Flavors are just bursting in this Chopped Greek Panzanella Salad - so many fresh ingredients that will have your mouth asking for more!
Believe it or not, yesterday here in the upper midwest it was 88 degrees! And I'm not complaining! It was wonderful to be outside to soak up the sun and warmth. Of course being that warm, there was no way I wanted to heat up the house with the oven or stove so we had a simple dinner of this Chopped Greek Panzanella Salad and some grilled chicken kabobs (those I just marinated in some Greek Dressing with a bit of mayo and additional Greek seasoning). It was perfect and we even ate outside on the deck. The DIY Guy loved this so I'm thinking this salad will be making a repeat appearance soon!
I based my salad on a traditional Greek salad called Horiatiki which I had when my daughter and I went to Greece back in 2008. One of her close friends was studying abroad in Athens for a semester so on Danielle's spring break we headed over for a visit. I had no idea what to expect with the food and culture but I absolutely loved everything! First the food, we had some wonderful meals including this salad. It is made a bit different, so if you were to order, it would come in a bowl with pepper rings, sliced onions, chunks of cucumbers and tomatoes with a brick of feta cheese on top, sprinkled with oregano and topped with a high quality olive oil. It is amazing! I think I ordered it every time we went out to dinner. We also had quite a few gyros - interesting fact they are served with fries IN the sandwich - YUM!
For my version, I decided to do a chopped salad and added chopped pita bread to make it a "panzanella" (which means bread in a salad). You could also leave out the bread and just enjoy the fresh veggies and cheese - either way, it is so good!
Now onto the Greece sites! The the hotel we stay in had a roof top bar that have a great view of the Acropolis. At night, we would head up and have a glass of wine and enjoy the views. Hotels and other buildings cannot be over a certain height and, now I can't remember if it is 5 or 6 floors, so views are good. We took a few days trips including a ferry ride to three islands (Hydra, Poros and Egina), a day trip to Delphi and of course just exploring the town of Athens. I would love to go back and this time hit up the island of Santorini! It's on the bucket list!
Naked salad:
Look close-up on the fresh ingredients!
Chopped Greek Panzanella Salad
YUM - this easy salad is a winner for a quick lunch!
Ingredients
- ½ cup cubed feta cheese
- ½ cup chopped, pitted kalamata olives
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- 1 large green pepper chopped
- ½ english cucumber chopped (do not peel)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 2 slices of pita bread cut into small squares
- Olive oil
- Pepper
- Dried Oregano
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the feta, olives, red onion, green peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes
- Season with pepper (and salt if desired)
- Add about 1 to 1-½ teaspoon oregano
- Drizzle with olive - this depends on how much you like. I only do it until everything gets coated and is not soggy
- Toss gently
- Can be served at room temperature or refrigerated until needed
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 224Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 440mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 7g
Nutritional information provided is computer-generated and only an estimate. You may want to do your own research with the ingredients listed if you have concerns about health or specific diets.
Other salads you might enjoy:
Cathleen says
I should seriously make more salad! This looks so good.
[email protected] says
Thanks Cathleen!
Matthew Cetta says
Nice action shot!!
[email protected] says
Thanks Matt!
Joan Defino says
Hi Deb, I'm glad you had nice weather for Mother's Day after a long, cold winter in MN. It has been in the 50s and wet for three weeks in Northern Virginia. It sounds like you had a wonderful trip to Greece and I'm so glad you brought back this delicious salad recipe. It looks superb and I like the addition of the pita bread. I'm pinning and putting on my 'to make' list. Happy Mother's Day! Joan-My Cookie Clinic
[email protected] says
Hi Joan, hope you like it!
Amy Stafford says
I don't blame you for wanting to enjoy this on a warm day. It is gorgeous! Perfect for all summer long.
Amanda B. says
Okay, I could eat that all day every day!!!
Michelle De La Cerda says
This is my kind of salad.
Megan Ancheta says
This looks light and refreshing! My family would gobble up this salad!
Nutmeg Nanny says
Pass the salad my way! Love!
Jamie Sherman says
Totally my kind of salad!!
Cathy Trochelman says
I LOVE panzanella and I love this Greek version!
Julie Evink says
LOVE all the flavors in this salad!
Marcie Flavor the Moments says
I had horiatiki in Greece too, and loved it (Greek salad hasn't been the same for me since)! 🙂 This looks so fresh and delicious!
Theresa says
Your salad looks so delicious! I can't wait to make it. Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party. Pinned & shared. See you again soon.
KudosKitchen says
I love all the big, bold Greek flavors in this salad and the freshness comes through in the pictures.
Nancy Piran says
We want to go to Greece so bad! This salad looks amazing!
Linda says
I love this fresh healthy feeling from your salad. It looks as sunny as Greece.
Sara Glover says
This salad looks so great!
Anita Fowler says
This recipe looks refreshing!
Unknown says
These salads looking so delicious and healthy, thanks for sharing
Sarah Pulumo says
These salads looking so delicious and healthy, thanks for sharing