This Simple Greek Salad is tasty, quick to prepare, and bursting with fresh flavors. And it’s made the authentic way – with no lettuce at all! Let’s get one thing straight about making a real-deal Greek salad: you can skip the lettuce. Yep, you heard t…
This Simple Greek Salad is tasty, quick to prepare, and bursting with fresh flavors. And it's made the authentic way - with no lettuce at all! Let's get one thing straight about making a real-deal Greek salad: you can skip the lettuce. Yep, you heard that right. I always thought that Greek salads came on...
This article was written and published by Oh My Veggies. It may not be reproduce or republished without permission of the author. The original article can be found here: Simple Greek Salad (no lettuce!).
Greek salmon salad is a healthy dinner that’s full of fresh Mediterranean flavor! This easy meal is simple and satisfying.
Looking for fun dinner ideas? This Greek salmon salad is healthy and satisfying, full of bold Mediterranean flavors! The star of the show is salmon bites, bite-sized pieces that add a pop of protein to each bite. Layer them over juicy tomatoes, cool cucumber, and feta cheese, and it’s a crowd-pleasing dinner idea that’s ideal in summer or anytime. Honestly, we’d eat this every night of the week! It’s that satisfying.
Ingredients in Greek salmon salad
This Greek salmon salad recipe is built around salmon bites, 1-inch bits of salmon that are cut into pieces before cooking. It makes them the perfect addition to salads, and what better pair than a refreshing Greek salad? Take our classic Greek salad, add a little arugula and top with the salmon bits. It makes the ideal Mediterranean diet dinner! Here’s what you’ll need:
The key to Greek salmon salad is making these salmon bites! They’re quick to make in the broiler and take just 15 minutes total. Broiling salmon is one of our favorite ways to cook it because you don’t even have to wait for the time it takes to preheat the oven! Open the salmon bites recipe in a separate tab to see those ingredients. Here’s what to do:
Preheat: Preheat a broiler to high.
Season: Cut the salmon into 1-inch pieces, then toss them with the seasonings. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet brushed with olive oil.
Broil: Broil 4 to 5 minutes until just tender and pink at the center (the internal temperature should be between 125 to 130°F in the center).
Toss with Garlic Lemon Butter: Melt butter, then stir in minced garlic and lemon zest. Toss the bites with the butter and sprinkle them over each Greek salad.
Notes for making salmon Greek salad
This salmon Greek salad is very simple and comes together in 30 minutes or less! Here are a few things to keep in mind when preparing and serving this dish:
Use an English cucumber. English cucumbers are a long, thin variety with a sweeter flavor, imperceptible skin, and less pronounced seeds than a standard cucumber. We recommend using them in most cucumber recipes because you don’t need to peel or seed them! If you use a standard cucumber, make sure to peel and seed.
Use baby arugula. Baby arugula (sold in boxes or bags) has a much milder flavor than standard arugula, which is sold in a bunch. If you can’t find it, use a different leafy green like spinach or mixed greens.
The recipe is very forgiving, so add ingredients to taste. Want to use more tomatoes or cucumber? Feel free! Do you prefer lettuce over baby arugula? Use that instead!
Tips for buying salmon
It’s important in any salmon recipe to buy good-quality salmon. Low quality salmon can taste very fishy and have a mushy texture, or have a lot of that white stuff when it’s cooked (called albumin). Good quality salmon has a fresh flavor that’s not fishy and a tender, flaky texture. Here’s what to look for when buying salmon:
Opt for fresh salmon if possible. We’ve found buying salmon fresh from the fish counter usually has the best flavor. However, frozen can work too: try to find higher-quality frozen salmon and avoid those big economy-sized bags (we’ve found this type can taste very fishy).
Look for wild caught salmon. Fish that is wild caught in your country is usually a sustainable choice. (There are also quality options in well-regulated farms; see Seafood Watch Consumer Guide.)
Know your types of salmon. We tend to like Coho salmon for its mild flavor: it’s a good middle of the road option in terms of price. Of course, King salmon is incredible but it’s expensive and we wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe. Atlantic salmon is most often farmed and not available wild caught. Ask about its source at the fish counter.
Make ahead notes
This Greek salmon salad is best eaten the day it is made; leftovers become rather soggy. If you want to make it in advance, here are a few tips:
Make the salmon bites in advance and refrigerate until serving. If desired, you can re-warm them in the broiler or on the stovetop.
Chop the cucumber and red onion in advance and store refrigerated; add the tomatoes, arugula and dressing directly before serving.
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, red onion, and cucumbers with the baby arugula, capers, Kalamata olives, feta cheese crumbles (saving out a few for garnish), olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, and salt. Gently mix to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
To serve, divide the salad between 4 plates, then top with the salmon bites. Garnish with additional feta cheese and serve. (If making in advance, prepare the salmon bites and refrigerate. Chop the cucumber and red onion in advance and store refrigerated; add the tomatoes, arugula and dressing directly before serving.)
A few years ago I made donuts at home for the first time. To some, this may feel trivial, and to others, impressive. Personally, I was in awe. Moi? Me? I can make donuts at home?! It was as if I’d discovered how to print money on a 2002 LaserJet. I was…
A few years ago I made donuts at home for the first time. To some, this may feel trivial, and to others, impressive. Personally, I was in awe. Moi? Me? I can make donuts at home?! It was as if I’d discovered how to print money on a 2002 LaserJet. I was surprised by how easy the process was and shocked by how judgmental, or perhaps intimidated, I’d previously been by the idea of deep frying at home.
To some, this epiphany may sound basic. As a child of latkes, I wasn’t a total stranger to frying food at home, but, growing up, frying was not in our regular repertoire, nor did I seek it out in early adulthood. Of course, I love a fried good—fried chicken, fried dumplings, samosas, katsu, empanadas, donuts—you name it, I love it. But for some reason, I compartmentalized these items as “things I eat out.”
This tzatziki sauce recipe is cool and creamy, featuring Greek yogurt, cucumber, and garlic! It’s great for veggies, falafel, gyros, and more.
When it comes to yogurt-based dipping sauces, there’s nothing more iconic than tzatziki sauce! This famously creamy and garlicy Greek cucumber sauce is commonly eaten as a dip with pita or veggies, or a sauce with falafel or gyros: but it works with just about anything! After an epic trip Greece, we created a version to capture the magic of our experience with this traditional dip.
Common tzatziki ingredients
Tzatziki is a yogurt and cucumber sauce that is common in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine, specifically Greek and Turkish food. It is often served as a side dish with pita or veggies, or as a sauce with gyros or falafel.
There are lots of opinions when it comes to this dip, especially about what makes the most authentic tzatziki recipe! We don’t have Mediterranean or Middle Eastern heritage, so we honor the great tradition of this cuisine (here’s a traditional recipe by a Greek chef). Here are the common ingredients in tzatziki:
Full fat Greek yogurt: Using full-fat yogurt is key to get the desired creaminess!
Grated cucumber: Just enough to keep the creamy consistency. It’s best to use an English cucumber since you don’t have to peel or seed it!
Garlic: Fresh garlic is essential here; don’t use jarred minced
Olive oil: Oil important for taste and texture.
Red wine vinegar: a bit of acid adds some tang. Some people use lemon, but our research shows the most authentic is vinegar.
Fresh dill (optional): Fresh dill is not always included in traditional Greek tzatziki, but we love how the herbaceous flavor enhances the dip.
Salt: Salt is essential for good seasoning.
How to make tzatziki sauce
There’s just one trick to tzatziki sauce: otherwise it’s just dump and stir! Cucumbers are full of water, so it’s important to remove as much excess as possible before mixing it into the dip. Here’s what to know:
Peel and grate the cucumber, then salt it and let it stand 10 minutes. This helps to draw out the liquid.
Squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible with your hands. This is essential, otherwise the dip will be much too runny.
Mix! Then mix the cucumber with the Greek yogurt, garlic, olive oil, and seasonings.
English cucumber vs standard cucumber
This tzatziki sauce is best using an English cucumber versus a standard one, but either works! English cucumber has a sweet flavor and imperceptible skin and seeds, making it simple to use in this recipe. You can use a standard cucumber, but make sure to seed and peel it first since the peel is very bitter and the seeds are large. Persian cucumbers also work: they are similar to an English cucumber but smaller!
Storage for homemade tzatziki
Tzatziki tastes even better after it’s been chilled for a few hours: but it’s great right away, too! How long does homemade tzatziki last? Store it in a sealed container for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Ways to serve it
Tzatziki sauce is full of creamy, bold, garlicky flavor: perfect for dipping and adding to sandwiches or serving with chicken or fish. Here are a few ideas on how to serve this tzatziki sauce recipe:
Vegetables as a dip, like carrots, cucumber, red pepper strips, etc
Small grate the cucumber using a box grater (if using a standard cucumber instead of English, peel and remove seeds first). Place the grated cucumber in a fine mesh strainer and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon kosher salt, then allow to stand for at least 10 minutes. Then use your hands to squeeze out as much water as possible from the cucumber before adding it to the dip.
In a medium bowl, mix the Greek yogurt, minced garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt, fresh dill (if using), and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the grated cucumber.
Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Keeps up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
To serve, drizzle with olive oil; if desired, garnish with olives and a sprig of dill. Serve with pita, crackers, or vegetables.
Notes
*You can use a standard cucumber, but make sure to peel it and remove the seeds first. You can also use Persian cucumbers, which are similar to English cucumber but smaller.
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