If you’re a fan of salad, you’ve probably had “horiatiki salata” at least a few times in your life. We’re talking about Greek Salad! Famous for its role in your best lunches and as a savory side to your Friday night fun foods, Greek Salad is a veggie-packed dish that we can’t get enough of. That’s why we partnered with Mary Harp, a like-minded blogger at Healthy Christian Home who is also Greekin’ out about Greek Salad made with Pure Flavor® Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers.
Mary is a food-loving mom who values healthy eating and feeding her family real, whole foods. She uses her blog as a space to share her vast food knowledge and offer helpful wellness tips and recipes to her audience. Greek Salad made with fresh vegetables is one of these recipes. After traveling to Greece with her husband, Mary developed an insatiable appetite for the local cuisine. Being pregnant with her first child, she explains her cravings gave her license to “feast heartily on her favorite Greek fare”, thus spawning her love for Greek Salad which “has not dimmed one bit since.” A passionate food enthusiast, she put her own spin on her favorite European dish and created the ultimate fan salad made with unique Pure Flavor® veggies!
Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers are the main feature of Mary’s creation. Eaten by themselves, they make a fantastic snack for both adults and kids, and Mary could not agree more. “My boys love them just as much as I do – plus, they have more vitamin C than citrus!” But their freshness, sweet flavor, satisfying crunch and beautiful colors make them the undisputed champion of Greek Salad. Paired with fresh ingredients like amazingly sweet Juno Bites Red Grape Tomatoes, flavorful and seedless Gourmet Mini Cucumbers, and rich, crumbly feta cheese, this veggie feast is difficult to resist.
Grape Tomatoes are the bursts of flavor that every Greek Salad lover looks forward to, and Pure Flavor® Juno Bites deliver that sensational splash of ultra-sweet juice that makes your tastebuds go wild – it’s an essential part of the Greek Salad experience. Then there’s the refreshing morsels of seedless cucumbers that complement the intense flavor of the tomatoes.
Pure Flavor® Mini Cucumbers add a gourmet aesthetic to your meal with unmatched crispiness, while Pure Flavor® Long English Cucumbers provide a classic, more hearty look and taste. And last but not least, there’s the sweet crunch of red, orange, and yellow mini sweet peppers. Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers are some of the most unique vegetables out there, and chopping them up can add a ton of color and character to the mix, or leave them whole ontop of your salad for a small appetizer to munch on.
Fresh ingredients are key, but a savory homemade dressing pulls it all together. Mary makes hers with oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and herbs, which is lick-the-bowl tasty! We just love her combination of ingredients in this dressing and her special take on this salad using Pure Flavor® produce. You can check out the full dressing and salad recipe here.
Now the question is – to leaf, or not to leaf? You might not know that traditional Greek Salad actually contains no lettuce, and modern interpretations might even include quinoa or pasta. If you want a leaf-less Greek Salad, our favorite is one with only Pure Flavor® veggies! Add a ton of Juno Bites Red Grape Tomatoes, slices of Gourmet Mini Cucumbers, chopped Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers and chopped onions, mix in your dressing, and let them marinate in the fridge without worrying about wilting lettuce. Marinating your veggies intensifies the flavor for an even more savory experience!
Greek Salad is a healthy veggie feature that’s always on the menu for us, but it’s also a great dish for parties, backyard barbeques with your family, or office get-togethers. Enjoy as an entrée, or pair with other Greek recipes like gyros, or chicken, beef, and veggie kabobs. You can find a ton of pairing options in our recipe section or visit Healthy Christian Home for recipes sure to feed your body and soul!
