Greek-Style Salad

Makes: 4 servings

Totally Carbohydrates: 7 grams per serving

Hands-on Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

In the spirit of the traditional Greek salad horiatiki, this one contains no lettuce. And it is such a delightful mix of textures – crunchy and juicy and creamy – that you’ll find yourself craving it all summer long. Of course, feel free to add a chopped head of Romaine lettuce, which will double the number of servings (you may need to add a bit more dressing). Also feel free to skip pickling the onions and just add them raw – though you’ll miss that gorgeous shocking color! You will notice in the photos that I’m leaving out the olives because my husband doesn’t like them and doesn’t even like the taste of where they’ve been. But please do add them like a regular olive-loving person, if you like.

If you’re looking to:

Lower the fat: Use low-fat feta.

Lower the salt: Use less salt.

Ingredients

For the quick-pickled onions:

¼ cup white vinegar

½ teaspoon kosher salt (or ¼ teaspoon table salt)

¼ red onion, thinly sliced

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, finely minced or put through a garlic press

¾ teaspoon kosher salt (or a heaping ¼ teaspoon table salt)

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Black pepper (to taste)

For the rest of the salad:

1 large green bell pepper, cored and cut into squares

3 small Persian cucumbers, cut into chunky half moons (or 1 large English cucumber, cut in half, the seeds scraped out with a spoon, and thickly sliced)

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

½ cup crumbled or diced feta

¼ cup pickled sliced pepperoncini (optional)

½ cup kalamata olives (or whatever your favorite olives are) (also optional)

Instructions

1. Make the pickled onions: In a small pot on the stove or in a mug in the microwave, bring the vinegar and salt just to a boil. Remove from heat, add the onion, and refrigerate while you make the rest of the salad. You can also transfer it to a jar with a lid and refrigerate for up to one month.

2. Whisk together the dressing ingredients.

3. Put all the salad ingredients, including the drained pickled red onion, in a large bowl. Add half the dressing, toss, and taste. Add more dressing if needed. Serve right away, or let it sit for up to an hour. Refrigerated leftovers make a great topping for a lettuce-style salad.