Even though summer seems to be a little shy, I have really enjoyed eating lots of different salads this year. I’m sure this is partly to do with the joy I get from popping outside to my lovely new veg patch to harvest freshly grown leaves, herbs and anything else in excess that can be reclassified as ‘salad’ 😉
Yesterday I shared my recipe for vegan feta cheese. So today it only seems apt that I share my take on a Greek salad which, as I’m sure you know, features feta as it’s key ingredient.
Greek salad is an absolute classic with the tasty combination of salty cheese, savoury olives, cooling cucumber, sweet tomatoes and rich, rich extra virgin olive oil. Fresh herbs like oregano or mint also add an extra element of flavour. Fortunately, with the vegan feta, all the ingredients are plant-based so it’s hard to go wrong.
I’ve gone a bit off piste (of course) by including a selection of green leaves from the garden; lettuce is not ordinarily included in a Greek salad. So why have I? Well…..
- leafy greens should ideally be eaten in some form every day as they provide essential nutrients that support cell health. Even a simple lettuce leaf contributes nutrients like potassium and vitamin C; darker leaves also have folate and vitamin K.
- including bitter leaves like rocket adds to the colour range and boosts the flavour and nutrient profile
- I have A LOT of leaves growing in the veg patch 😉
Red onion is another ingredient that stands out in Greek salad. It provides a sharp, sulphury flavour that compliments the salty vegan cheese and olives. Onion is one of those ingredients that can be difficult to digest for some people. And if you have IBS, onion can lead to abdominal pain or loose stools. If that’s you, it’s not essential so do leave it out. If you can tolerate it though, onion is a great ingredient to include in your diet as it contain strong prebiotic fibres that the friendly bacteria in your gut just love to dine on.
Interestingly, cucumber is another ingredient that gives a surprisingly high number of people indigestion. A few years ago I did a little survey about food intolerances, and cucumber came up time after time. I was surprised as it’s 96% water. The problem seems to be cucurbitacin, a diuretic compound (ie: it makes you pee!) that can cause gut pain and bloating in sensitive people. And despite it’s high water content, it takes 3 hours or so to digest which may also create discomfort for some. So of course if cucumber is not your thing, just leave it out and add a bit more mint or even watermelon as the cooling element.
Once you have the vegan feta cheese ready, this salad takes just minutes to prepare and makes a tasty and filling lunch. Don’t worry if you don’t have all the ingredients, just use what you have to hand, although the vegan feta and olives are kinda essential otherwise it will just be ‘salad’ 😉
I hope you enjoy this tasty, fresh salad. Do let me know how you get on if you make it.
Ingredients
Method
- Tear the salad leaves into smaller pieces if they're large and place in the bottom of a large bowl
- Scatter the cucumber, red onion if using, tomatoes and olives over the top, followed by the vegan feta.
- Season to taste and garnish with mint leaves and a good glug of extra virgin olive oil.
- Eat straight away.
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