Greek Salad

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there! Since today is a day for my mom to kick back and relax, I decided to make her favorite salad. My mom absolutely loves Greek Salad because it's so light and refreshing. Plus, it's so simple to throw together in a few minutes. I've been using Ina Garden's recipe for a few years, and it can't be beat. I absolutely love the salad dressing for this salad because it perfectly enhances the salad and doesn't drown in dressing. If you're looking for a quick and refreshing salad, then this is the one try!

Greek Salad 

(Source: Ina Garden)

1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 red bell pepper, large-diced   (I just used all green peppers)

1 yellow bell pepper, large-diced

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved   (I just chopped some regular tomatoes)

1/2 red onion, sliced in half-rounds

1/2 pound feta cheese, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)

1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted

For the vinaigrette:

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup good red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup good olive oil

Place the cucumber, peppers, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl. For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Still whisking, slowly add the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta and olives and toss lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.