This salad is something of a mash-up of chunky lettuce-less Greek salad called horiatiki (“village style”) and the classic Middle Eastern salad with pita called fattoush. (Don’t think we didn’t consider calling this something goofy like “horiatoush” or “fatiki.”) In lieu of the red wine and lemon juice vinaigrette that’s standard for Greek salad, we’ve opted for our Roasted Garlic Dressing (after all, we claim that it’s good on just about anything!). That said, an equal quantity of Charred Onion and Sumac Vinaigrette (page 57) also works nicely.
SERVES 4 AS A LIGHT MAIN COURSE OR 6 AS A SIDE DISH
1/4 medium red onion, sliced into 1/8-in [4-mm] quarter moons
1 lb [455 g] cherry tomatoes, halved if small or medium, quartered if large
1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, and sliced 1/8 in [4 mm] thick
2/3 cup [95 g] pitted Kalamata olives, halved
3/4 cup [9 g] fresh mint leaves, torn
3 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
1/2 recipe Seasoned Pita Crisps (page 96), broken into roughly 3/4-in [2-cm] pieces
1 recipe Roasted Garlic Dressing (page 86)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup [140 g] feta cheese, crumbled
In a medium bowl, cover the onion slices with cold water and let soak for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
In a large bowl, combine the onion slices, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, mint, and dill and toss just until combined. Add the pita crisps and toss just once or twice. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper, and toss just until combined. Sprinkle the feta over the salad and gently toss once or twice, until the feta is just incorporated. (Do not overmix or the cheese will break down and make the salad murky.) Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and more dressing, if necessary.
Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or platter and serve immediately.
