salad Archives · Jess in the Kitchen

Simple Greek Salad

Not too terribly long ago, we had friends gift us some ground lamb after we checked in on their lambs while they were away. I’ll be honest, my only experience with lamb was in a gyro, and I am a HUGE fan. (although I am starting to think it’s just for the tzatziki sauce…am I right?!) However, I had never had an experience with ground lamb and quickly asked the friend how to use it. Burgers, of course! Well, you need a side if you’re having lamb burgers and this beautiful and delicious Simple Greek Salad was created.

It quickly became a go to salad for me, with little to no measurements. I simply needed to make sure that I had cucumbers, feta, and kalamata olives on hand (every other ingredient is a pantry item for our household. And truly, feta is getting added to the list because “everything is betta with feta!”). No kalamata olives? No problem. Swap them out for black olives.

I did recently take the time to measure out all of the ingredients should I could share it out with my friends. If a Greek Salad ISN’T on your summer salad list, let’s get it on there!

Your Ingredients

2 cups chopped Roma tomatoes
2 cups chopped cucumbers (preferably English or snacking)
⅔ cup diced red onions
½ cup sliced kalamata olives (or black olives)
3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Your Steps to Simple Greek Salad

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions. Add olives and feta cheese and stir once more.

In a glass mason jar with a lid or liquid measuring cup, combine vinegar, oil, garlic, mustard, oregano, salt, and pepper. If using a mason jar, cover and shake well. If using the measuring cup, whisk well.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and allow to mellow over a few hours, if you are able. If you prefer a saucier salad, add 1 part red wine vinegar to 1 part olive oil, mixed together first.

Enjoy!

Tools of the trade

I have a few tools I love and to when I am making any salad. First and foremost, I can’t live without my flexible cutting boards. I think they are a must in the kitchen. Closely behind that, I did my small whisk and glass measuring cups for making my dressing.

Simple Greek Salad

This simple Greek salad is full of tomatoes, red onions, and cucumbers combined with feta, oregano and a delicious dressing. A great side dish for any meal!

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Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Greek

Servings servings

Equipment

Ingredients

2 cups chopped Roma tomatoes
2 cups chopped cucumbers preferably English or snacking
⅔ cup diced red onions
½ cup sliced kalamata olives or black olives
3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and pepper

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions. Add olives and feta cheese and stir once more.
In a glass mason jar with a lid or liquid measuring cup, combine vinegar, oil, garlic, mustard, oregano, salt, and pepper. If using a mason jar, cover and shake well. If using the measuring cup, whisk well.
Pour the dressing over the vegetables and allow to mellow over a few hours, if you are able. If you prefer a saucier salad, add 1 part red wine vinegar to 1 part olive oil, mixed together first.
Enjoy!

Keyword cucumbers, feta salad, Greek salad, Salad, summer salad, tomatoes, vegetables, vegetarian

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other great sides?

Check out my cooking page or see if any of the recipes below are a perfect fit for you!

July 4, 2023June 20, 2024

JessLeave a comment

Homemade Sourdough Croutons

If you haven’t learned it yet, I am a sourdough baker. You can read my story here! Now, I wouldn’t call myself a fancy sourdough baker by any imagination of the word. I stick with the recipe I have memorized for a basic milk and honey loaf and bake it week in and week out. Our family generally goes through two loaves a week, and it works out perfect when I bake every weekend. But sometimes we get to the end of the week and we still have a loaf (or part) sitting around. Goodness knows, once a fresh loaf is baked, that old loaf won’t get eaten. The solution? These homemade sourdough croutons!

But Jess, I don’t bake sourdough! I hear you, and first off, why don’t you? *Smiles* It’s easier than you think. Check out King Arthur Flour recipe for creating your own starter and getting started! Maybe you still aren’t convinced. That’s okay. You can do this recipe with ANY stale bread, but I would recommend something that has some density to it. (Think: day old artisan bread from the bakery or grocery store)

These homemade sourdough croutons are simple (the name of my game) and delicious. You’ll feel better about what you’re eating on your salad or French onion soup because you know the ingredients that are in them.

Ready to get baking? Let’s go!

Your Ingredients

3 ½ – 4 cups cubed stale bread
2 tablespoons olive oil (flavored or plain)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon nutritional yeast (optional, but adds a delightful cheese flavor!)

Your Steps to Homemade Sourdough Croutons

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place cubed bread in a glass baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and toss.

In a small, separate bowl, combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast. Sprinkle the seasoning on the cubed bread, tossing again to get evenly coated.

Bake for 18-25 minutes, checking after 15 minutes. 25 minutes was perfectly crunchy, but if you like softer croutons, go with 20 minutes.

Homemade Sourdough Croutons

Stale bread? Don't throw it away! Create these delicious homemade croutons.

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings cups

Ingredients

3 ½ – 4 cups cubed stale bread
2 tablespoons olive oil flavored or plain
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon nutritional yeast optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place cubed bread in a glass baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and toss.
In a small, separate bowl, combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast. Sprinkle on cubed bread, tossing again to get evenly coated.
Bake for 18-25 minutes, checking after 15 minutes. 25 minutes was perfectly crunchy, but if you like softer croutons, go with 20 minutes.

Keyword croutons, Salad, sourdough, sourdough baking

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

What can you pair with these croutons?

Well, I don’t know about you but a classic salad paired with ANY soup or Italian inspired dish is my jam. I will eat soup and salad any day of the week! Check out some inspiration below!

May 22, 2022April 17, 2024

JessLeave a comment

Fresh Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Gardens and farmer’s markets alike are full of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. Often, I think preserve for pasta or create pickles, but if you have 10 minutes to spare, you can have a fresh tomato and cucumber salad prepped and ready to marinate for your next picnic or cook out.

Truly, I am a preserver at heart. I want to save all our produce that we grow for the future. I love filling our shelves and freezer with our garden delights. It’s almost an addiction. What can I say? It’s quite the rewarding process and full shelves are beautiful. Plus, we will be prepared in the case of a zombie apocalypse or…shall I say it, world pandemic. Too soon? Anywho..

This year, I am trying to slow down and really appreciate the harvest as it is brought into our home. Recently, we had a set of pork chops to grill and I realized this light and simple tomato and cucumber salad would be the perfect side. It truly takes moments to prepare in the afternoon and by dinner time, the vinegar had created a sort of quick pickle our whole family can enjoy.

Your Ingredients

2 cups sliced Roma tomatoes
2 cups sliced cucumber
½ cup diced red onion
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
2 – 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Your Steps

Combine sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion in a large bowl. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk the remaining ingredients together. I recommend taste testing the dressing here. Everyone has their own preference in terms of the bite of vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add more as needed. Whisk once more and immediately pour over vegetables. Stir. Cover and allow to chill for at least an hour prior to serving for best flavor.

Notes

The Roma tomato isn’t required, but nice because of firmness. Two cups of halved cherry or grape tomatoes would work great as well.
If you are purchasing cucumbers from the store, English cucumbers work great since they have a lower seed count. However, any smaller cucumber will do.

Looking for other fun and fresh side dishes? Or maybe you want to preserve the bounty from your garden or farmer’s market? Check out the links below!

Cooking

Canning and Preserving

Fresh Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Fresh, crisp flavors of the garden combine with vinegar and oil to make this light tomato and cucumber salad perfect for any cookout or barbecue.

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Prep Time 10

Chill Time 1

Servings

Ingredients

2 cups sliced Roma tomatoes
2 cups sliced cucumber
½ cup diced red onion
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
2 – 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Combine sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion in a large bowl.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk the remaining ingredients together.
Taste test dressing here, adding more salt, pepper, or vinegar as needed.
Whisk once more and immediately pour over vegetables.
Stir.
Cover and allow to chill for at least an hour prior to serving for best flavor.

Notes

The Roma tomato isn’t required, but nice because of their firmness. Two cups of halved cherry or grape tomatoes would work great as well.

If you are purchasing cucumbers from the store, English cucumbers work great since they have a lower seed count. However, any smaller cucumber will do.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

August 3, 2020May 26, 2021

JessLeave a comment

French Dressing From Scratch

Salads are life. I decide on a restaurant by the quality of the side salad I can get on a regular basis. They don’t have to be anything special: I am always down for some leafy greens, onion, tomato, carrot, and cucumber salad. Add a few black olives, croutons and french dressing and I am happy as a clam. I often get made fun of for this. Our best couple friends quote the Simpsons, “You don’t make friends with salad.” Maybe not , but I’ll be your friend if you have a strong salad game.

French dressing has been my go to for as long as I can remember. After I made my health a major priority a few years ago, I tried to change over to a vinaigrette. Every change makes a difference, right? Ugh, it was so hard though. Don’t get me wrong, I do love some good vinaigrettes, but in the end my loyalty lies with French dressing.

The search for a homemade recipe begins

I set out to find a recipe that I could make from scratch to cut out some of the “yuck” that comes with the dressings found in the inner isles of the grocery store. Namely, I wanted to cut the added, refined sugars and maybe the oil. It just feels good to know what is in the food you are eating. At first, I called this recipe “a work in progress” on Instagram. And while all recipes will always be work in process (Isn’t everything? That’s my growth mindset and fitness lover talking), I have been digging on this one more and more. It’s simple to put together with many “on hand” ingredients, which is a constant focus of mine. So here’s my work in progress, delicious, cut the sugar French Dressing. I hope you love it as much as I do!

YOur Ingredients

¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup honey
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon minced garlic/garlic powder
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Your steps

Using a 1 cup liquid measuring cup, measure out the ketchup, olive oil, and honey. (I am all about the least amount of dishes possible, so I like to do ketchup to the ¼ cup, olive oil to the ½ cup line, and then the honey to the ¾ cup line). Add onion powder, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar. Whisk together until well blended. It might take a little longer than you think it should because of the honey and ketchup. Once well mixed, pour into a container with a lid to be stored in the refrigerator. For best results, remove from the refrigerator 5-10 minutes prior to using and shake well just before pouring.

A few notes…

The flavors get better the longer you let them mingle, so if you have enough forethought, mix this up the night before. But if you’re anything like me, you’ll be mixing this 5 minutes before you put your salad together. Oh well, live and learn 😉

Also, you may have noticed that I have a sweet mixer bottle for my dressings. I actually have two and they are almost always full of my own homemade dressings. They are the Kolder Salad Dressing Mixing Bottles and you can get them for yourself by clicking here or the picture below.

They clean up easily and are great for an even pour of your dressings. Notice, they also have recipes on them. Some I love, some I don’t. As a person who loves to experiment in the kitchen, I usually use them more for storage, but maybe the recipes will speak to you. Only way to know is to try them out!

Looking for some made dishes to go with your sides? Check out the links below or the cooking page for some inspiration!

French Dressing

A classic French Dressing sweetened with honey

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Prep Time 5

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings

Ingredients

¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup honey
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon minced garlic/garlic powder
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Using a 1 cup liquid measuring cup, measure out the ketchup, olive oil, and honey.
Add onion powder, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar.
Whisk together until well blended.
Once well mixed, pour into a container with a lid to be stored in the refrigerator. Shake well before pouring.

Notes

This recipe gets better with age, so mix a few hours before you plan on using it. It will pour easier if you take it out of the refrigerator 5-10 minutes prior to using.

Keyword Dressings, French Dressing, Salad

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

June 17, 2020March 5, 2022

JessLeave a comment

Brussel Sprout and Berry Salad with PoppySeed Dressing

As spring comes into full bloom, I get slightly obsessed with a spinach salad with strawberries and poppyseed dressing. I recently went grocery shopping and picked up some berries, but no spinach. However I did get some Brussel sprouts and I got to thinking, “I like my greens to provide some resistance anyway, and spinach just doesn’t do that for me.” I threw this Brussel sprout and berry salad together and I was pleasantly surprised! It’s better than its spinach counterpart, and major perk, Brussel sprouts keep better in the refrigerator than spinach, if you can let them last that long. I don’t know about you, but once I have a salad I love, I eat it every day until I am out. But enough chat, let’s get creating!

Your Ingredients

For each Brussel Sprout and Berry Salad, you’ll need:

10 Brussel sprouts, chopped (I tried grating them first; chopping is the way to go!)
1/4 cup chopped strawberries
1/4 cup blueberries
A handful of walnuts (Try toasting them in a pan over medium heat for extra crunch!)

For the dressing, whisk together:

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
4 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon poppyseeds

(This was enough dressing for six salads)

Put together your salad: Brussel sprouts, berries, and then the walnuts; Top with dressing and enjoy! If the Brussel sprouts are a bit too tough for you (I like the texture and “work” they provide), you can also sear them in a sauté pan over a high heat until they just soften. Allow to cool before creating your salad.

Be sure to store the leftover dressing in the fridge and shake or stir prior to using for future salads.

Simple, colorful, delicious!

Looking for another summer time salad? Check out my Roasted Corn Tomato Basil Salad!

Brussel Sprout and Berry Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

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Servings serving

Ingredients

For each Brussel Sprout and Berry Salad:

10 Brussel sprouts chopped
1/4 cup chopped strawberries
1/4 cup blueberries
handful of walnuts

Dressing (6 servings):

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
4 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon poppyseeds

Instructions

Whisk together dressing. Store in an airtight container like a mason jar.
Put together your salad: Brussel sprouts, berries, and then the walnuts.
Top with dressing and enjoy.

Notes

If the Brussel sprouts are a bit too tough for you (I like the texture and “work” they provide), you can also sear them in a sauté pan over a high heat until they just soften. Allow to cool before creating your salad.

Be sure to store the leftover dressing in the fridge and shake or stir prior to using for future salads.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

December 29, 2019April 17, 2024

JessLeave a comment