greek salad 3 ways

It's finally warming up outside and I'm going to Mexico in a month and the thought of sitting on patios during happy hour and wearing a bikini is making me crave salads like nobody's business. I've already had four salads this week! Mixed greens salad on Sunday, chopped AND Greek on Monday, arugula on Tuesday and plans for a seared tuna salad later this week. This post, however, is dedicated to the Greek Salad and its many forms.

It's a simple salad, but ohhhh-my-gosh it is delicious! It's the kind of food that makes you want to forget about the real world and pretend you're on a Greek island living a much cooler, sophisticated, and desirable life. Aaaaah, one can dream...

The first version is what you think of when you hear the word salad: lettuce mixed with toppings. This is probably how most people in America would think of Greek salad anyway, and it's a good way to make it! It's so tasty and you're getting a good chunk of your fiber for the day from all the veggies. I packed mine in Tubberware and brought it to work for lunch. Everyone needs a break from the same ole turkey sandwich!

I recently had a traditional Greek salad at Ziziki's. It had no lettuce and instead had little piles of each individual vegetable and was seasoned with salt, pepper, olive oil and dried oregano. It was almost like a little sampling tray! I loved it because you could taste each individual vegetable separately or pair two or more in one bite. Soft and juicy tomatoes with crunchy red onions and a bite of salty feta, mmmmmm! So that was the inspiration for the second version. I make a Greek vinaigrette that I'm obsessed with so I used that instead of just olive oil, but it has all the same flavors, plus a little acidity from the red wine vinegar and lemon.

The last, but definitely not least, version was a Greek Pasta Salad. I started running low on cucumber after the first two, but this was a way to stretch the remaining vegetables into a tasty meal. Simply chop up tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, bell pepper and olives if you want, and toss with hot orzo and a drizzle of the vinaigrette. Mix it up and serve it hot or cold, I prefer cold, but it's tasty either way!

I couldn't be happier that the weather is finally warming up. Spring is by far my favorite season, not only because of the weather, but also the general happy, care-free feeling it gives me. So make a salad, find a patio and enjoy the weather!

Greek Salad

• cherry tomatoes
• cucumber
• red onion
• red bell pepper
• good feta cheese
• Kalamata olives, if desired (I just really don't like olives)

Greek Vinaigrette

• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
• S&P to taste