Natalie McLaury considers herself a bit of a hoarder when it comes to magazines. Never one to pass up a good deal on a subscription, it’s to the point where she now finds herself receiving a magazine in the mail several times a week. Most of the time, she rips out pages of recipes but fails to actually create the recipe in her kitchen. Not anymore! Join Natalie as she cooks the magazines.
By Natalie McLaury
Put the word “Greek” in a recipe title and I am immediately drawn to it (case in point: Greek Panzanella). Funny, because I’m pretty sure if you’d asked me a few years ago what Greek food consisted of or what ingredients were in a Greek salad, you would have been met with a blank stare. Oh, how things have changed! 
May’s issue of Cooking Light featured a few different cucumber side salads, with one of the variations being this Greek one. Since I had such good luck with my last Cooking Light side dish (I’m talking about you, favorite asparagus!), I had high hopes for this one. Cooking Light once again delivered and this was a great side dish at our Mother’s Day cookout. The recipe below probably serves about 4–I doubled and 7 of us finished it off…this is another easy recipe to adjust according to how many you want to serve. Because you can make it ahead of time (just refrigerate until serving!), it’s ideal to throw in a cooler and take on a picnic or to your neighbor’s pool party.
Next time, I might throw some chopped Kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese in there. For me, my favorite part of the name “Greek” in a food title is the olives and the cheese! However, it’s perfectly good as the vegetable-only version listed. You can also add chopped parsley as the original recipe did; I omitted because my mom isn’t particularly keen on the herb and it was Mother’s Day after all! Do use fresh oregano if you can–dried won’t give you quite the same flavor impact!
PrintGreek Cucumber Salad
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A light and refreshing Greek cucumber salad featuring crisp cucumbers, juicy cherry tomatoes, and vibrant bell peppers, all tossed in a zesty lemon and oregano dressing.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp (24 ml) minced red onion
- 3/4 tsp (3 ml) chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tbsp (15 g) lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tsp (7 g) olive oil
- 1/8 tsp (pinch) salt
- 2 cups (300 g) thinly sliced cucumber
- 1 cup (150 g) quartered cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup (75 g) thinly sliced bell pepper strips
- Optional: chopped Kalamata olives
- Optional: crumbled feta cheese
- Optional: chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the minced red onion, chopped fresh oregano, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Mix well to create the dressing.
- Add the thinly sliced cucumber, quartered cherry tomatoes, and bell pepper strips to the bowl with the dressing. Toss everything together until the vegetables are well coated with the dressing.
- If desired, add chopped Kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese for additional flavor. You can also add chopped parsley if preferred.
- Refrigerate the salad until ready to serve. This allows the flavors to meld together. Serve chilled.
Notes
This salad can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until serving, making it perfect for picnics or parties. Fresh oregano is recommended for the best flavor. Consider adding Kalamata olives and feta cheese for a more traditional Greek taste. The recipe is easily adjustable to serve more people.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 45
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 120
- Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 7
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 1
- Cholesterol: 0
