Try this Greek salad with avocado recipe.
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 2 english cucumbers peeled in stripes and cut into 1/2 inch
- 11/2 pounds small tomatoes i use cocktail tomatoes, stemmed and quartered
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
- 11/2 cups kalamata olives pitted and halved
- 1/4 cup italian flat leaf parsley chopped
- 2 avocados, pitted and cut into chunks
- 1 cup feta cheese broken into large chunks
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt and freshly ground black peppe
- Carbohydrate 19.7688995361967 g
- Cholesterol 16.6875000141068 mg
- Fat 20.9731132676271 g
- Fiber 6.95876224641649 g
- Protein 6.33744884084188 g
- Saturated Fat 5.09815053435911 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (452g)
- Sodium 1323.34420651876 mg
- Sugar 12.8101372897802 g
- Trans Fat 1.00575470787295 g
- Calories 275 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large serving bowl, combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives and parsley. Place the avocado in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a small canning jar, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, sugar and salt and pepper. Top with the lid and shake well until blended and emulsified. Season with more sugar and salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour 1 tablespoon or so of the dressing on the avocado and gently mix to coat. Pour the rest of the dressing on the cucumber mixture and toss to coat. Add the avocado to the salad and top with chunks of feta cheese, and serve.
Standard recipes rarely specify the mechanical demands of dressing large-format produce, relying instead on vague verbs like toss. When building an emulsion of extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar, shaking the mixture vigorously inside a sealed glass jar generates small, stable droplets that cling to vegetables rather than pooling at the base of the bowl. If a canning jar is unavailable, a stainless steel wire whisk combined with a deep glass bowl creates the necessary shear force for proper suspension, provided the oil is drizzled in a thin, continuous stream.
Equipment and Prep Mechanics
Uniform cuts dictate the final texture of raw vegetable dishes, making a sharp 8-inch chef's knife and a stable wooden cutting board essential for processing cucumbers and tomatoes cleanly. Peeling English cucumbers in alternating stripes removes tough portions of the skin while retaining structural integrity, and scoring them lengthwise before slicing into 1/2-inch half-moons prevents rolling hazards on the board. Toss the avocado chunks in exactly one tablespoon of the prepared dressing immediately after cutting to coat the exposed flesh with acid, which temporarily inhibits enzymatic browning through contact with red wine vinegar.
Ingredient Adjustments
Modifying components alters both hydration levels and salt balance throughout the dish. Substituting white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice for red wine vinegar changes the acidity profile significantly, requiring a 1:1 ratio adjustment coupled with an extra pinch of sugar to offset sharpness. Crumbled goat cheese serves as a viable alternative to sheep's milk feta, though its lower moisture content and milder tang result in a creamier, less briny final dish.
