This simple Greek Salad has roots in Persia, Israel and France.

Prep 5 mins Cook 5 mins Eat 10 mins
Sometimes you need to throw together a simple salad in a hurry. A beautiful salad. A substantial salad. A Greek salad. When you have fresh ingredients in your refrigerator, it makes it really easy.

Melissa’s Produce had sent me a basket of fresh fruits and vegetables. I had a package of coveted Tnuva feta cheese and a few other ingredients. Fresh Food in a Flash to the rescue.

My new favorite splurge is the Tnuva feta sheep’s milk cheese from Israel that a friend discovered at Costco. I ran to Costco to get more and got one of the last packages on the shelf. I hope they will order more! We are talking a heavenly soft, creamy and salty block of super fresh cheese that crumbles when you cut into it. The flavor is sharp and unforgettable! It’s not horribly caloric. The package says that one ounce is 70 calories, so feel free to indulge just a little. However, with all that flavor in a small bite, a little on a salad goes a long way. Find some in your neighborhood. It is distributed by Tnuva USA in Fairfield, New Jersey.

I blanched the beautiful green beans – skinny French haricot vert and sliced the Persian or mini-cucumbers sent by Melissa’s.

I added some Sugar Plum grape tomato halves and a few Kalamata olives from Trader Joe’s. A few fresh chopped romaine leaves to complete my creation.  Toss it all with a fresh-made vinaigrette. (Learn how to make vinaigrette here.) It doesn’t get much better for a fresh healthy meal.

To top it off, for dessert, I enjoyed slicing open the fresh lychees and goldenberries, with roots in China and Peru.  The goldenberry looks like a tomatillo, but tastes like a cross between a sour cherry and apricot, while the lychee peels easily out of its shell like an avocado and is very sweet and juicy like a grape.  A simple meal, but my tastebuds went around the world and back. Simply enjoyable! I’m feeling quite blessed to enjoy such fresh delicious and healthy food!

Print this Recipe.

Greek Salad

2 cups fresh green beans, haricot vert preferred
2 Persian mini-cucumbers, sliced thin
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in 1/2
4 large romaine lettuce leaves, rinsed and chopped
2 ounces Sheep’s milk feta cheese
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted for garnish
Vinaigrette
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dijon-style mustard

1. Place green beans in boiling water to blanch for 5 minutes and drain.  If your green beans are larger, you may want to cook them in boiling water for a little longer.

2. While green beans are blanching, slice cucumber, tomatoes and romaine leaves and place in salad bowl.  Cut green beans into 2″ to 3″ lengths and add to salad bowl.

3. Mix together vinaigrette ingredients in a salad dressing shaker or bowl.  Toss the salad ingredients with the vinaigrette.

4. Top with crumbled feta cheese and Kalamata olives.

Servings: 2    337 calories per serving