Greek Crunch Salad

You are going to LOVE this new Greek crunch salad, made with thinly sliced crunchy romaine lettuce, cucumber, fresh dill, scallions, and creamy feta cheese and then topped with a spiced super seed blend. My new favorite salad!

Move over every other salad I've ever had in my entire life, meet my new love. 

This salad is a variation on my favorite Greek Salad, maroulosalata – or Greek lettuce salad. Maroulosalata is a simple salad of crisp romaine, heavenly fresh dill, and scallions typically dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. In this variation, I added feta cheese, crunchy cucumbers, and a homemade crunchy spiced seed blend. 

I could eat this salad every day for the next 100 years and not get sick of it. Enjoy it as a main meal, a side dish, or even a quick and healthy snack! 

Let's Get Cooking!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:

• Romaine Lettuce – Usually I will tell you to choose the lettuce you prefer but in this recipe romaine is essential, as it is in a Caesar salad.
• Cucumbers – I prefer English cucumbers or small Persian cucumbers. 
• Fresh Dill – Necessary, lot's of it!
• Scallions – Scallions impart a mild onion flavor and add the perfect amount of crunch
• Olive Oil, and lemon juice – Plus a few other ingredients to make the dressing, 
• Super Seed Salad Topper -Trust me it's worth the time to make the crunchy super seed topper. Nutty spiced seeds that not only add flavor and texture but a host of health benefits!

TOOLS YOU WILL USE:

• Large mixing bowl
• A good knife
• A large cutting board

RECIPE NOTES FOR GREAT RESULTS:

• Thinly slice the romaine lettuce, but remember that chopping greens will speed up the browning process, serve the salad immediately. i.e. I don't recommend chopping ahead of time
• Use a really good feta cheese. My favorite brand right now is Dodoni Feta.  Dodoni reminds me of the feta cheese I ate in Greece, super creamy, and luscious. 
• Don't forget to salt your dressing! My mom makes the best salad dressing, she isn't afraid of salt. If you are on a low sodium diet add a pinch of lemon pepper to the dressing.

NUTRITION NERD CORNER 🤓

Healthy Salad Tips!

Salads are a great way to add a variety of veggies and different flavors and textures to your meals. Here are a few tips to make your salads even more nutritious and delicious:

• Mind your dressing – You probably think I'm going to tell you to use less dressing or put it on the side to watch for calories, etc. Nope. Not me! Nothing makes me crazier than a big beautiful salad that is either not dressed at all (seriously why would you do that?) or is dressed with some kind of fat free horror (don't do it, please don't do it!) Remember – vegetables contain fat soluble nutrients, which means if you aren't eating your veggies with fat you are not absorbing those nutrients! Use olive oil, and add good quality healthy fat to your salad!
• Get creative! Salads can be a great opportunity to try new veggies! Have you had hearts of palm? or artichokes? or kohl rabi or fennel? These are all great ingredients to add to a salad.
• Mix up the greens! I adore romaine, but I am equally in love with red leaf lettuce, watercress, arugula, kale, and baby spinach. Play around with the greens you use as your base.

DIETARY MODIFICATIONS FOR THIS RECIPE:

This recipe is gluten-free, vegetarian, and keto-friendly. 

• Vegan – Eliminate the cheese
• Low Fodmap – Use fewer scallions and only the green part
• Whole 30 – Eliminate the cheese
• Paleo – Eliminate the cheese

I can’t wait for you to try this Greek Crunch Salad! When you make it, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @abrapappa or use the hashtag #abraskitchen so I can feature your photo! 

MORE FAVORITE SALAD RECIPES:

Vegan Kale Caesar Salad

Heirloom Tomato and Peach Salad

Strawberry Avocado Salad

Beet Salad with Berries 

If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate and leave a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!