Gluten-Free Greek Salad

I think many of us can agree that there is something so delicious about vegetables chopped up into little bits. I don’t know what it is, but chopped vegetables just taste better.

If you give me a salad with huge chunks of lettuce, I probably won’t enjoy it as much.There is just too much work involved chewing and digesting such a salad. No thanks.

That’s why a gluten-free Greek salad is so yummy.

The vegetables are chopped into small pieces, meaning less chewing work for you. Plus, the dressing coats all the tiny pieces of vegetables, allowing you to really enjoy the fresh flavors of the Greek salad.

What is a Greek Salad?

According to Wikipedia, a Greek salad is made with pieces of tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives, onion and feta cheese.  A Greek salad can also include capers and green bell peppers.

The distinguishing feature of a Greek salad vs. a regular salad is that a Greek salad doesn’t contain any lettuce. It’s just fresh vegetables that a Greek farmer might already have on hand.

A Greek salad also doesn’t contain a fancy dressing.  All you need is a little salt, oregano, vinegar and olive oil to bring out the natural sweetness of the vegetables. (That means this salad is totally gluten-free and Whole30 compliant too!)

What If You Don’t Like Feta?

I don’t like feta cheese at all, so I don’t add it to my Greek salad. Instead I buy small, pearl-sized fresh mozzarella known as bocconcino. They look beautiful in the salad and are already chopped into small pieces to fit the look and textures of the Greek salad.

In fact, if you don’t like a specific ingredient, or don’t have it on hand, omit it altogether. I didn’t have any kalamata olives on hand, so I didn’t include them in my salad. (If I had kalamatas, I would have added them.)

The beauty of this salad is you can make it your own. Use fresh ingredients from your garden, or whatever is in-season at the grocery story or Farmer’s market.  This salad works well at summer potluck dinners and works as a side to any special meal year-round.

Gluten-Free Greek Salad Recipe

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Gluten-Free Greek Salad

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

5 mins

Total Time

25 mins

 

Most Greek salads are made with feta cheese. I don't like feta, so I substituted fresh mozzarella instead. It worked perfectly. All ingredients should be added to taste. Simply drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, as well as sprinkle the salt and pepper to taste. Make a big or small batch depending on how many people you'll be feeding. I made this salad when I need to feed a crowd.

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: cucumbers, easy lunch recipes, easy salad recipes, gluten-free recipes, greek, paleo, salad, tomato, vegetables, vegetarian recipes, whole30, Whole30 recipes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 213 kcal

Ingredients

• 2-3 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 large English cucumber, diced
• 1-2 cups small mozzarella balls (bocconcini)
• 10 basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 4-6 Tbsp. olive oil (more or less to taste)
• 2-4 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (more or less to taste)
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Allow ingredients to marinade in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Gluten-Free Greek Salad

Amount Per Serving

Calories 213 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 20g 31%

Saturated Fat 3g 15%

Cholesterol 9mg 3%

Sodium 23mg 1%

Potassium 176mg 5%

Total Carbohydrates 4g 1%

Sugars 3g

Protein 5g 10%

Vitamin A 13.5%

Vitamin C 12.4%

Calcium 9.7%

Iron 1.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.