Greek Salad with salami, red onions, Kalamata olives, and feta cheese, tossed in a fresh, tangy Greek salad dressing.
Prep Time 20 minutes
A deliciously non-traditional Greek Salad with salami, red onions, Kalamata olives, and feta cheese, tossed in a fresh, tangy Greek salad dressing. A great choice for lunch, brunch, or dinner with warm, crusty bread and a glass of wine.
At least once a year, I start getting an uncontrollable urge. It’s the urge to purge and clean. Especially in my kitchen!
When we start getting near the end of the cold winter months, any little hint of bright sunshine puts me in the mood to organize stuff, straighten out cabinets, purge the pantry, and deep clean my kitchen!
All it takes is one day of temperatures anywhere near 60 degrees, and that’s all the push I need. We’ve just had one of those days here 🙂
People call me a “foodie.” If that means “someone who really enjoys food and cooking,” then I suppose they’re right. I spend hours on end cooking things to share with all of you. And all that cooking takes a toll on my kitchen because I’m just not the neatest cook.
Those people who can “clean as they go” have my admiration. I’m not among their number.
My floors get messy. My cabinets get out of order. And my countertops get floury, buttery, sticky, and wet.
So, after a long day of making a mess cooking, I moved everything off my countertops and went to work. I cleaned the granite surfaces, polished the stainless steel, and wiped down the glass front cabinets.
I was so pleased with myself that I immediately started messing up the kitchen cooking again to make our favorite Greek salad for dinner.
Now, I know that you’re going to read the list of ingredients and see “salami.” And you’re going to say, “there’s no salami in a Greek salad!”
Well, if I’m going to serve BeeBop a salad for his main course, there’s going to be some kind of meat included. Substitute whatever you like or leave it out completely. Your choice!
And be sure to try my Greek salad dressing recipe that’s included. It’s a lovely, balanced dressing that perfectly compliments the ingredients in the salad. All you really need with this salad is some warm, crusty bread, and a lovely glass of wine.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s light and fresh
- The preparation is easy and quick
- It’s really two recipes in one (both the salad and the dressing)
- It’s hearty enough for lunch or dinner (just add bread and wine)
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the dressing:
- Olive oil (use a good quality extra virgin olive oil)
- Lemon (the juice only)
- Red wine vinegar (don’t go cheap on the vinegar; a good one makes all the difference)
- Garlic (crushed, minced, or grated)
- Oregano (dried Italian oregano)
- Salt and pepper
For the salad:
- Romaine lettuce (save time and buy the washed, bagged kind)
- Roma (plum) tomatoes (Roma tomatoes have the best flavor all year round; choose nice firm, ripe ones)
- Cucumber (I prefer English cucumbers; they have fewer seeds and are rarely bitter)
- Red onion
- Kalamata olives (Mezzetta is a good brand to choose)
- Feta cheese (I always reach for the Athenos brand, but there are many good brands)
- Pepperoncini (again, Mezzetta always gets my vote)
- Salami (I prefer Genoa salami, however hard salami also work, or even ham if you’d rather)
How to Make My Favorite Greek Salad
Make the Greek Salad Dressing
Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small jar. Shake until well blended. Set it aside for now.
Tip: Instead of mincing or chopping the garlic, trying grating it on a fine grater. It’s so much easier!
Prep the Veggies and Salami
I used the pre-prepped Romaine lettuce from the grocery store as a shortcut. If you’re using fresh, you’ll need to wash, dry, and cut the Romaine into bite-sized pieces.
Dice the tomatoes, and peel and dice the cucumber. (Note: I recommend using an English cucumber for this salad. They have fewer seeds and rarely have a bitter taste.
Slice the red onion into very thin, half-moon shapes and cut the Kalamata olives in half. (Tip: to mellow the red onions and remove some of the harshness, rinse them briefly after slicing. Dry thoroughly before adding to the salad.)
For the salami, I ask my deli to give me two slices about 1/2-inch thick (that’s usually a total of about 8 ounces), and then I cut those into cubes myself. I prefer the meatiness of the thicker cubes over thin slices in this salad.
Dress the Salad
Place all the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
Shake the dressing again and pour over as much as you’d like to coat the salad. Toss to combine.
This salad serves 2 as a main course, 4-6 as a side or starter.
Tips
- Instead of mincing or chopping the garlic, trying grating it on a fine grater. It’s so much easier!
- I recommend using an English cucumber for this salad. They have fewer seeds and rarely have a bitter taste.
- To mellow the red onions and remove some of the harshness, rinse them briefly after slicing. Dry thoroughly before adding to the salad.
- Ask your deli for two slices of salami about 1/2-inch thick (that’s usually a total of about 8 ounces), and then I cut those into cubes.
FAQs
What else can I use the dressing for?
My Greek salad dressing recipe below is so delicious and really versatile. Besides being the perfect compliment to this salad, you could also use it for a delicious cold pasta salad, to marinate pork or chicken, or as a simple dip for fresh veggies like celery, cucumbers, or carrots.
How long can I keep the dressing in the refrigerator?
This dressing will keep very well for up to a week in an airtight jar or bottle.
What’s the difference between Italian and Greek dressings?
Well, if we’re talking about authentic Italian and Greek dressings, there’s really not that much difference. They’re both basically vinaigrettes with olive oil, vinegar (for Italian) or lemon (for Greek) and seasonings added. However, if you’re referencing the Americanized versions that we’re used to seeing in our grocery stores, there are huge differences. Italian dressings come in a wide range of flavors that would be as foreign to someone in Italy as our version of pizza. And our bottled Greek dressings, I’m quite sure, would cause a true Greek cook to just shake his head.
What’s the difference between Kalamata olives and black olives?
Kalamata olives, also known as “Greek black olives,” have a characteristic oblong shape and are bigger than black olives. They are harvested by hand and go through a three-month process before they are ready to be eaten. Black olives typically sold in grocery stores are actually picked while they’re green and flooded with oxygen to turn them black. Ferrous gluconate is added to make them retain their black color.
? More Recipes You’ll Like
- Winter Shrimp Salad
- Classic Macaroni Salad
- Tomato and Avocado Salad
- Black Bean and Corn Salad
- Cannellini Bean and Tuna Salad
HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE?
I’d LOVE to know what you thought!
Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked it!
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Recipe
For the dressing:
- 6 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove finely minced or grated
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
For the salad:
- 9 oz Romaine lettuce washed and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 Roma (plum) tomatoes seeds removed, diced
- 1 cucumber peeled and diced
- ½ medium red onion sliced into thin half moons
- ¾ cup Kalamata olives pitted and halved
- 4 oz feta cheese diced
- 12 pepperoncini
- 8 oz salami diced
-
Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small jar. Shake until well blended. Set it aside for now.
-
I used the pre-prepped Romaine lettuce from the grocery store as a shortcut. If you’re using fresh, you’ll need to wash, dry, and cut the Romaine into bite-sized pieces.
-
Dice the tomatoes, and peel and dice the cucumber.
-
Slice the red onion into very thin, half-moon shapes and cut the Kalamata olives in half.
-
Place all the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
-
Shake the dressing again and pour over as much as you’d like to coat the salad. Toss to combine.
Serves 2 as a main course; 4-6 as a side or starter.
Tips:
- Instead of mincing or chopping the garlic, trying grating it on a fine grater.
- To mellow the red onions and remove some of the harshness, rinse them briefly after slicing. Dry thoroughly before adding to the salad.
- I recommend using an English cucumber for this salad. They have fewer seeds and rarely have a bitter taste.
- Ask your deli for two slices of salami about 1/2-inch thick (that’s usually a total of about 8 ounces), and then I cut those into cubes.
Other Uses:
My Greek salad dressing recipe below is so delicious and really versatile. Besides being the perfect compliment to this salad, you could also use it for a delicious cold pasta salad, to marinate pork or chicken, or as a simple dip for fresh veggies like celery, cucumbers, or carrots.
Storage: This dressing will keep very well for up to a week in an airtight jar or bottle.
Serving 1 | Calories 1141kcal | Carbohydrates 23g | Protein 39g | Fat 101g | Saturated Fat 29g | Cholesterol 140mg | Sodium 4592mg | Potassium 1370mg | Fiber 9g | Sugar 10g | Vitamin A 12397IU | Vitamin C 71mg | Calcium 426mg | Iron 5mg
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
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— This post was originally published on March 6, 2014.
Lana Stuart is the cook, writer, and founder of Lana’s Cooking. Lana has been cooking since she was tall enough to reach the stove and started this blog in 2009 to share her delicious home cooking recipes. You’ll find about 700 recipes here so there’s sure to be something your family will like!
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