Anytime you need a good vegetable side dish or appetizer you could do salad or crudité, but for a change of pace this Greek salsa makes a wonderful accompaniment to lunch or dinner. This fresh relish has tons of flavor thanks to the Mediterranean spices in the lemon vinaigrette. And, the creaminess of the feta cheese makes this dip a hearty one.
When I make this at home I like to cut pita bread (not the pocket style, the flat kind) into wedges and then bake for 10 minutes at 300˚F to make my own pita chips. But, you can use the store bought square pita chips if you’d rather.
The nice thing about this recipe is that it doesn’t have to be a dip at all. This salsa/relish makes a great side for chicken, fish, or beef as well. Just imagine a dinner of sliced steak, French bread, and this relish. Or you could fill pitas with chicken and top with this relish for Greek chicken gyros. You can also add this relish to drained and rinsed pasta for a yummy no-mayo Greek pasta salad.
I love that it’s so versatile and easy to make. If you can’t have dairy then leave the feta out. Don’t like olives? It will still be delicious without them.
To make this recipe combine all the vegetables in a large bowl. I like to use red or white onion for this recipe. I remember once I made this for a family gathering when my nephews were quite little and I rinsed the onions off in cold water before adding them to the other veggies for a milder flavor.
This step isn’t necessary, but it can be more crowd pleasing for kids and people who don’t like onion. For the record my nephews finished the entire bowl of this salsa so my “trick” definitely worked!
In a smaller bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour this over the veggies and refrigerate for 1 hour to let the flavors come together. This step really does make a difference to the taste, so it’s certainly worth the wait.
When you’re ready to serve this salsa gently fold in the feta. If you add the feta too early it can make the vinaigrette turn milky. The flavor won’t change, but it looks much more appetizing when you add the cheese at the last minute.
This is a refreshing summer lunch and is perfect as the starter or side dish at dinner. And, it makes a wonderful snack when you want a dip for chips but aren’t in the mood for spicy salsas. Basically, this is the perfect all around salsa/relish for a huge variety of meals. For me personally, this recipe earned a coveted spot in the recipe box after just one try!
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups diced cucumber
1 cup diced Roma or beefsteak tomatoes
1/2 diced red onion
1/4 cup sliced black black olives
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried dill weed (or 1 tsp fresh chopped dill weed)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
pita chips or pita wedges for dipping
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