The Secret Behind a Perfect Greek Salad | Baba's Bakaliko

Baba's Greek Salad

"Nobody made a Greek salad like Baba. He took pride in every part of it. The lettuce had to be crisp, the cucumbers peeled and seeded, and the dressing made fresh every time.

Some of my favorite memories are from Sunday afternoons after church. We'd come home hungry, the kitchen would come alive, and before long the table would be covered with food. There might be chicken, potatoes, rice, or lamb, but the salad was always the crown jewel.

Many traditional Greek village salads don't include lettuce. But Baba's always did. Growing up in the South, fresh iceberg lettuce was readily available, and Baba loved the extra crunch and freshness it brought to the salad. Please enjoy this salad and think of us and our table every time you do!"

— Jimmy Economos

Ingredients

• 1 head crisp iceberg lettuce, washed, chilled, and chopped

• 3–4 ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into wedges

• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced into half moons

• 1/2 red onion, cored and thinly sliced

• 1 green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

• 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted

• 6 oz feta cheese, cut into small slabs

Baba's Dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 1–2 tablespoons Baba's Festival Mix

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and Baba's Festival Mix. Whisk well and let the dressing rest for 5–10 minutes.

2. Wash and thoroughly dry the lettuce. Chop into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl.

3. Peel the cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise. Using a small spoon, remove the seeds. Turn the halves cut-side down and slice into half moons.

4. Cut the tomatoes into wedges. If heavily seeded, use a spoon to gently remove the seeds.

5. Remove the core from the onion and slice thinly.

6. Slice the green pepper into long, thin strips.

7. Make sure all olives are free of pits.

8. Add the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, peppers, and olives to the bowl.

9. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently.

10. Top with the feta slabs and serve immediately.

Baba's Tips

• The lettuce should be crisp, cold, and freshly washed.

• Never use bottled dressing.

• Don't finely crumble the feta. Greeks traditionally serve larger pieces of feta and break off bites as they eat.

• Keep everything bite-sized. Baba believed the perfect forkful should include a little lettuce, cucumber, tomato, onion, olive, and feta all in one bite.

"The secret isn't the dressing. The secret is taking your time and using the best ingredients you can find." – Baba