Mediterranean Summer Salad

One of my favorite memories is the day I discovered feta.  I will likely never be able to find this place again, but on a beautiful spring day on the 2nd floor terrace at a restaurant in Tirana, Albania, someone passed me a plate of cheese and urged me to try it.  I kid you not, there are days when a few slices of feta drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with oregano constitute dinner at my house – I love it that much – and this summer salad incorporates it beautifully.

Mediterranean Summer Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of shredded chicken
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 cucumber
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 2 tsp oregano
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. You’ll want to cook the chicken in advance of making this salad.  (The good news is, it tastes great when the chicken is still warm – and just as good as cold leftovers!  For this recipe, I typically bake a chicken breast (thawed) at 375° F for about 45 minutes with a little bit of olive oil and oregano.  It really adds to the overall flavor of the salad.)
2. Shred or dice the chicken.
3. Chop the tomato and cucumber into bite-sized pieces.
4. Add these three ingredients, along with the kalamata olives (drained, but not too much – a little bit of the juice from the olive jar also adds to the flavor) to a large salad bowl
5. Sprinkle the feta and oregano over the top of the salad, then stir to mix all the ingredients.
6. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste.
7. Enjoy!

What I Love About This Recipe:

• Aside from baking the chicken, this salad is very quick to put together – prep time is about 10 minutes or less, and it either serves four as an appetizer or two as a main meal.
• It’s filling, but also very light – which makes it a great meal for beautiful spring/summer evenings.
• Feta!!! (Which, let’s face it, is really the main point of this salad – at least at my house!)

Notes:

• As with most salads, switching up the ingredients can make for some fun variety.  Since this is one of my go-to recipes, I’ll often swap out or add ingredients.  Considering adding (or substituting) any of the following ingredients for varieties on this recipe:
  • basil
  • thyme
  • leeks
  • garlic-stuffed green olives
  • pasta
  • sautéd onions
  • roasted garlic

What’s your favorite summer salad?  I’d love to hear about it in the comments.