Greek salad with grilled feta recipe

This Greek salad recipe introduced again certainly one of my favorite meals reminiscences. My husband and I have been sitting in a small restaurant in Greece, ready for our meals to reach. We watched as a waiter carried a salad towards our desk. On high of it was one thing huge, sq. and white. When the plate was positioned in entrance of us, we realised it was a slab of feta.

As we shared the salad, we mmm’ed and aahed over the creamy saltiness of a feta like we’d by no means tasted. That cheese, mixed with the super-fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and olives, was so scrumptious that we nonetheless speak about it after we recall our journey.

That was greater than 30 years in the past, when my expertise with Greek salads was restricted and those I’d had have been good however not memorable. Often, bits of feta have been crumbled on high of a flippantly dressed bowl.

Within the warmth of summer time, searching for a approach to dig into the season’s pink tomatoes, I got here throughout this preparation from Salads Are Extra Than Leaves by Elena Silcock. She calls it a Grilled Greek, and it takes the luscious feta expertise to a different stage. Silcock has you place the slabs of cheese on a heatproof pan, drizzle them with honey and sprinkle them with recent herbs. The pan then goes on the grill till the cheese turns golden across the edges and will get smooth and luscious.

The slabs of grilled cheese are then sliced in half and nestled atop tomato, cucumber, pink onion and olives with recent oregano and mint leaves. You’re left with heat, creamy, barely smoky cheese; chilled crisp greens; and vivid herbs all wearing a tart, vinegary dressing. Silcock recommends serving the salad with toasted or baked pita chips, that are excellent carriers for a smear of that easy cheese.

The perfect feta to make use of for this dish is a Greek sheep’s milk feta as a result of it’s the highest-fat choice, making it the creamiest and richest.

Don’t wish to mess with the grill? Bake the feta in an oven, and even your toaster oven, as an alternative.

For those who’re an adventurous salad maker – or wish to be – Silcock’s cookbook is filled with nice concepts for constructing salads that mix various temperatures, textures and flavours to create one thing that’s removed from an afterthought or a aspect dish. That stated, even half a slab of salty feta makes this salad appropriate extra as an occasional indulgence. For those who love the concept of it, contemplate serving it alongside grilled or roasted rooster, beef or fish.

To make the recipe vegan, use a vegan feta-style cheese or agency tofu and swap in maple or agave syrup for the honey. The big slab of feta makes this dish a fatty, high-calorie luxurious.

Grilled feta Greek salad

Lively time: 20 minutes | Complete time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

This Greek salad with heat, smooth feta is splendidly smoky when made on the grill, however you possibly can bake the cheese within the oven or toaster oven, as nicely. It’s best to make use of sheep’s milk feta for this dish. Unfold the nice and cozy cheese on toasted pita or pita chips, if desired. To make the recipe vegan, use a vegan feta-style cheese or agency tofu and swap in maple or agave syrup for the honey. This salad is finest if eaten immediately.

Storage notes: Refrigerate the feta and salad individually for as much as 2 days.

Components:

900g cherry tomatoes, halved, or your favorite tomato reduce into bitesize items

1 cucumber (about 115g), reduce into bite-size wedges

¼ tsp high quality salt, plus extra as wanted

6 tbsp olive oil, divided, plus extra as wanted

2 tbsp lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

¼ tsp freshly floor black pepper, plus extra as wanted

½ medium pink onion (85g), thinly sliced

Two (200g) packages sheep’s milk feta cheese

4 recent thyme or dill sprigs or ½ tsp dried

2 tsp honey

115g kalamata olives, pitted

2 tbsp recent oregano, or 2 tsp dried

Recent mint leaves, torn, for serving (non-obligatory)

Toasted or baked pita chips or toasted pita bread, for serving (non-obligatory)

Lemon wedges, for serving (non-obligatory)

Technique:

In a big bowl, mix the tomatoes and cucumbers and sprinkle flippantly with salt.

Preheat the grill to excessive (see notes).

In a small bowl, whisk collectively 4 tablespoons of oil, the lemon juice, ⅛ teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Add the pink onion to the dressing.

Generously grease a heatproof baking pan and switch the feta to the pan. Prime every block with sprigs of recent thyme or dill, or with the dried herbs. Drizzle with the remaining oil, and the honey, and season generously with black pepper. Place the pan on the grill grate, cowl and cook dinner for five to 7 minutes, or till the feta is softened and golden across the edges (on the final minute, you possibly can add the pita to the grill to toast, should you like). Switch to a heatproof floor to chill for two to three minutes, then reduce every block in half diagonally.

Drain the tomatoes and cucumbers, if vital. Return them to the bowl and toss with the dressing, olives and oregano.

Divide the tomato combination among the many bowls and high every with a wedge of feta. Sprinkle with the mint leaves, if utilizing, and extra pepper, if desired.

Serve with pita chips or toasted pita and lemon wedges.

Notes: The feta might be baked as an alternative. Preheat the oven to 220C with the rack within the center. Oil an ovenproof casserole dish or cast-iron pan. Put together the feta as directed and roast, 20 to 25 minutes, or till softened and golden across the edges.

To arrange the grill: if utilizing a gasoline grill, set it to 250C. If utilizing a charcoal grill, fill 2 chimney starters with charcoal, mild them and when the coals are white-gray with ash, pour them into charcoal grate, including extra charcoal, if vital, and put the lid on the grill, ensuring the air vents are open all the way in which. When all the coals are grey and sizzling, about 15 to twenty minutes, your grill ought to be between 250-260C. (Use a grill thermometer or take a look at the warmth by holding your hand, palm-down about 10 centimetres above the coals for about 2 to 4 seconds.) A charcoal grill could make this recipe take about 20 minutes longer.

Dietary info per serving: Energy: 641; complete fats: 51g; saturated fats: 18g; ldl cholesterol: 70mg; sodium: 1524mg; carbohydrates: 24g; dietary fibre: 5g; sugar: 15g; protein: 21g.

This evaluation is an estimate primarily based on accessible substances and this preparation. It shouldn’t substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s recommendation.

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