Greek Salad With Baked Feta

A traditional Greek salad is a simple but wonderful dish. It's made with colorful tomatoes, juicy cucumber, crisp bell peppers and red onions, and briny olives with a sprinkle of feta cheese. A punchy salad dressing of vinegar, oil, and herbs brings it all together in a brilliant way. As a side dish or main, it's delicious year-round, with easily available ingredients, but especially when tomatoes are at their best.

But we've taken the classic Greek salad and decided to step it up one notch. Instead of that sprinkle of feta cheese, we've topped our version of Greek salad with slabs of warm, creamy baked feta. The contrast in the temperatures is so smart, with that slab of creamy and warm feta against the fresh crunchy vegetables.

Learn how to make this Greek salad with baked feta topping, and impress everyone at your table with what is sure to be their new favorite way to eat their vegetables.

Ingredients for Greek Salad With Baked Feta

Fresh, crisp vegetables and a simple salad dressing is the theme of this Greek salad recipe. Consider the warm feta the cherry on top.

Here's what you'll need:

• Feta cheese: Buy block feta in a brine for this recipe. It will have the structure and texture you want once it's baked.
• Olive oil: You'll use some to coat the feta before it's baked and some in the salad dressing.
• Dried oregano: The slightly bitter flavor of oregano contrasts nicely to the rich cheese and salad dressing.
• Red wine vinegar: This sweeter vinegar isn't as overwhelming in the salad dressing as a white vinegar.
• Dijon mustard: Lends a tartness without being as acidic as yellow mustard. Also helps emulsify the salad dressing slightly.
• Kosher salt and black pepper: For seasoning
• Garlic clove: Punches up the flavor of the salad dressing. Mince it or grate it so the flavor can really blend quickly.
• Pitted kalamata olives, plus brine: A clever way to incorporate more of that olive flavor is by using some of the brine in the salad dressing.
• English cucumber: Juicy, crunchy cucumbers are essential for a good Greek salad. But scoop out the seeds so they don't water down the salad.
• Grape tomatoes: When tomatoes are in season, use the larger varieties. If making this salad off season, use cherry or grape tomatoes.
• Green bell pepper: Adds more crunch and brightness while also giving the vegetable mixture a bit of sweetness.
• Red onion: Red onions aren't as pungent as white or yellow. You could also shock them in ice water to take some of the burn out if you want.
  

How To Make Greek Salad With Baked Feta

In just 20 minutes, you can have a fresh and crisp Greek salad with the alluring slabs of baked feta cheese ready and on the table. Here's a brief outline of the process; the full recipe is further below.

• Bake the feta. Place cheese in a baking dish, and coat with some of the olive oil and dried oregano. Bake about 10 minutes or until the cheese is soft and warmed through.
• Make salad dressing. Mix the remaining olive oil with the red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic clove, salt, pepper, and some of the olive brine. Whisk until well combined.
• Combine vegetables. Once all the vegetables are chopped and prepared, mix the cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, and red onions with the olives and the salad dressing. Toss to combine.
• Add warm cheese. When the cheese is soft, add it to the top of the salad, or plate individual servings and add the cheese.

Tips for the Best Greek Salad

This recipe is ready in just 20 minutes, making it a dream dish when you're in a hurry or just need something light and easy for dinner. To make things even snappier, consider these tips from the Southern Living Test Kitchen:

• To halve cherry tomatoes quickly, grab two identical plastic lids. Put tomatoes in one lid, cover with the other and press down. Slice tomatoes horizontally, through the gap with a sharp knife.
  
• Make the salad dressing up to a week in advance so the flavors can really meld.
• Cut and prepare all the vegetables up to 3 days ahead for faster assembly.

Can You Make Greek Salad in Advance?

This is a great salad to prep ahead of time. The salad dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Prep cucumber, tomatoes, onions, and bell pepper, and store separately in air tight containers and keep for up to 3 days. When ready to eat, mix everything together, toss in the dressing while feta bakes.

How To Store Greek Salad

Once the salad is dressed, it can last about 1 day in the fridge. The vegetables will begin to water out after that, so plan to eat this as quickly as you can.

If you want the salad to last a little longer, separate the vegetables and dressing. Toss together the serving size you want just before eating, while the feta block bakes.

Greek Salad Serving Suggestions

Serve this Greek salad and baked feta with a crusty bread to make a simple meal of it. A crisp rosé or a sauvignon blanc would also be a lovely addition. You can also serve this with baked or grilled chicken, lamb burgers, or a greek potato salad.

More Great Salads

If you're in the mood for fresh, bright dinners, we've got delicious salad recipes for you:

• Cast-Iron Salmon With Baby Kale Salad
  
• Tomato-Mozzarella Salad
• Grilled Peach And Arugula Salad
• Orzo Salad With Shrimp And Lemon Dressing
• Buffalo Chicken Salad