Cucumber Feta with Lemon Vinaigrette (Printable Version)
A bright salad of crisp cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and crumbled feta tossed in a zesty lemon Greek vinaigrette.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2 large cucumbers, sliced
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
04 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
→ Cheese
05 - 3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
→ Lemon Greek Vinaigrette
06 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
08 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
09 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
10 - 1 clove garlic, minced
11 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
# Method:
01 - In a large salad bowl, add sliced cucumbers, halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, and chopped parsley. Gently toss to mix.
02 - In a small mixing bowl or jar, whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper until fully emulsified.
03 - Pour the prepared vinaigrette over the combined vegetables. Toss thoroughly to ensure even coating.
04 - Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese over the salad and toss gently just to incorporate.
05 - Serve immediately, or refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes to enhance flavor.
# Expert Tricks:
01 -
- The vinaigrette is tangy and lively, making the veggies sing in a way you might not expect from a weekday salad.
- It comes together faster than you can finish telling a story about your day, which is exactly why I keep coming back to it.
02 -
- I once let the onion slices sit out too long; the salad ended up too harsh, so keep them fresh and thin.
- Letting the salad sit even just five minutes after tossing makes the flavors bloom in surprising ways.
03 -
- Grate the garlic straight into the jar to avoid lingering raw chunks in the dressing.
- Always crumble feta by hand on top, rather than mixing it in, for prettier presentation and better texture.