Name: Cucumber Greek Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 3 cucumbers (diced); 1 bell pepper (diced); 1 to mato (diced); 1/4 medium red onion (diced); ½ can of olives (sliced); rice wine vinegar; olive oil; fresh basil (chopped); optional (feta cheese to top)

This Greek Cucumber Salad is a fresh alternative to the typical lettuce-based salad.

Early last fall we had some dear friends of ours over for dinner, my high school choir director and his wife, Agi. Agi had brought fixings over to prepare a Greek Cucumber Salad. I didn’t see any lettuce, though. As she was preparing the salad, I kept thinking to myself, ‘where is the lettuce?’ Agi didn’t know this thought kept repeating in my head. I almost offered Agi to use some of our lettuce, but I quietly refrained. I am glad I did.

What Agi didn’t know is that she was giving me another way to prepare a salad, and I didn’t have to have lettuce or kale to make it. I did know you don’t need lettuce or kale for every salad, but up to that point, I had not made a salad without at least one of them. Since that time we have made this salad or a variation of it several times, as I have mentioned in my menu musings. Since I have eliminated about 90% of all dairy from my palate, I usually prepare a vegan version for myself, but my family loves the salad with feta. They also love it with pepperoni. If you are vegan, you can add the protein of your choice…if you want. But the salad is seriously great without protein, too!

Honestly I had about four different photo shoots over the winter trying to get just the right pictures of this salad. Sometimes I have a hard time taking pictures of salads. Salads and soups. Anyway, when I finally felt like I nailed the pics, I realized I forgot the olives. So imagine the salad with small, black accents. Maybe I forgot the olives because I actually prefer the salad without…

My kids love and actually prefer this salad over a lettuce-based salad any day! In fact yesterday the kids and I were talking about which seeds to buy and making sure we plant cucumbers this year. We want to eat lots more of this salad! Thanks, Agi, for letting me share!

Cucumber Greek Salad

1 Large Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 8 -10 salads

Author Sonja

Ingredients

3 cucumbers diced
1 bell pepper diced
1 to mato diced
1/4 medium red onion diced
½ can of olives sliced
rice wine vinegar
olive oil
fresh basil chopped
optional feta cheese to top

Instructions

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large salad bowl.
Drizzle cucumber salad with rice wine vinegar and olive oil, being careful not to saturate the salad. Taste and add more vinegar or olive oil if needed
Sprinkle with basil and cheese if you are using cheese.If you aren't adding cheese, add a dash of sea salt.
Serve and enjoy!

Have you made a lemony vinaigrette?