Ingredients
Salad
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup cucumber, diced (about 1/2-inch pieces), seeds removed if watery
- 1 cup bell pepper, diced (any color)
- 3/4 cup pitted green olives, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups feta cheese, crumbled or cut into cubes (about 6 to 7 oz)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (for lightly coating vegetables)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Lemon-Olive-Oil Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 to 2 lemons)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (optional but delicious)
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (or more lemon juice, to taste)
- 1 small garlic clove, grated (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon honey (optional, for balancing acidity)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Method
Recipe by Heather Schiefelbein.
- Prep the vegetables. Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber and bell pepper into roughly the same size pieces, and slice the olives. Chop the parsley.
- Lightly season the crunchy base. In a large bowl, toss tomatoes, cucumber, and bell pepper with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. This helps vegetables start out flavorful without making the salad watery.
- Chill the base (optional). Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. For best texture, keep the feta and dressing separate until serving.
- Make the dressing. In a jar or bowl, whisk (or shake) olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, zest (if using), grated garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes (if using), and honey (if using). Taste and adjust—more lemon for brightness, a touch more honey for balance, and salt/pepper as needed.
- Assemble right before serving. Add olives and feta to the chilled vegetable base. Toss gently so feta stays in cubes or crumbles.
- Dress and finish. Drizzle dressing over the salad and toss once or twice—stop when everything is lightly coated. Sprinkle parsley over the top. Taste and add a final pinch of salt if needed.
- Texture check. The salad should look fresh and crisp (not soggy). Feta should hold its shape or softly crumble, and olives/tomatoes should be evenly distributed.
Serving, useful notes and storage
Reserve portions before serving. Keep any dressing, crisp bread, garnish and uncooked salad separate. For later meals, reheat only the cooked portion you need and prepare fresh finishing ingredients at serving time.
Refrigerate perishable leftovers promptly in shallow covered containers, within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F). Keep at 40°F or colder and use within 3–4 days, or any shorter period stated for this dish. Reheat cooked leftovers to 165°F; bring soups and sauces to a boil. Reheating does not restart the storage time.
Swap the feta: Use a firmer feta style for cleaner cubes, or use cow’s-milk feta crumbles if that’s what you have. Add a crunch booster: Substitute diced red onion for some cucumber if you like a sharper bite. Herb swap: If you don’t have parsley, use chopped dill or mint (start with less, since they’re strong).