Amazing Greek Goddess Salad with Grilled Olives

By: Irene Sharp & Desi Longinidis, excerpted from The Grill Sisters Guide to Legendary BBQ

By: Irene Sharp & Desi Longinidis, excerpted from The Grill Sisters Guide to Legendary BBQ

Once you try our Greek Goddess salad, it will become one of your go-to favorites. We have added dill and oregano, giving an extra freshness to this traditional salad. The zesty juices from the lemon and cherry tomatoes, and the saltiness from the feta cheese and Kalamata olives give another layer of flavor. Using a good extra virgin olive oil makes a big difference as well. We also love dipping a piece of crusty bread to soak up the dressing. It’s a salad that not only looks beautiful and colourful but tastes amazing too.

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Yields4 servings

Ingredients

Dressing
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
2 tablespoons (30 ml) red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Salad
1 heart (head) Romaine lettuce
1 large cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced into ¼-inch (6-mm) half-moons
2 cups (298 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red bell pepper, deseeded and sliced
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
1/2 cup (72 g) pitted Kalamata olives
3 ounces (85 g) block of feta
1 tablespoon (3 g) fresh dill, chopped
2 tablespoons (7 g) fresh oregano, chopped
Grilled Olives
1/2 cup (90 g) mixed olives, pitted (mixed varieties)
2 teaspoons (10 ml) olive oil

DIRECTIONS

To make the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, oregano and salt until well combined. Set aside.
Separate the lettuce leaves and thoroughly wash and dry them with paper towels. Chop the leaves and place them in a large bowl. Add the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, onion and Kalamata olives. Top the salad with the block of feta cheese, dill and oregano, then drizzle the dressing all over the salad.
To prepare the grilled olives, thread them onto metal skewers and brush them with the olive oil.
Prepare a grill for direct heat and preheat it to 390°F (200°C). Cook the skewered olives on the grill grate for 2 minutes in total, turning frequently or until the skin blisters slightly. Remove the skewered olives from the grill and serve them on top of this Amazing Greek Goddess Salad.