast) add texture and a tart, refreshing edge.  Drizzle with a simple lemony Greek dressing and toss well.  Oh!  And because my boyfriend CANNOT stand to go one meal without an inclusion of some sort of meat product, I roll several dry-peppered salami slices to garnish the sides of the dish.  I have to admit I like them too….Enjoy 😉 

~ RECIPE ~

Classic Greek Salad (Serves 2)

1 Head of Boston lettuce

1 Tomato (diced)

4 baby cucumbers (semi-peeled and sliced)

1/2 Red Onion (diced)

Kalamata Olives (about 1/4 cup, pitted and thinly sliced)

1/4 Feta Cheese

Picked Peperoncini Peppers (5 chopped up; 1 for garnish)

Sliced Dry Italian Salami (4 or 5 slices rolled)

Greek Salad Dressing

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 c. white vinegar

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 c. olive oil  

1/4 tsp. dry oregano

Dice and slice veggies and toss well in a large mixing bowl.  Make sure you squeeze the juices out of the peperoncini peppers and chop up well as they will be filled with water.  Prepare your dressing by emptying the Greek salad ingredients into a dressing bottle and shake well.  Drizzle lightly over the salad (you don’t want to over-dress the salad and make it soggy).  Scoop hearty helpings into each serving plate and finish with rolled salami slices and a bright green peperoncini pepper.