Crisp romaine, briny olives, sweet cherry tomatoes and a raw olive oil dressing come together in a few minutes with no cooking at all. This Greek salad is built to sit right alongside a hot main dish, ready by the time anything else on the table needs a rest.
A salad this simple earns its place on a busy night because there is nothing to time and nothing to watch. Slice, halve, whisk, toss. It is the kind of side that comes together while something else is finishing on the grill or in the oven, which matters on the evenings that run from homeschool straight into dinner with no real gap in between.
Raw vegetable salads like this one are a steady part of a Full GAPS table once they are tolerated well. Once raw cucumber, tomato and onion are a normal part of your meals, a bowl like this is an easy way to round out a dinner without adding another pot to wash.
The source allows the measured half-cup of qualifying feta to be omitted. Include it after that dairy form has been introduced, or make the measured salad without it. The romaine, vegetables, olives and raw dressing remain the same.
For outings, our family packs food or eats ahead. Keep that planning separate from a promise about this salad’s travel performance. Prepare the ingredients and arrange serving around when the salad will be dressed; the source gives no specific transport or holding duration.
GAPS stage: Full GAPS after raw vegetables and qualifying feta if included are introduced
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 6 ounces baby romaine
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives preserved without sugar or non-GAPS additives
- 1/2 cup crumbled additive-free raw-milk or properly cultured feta, after introduction; may be omitted
- 1/2 English cucumber, sliced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup raw extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons additive-free apple cider vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon natural mineral sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to finish
Baby romaine gives the salad its crisp leaves. Cucumber and halved tomatoes add their texture and juice, while qualifying Kalamata olives add a briny flavor. Optional introduced feta adds tang. The dressing combines raw extra-virgin olive oil, cider vinegar, crushed garlic, mineral salt and the finishing pepper; the oil stays unheated.
Method
- For a milder onion, optionally soak thin slices in ice water about 20 minutes, then drain thoroughly.
- Combine romaine, drained onion, olives, optional introduced feta, cucumber and tomatoes.
- Whisk measured raw olive oil, cider vinegar, garlic and sea salt; toss with salad gently and divide among four plates, finishing with black pepper.
The optional onion step is a twenty-minute soak in ice water. Drain the slices thoroughly afterward so their soaking water does not become another liquid in the dressing. Skip the soak if you prefer the onion as written without it.
Combine the romaine, drained onion, olives, optional feta, cucumber and halved tomatoes in a bowl with room for gentle tossing. Distribute the pieces without crushing the tomatoes or breaking up the feta.
Whisk the full measured dressing until the oil is distributed through the vinegar mixture. Pour it over the salad and toss gently, as the method directs. Whisk again before pouring if it has separated while standing; use the source’s complete dressing measure.
Full GAPS after raw vegetables and qualifying feta, if used, have been introduced. Feta is optional. For milder onion, soak the sliced onion in ice water about 20 minutes and drain thoroughly.
This salad is written for the point on Full GAPS where raw vegetables are a settled, comfortable part of your meals. Romaine, cucumber, tomato and onion are all eaten raw here, so that tolerance needs to already be in place before this bowl fits your table. The feta is staged separately from the vegetables, since dairy introductions follow their own timeline; leave it out entirely if it is not yet part of your meals, and the salad loses nothing structurally by its absence.
The vegetables and dressing need no stove time in this recipe. Prepare and dress the salad close to serving so its leaves keep their crisp texture. It can sit alongside the separately prepared kabobs as a Full GAPS side.
This is a measured combination of raw vegetables, olives, optional feta and dressing, not a claim of new food tolerance. Use it once those ingredient forms are established in your Full GAPS meals.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- For a milder onion, optionally soak thin slices in ice water about 20 minutes, then drain thoroughly.
- Combine romaine, drained onion, olives, optional introduced feta, cucumber and tomatoes.
- Whisk measured raw olive oil, cider vinegar, garlic and sea salt; toss with salad gently and divide among four plates, finishing with black pepper.
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!The salad has its own cider-vinegar measure: two tablespoons for the dressing. Keep that bowl separate from the one-tablespoon vinegar marinade in the related beef recipe. The two dishes can be prepared for the same meal without sharing their liquids or turning into one recipe. Whisk the salad’s quarter cup of raw olive oil with its own vinegar, garlic and salt, then pour that complete measure over the vegetables.
The optional ice-water step changes how the onion is prepared while keeping the ingredient at half a red onion. Slice it thinly first, soak for the stated twenty minutes if desired, then drain. Extra soaking water is not part of the vinaigrette. When assembling the bowl, spread the drained onion through the romaine instead of leaving it in one pile, so a serving can pick up the different measured ingredients together.
Halving the cherry tomatoes makes them small enough to toss and portion with the cucumber and leaves. Some juice can collect naturally as cut tomatoes stand; do not add an extra liquid, herb or sweetener to compensate. Use a bowl with enough room to lift and turn the ingredients gently. Stop after the dressing is distributed rather than continuing until the feta breaks into a paste or the tomatoes lose their shape.
Raw oil and vinegar can separate while you finish chopping. That does not call for another ingredient in this dressing. Whisk it again immediately before pouring. The crushed garlic, salt and finishing pepper stay with their stated quantities and roles. The final salad should still show its separate leaves, vegetables, olives and optional feta, coated with the measured dressing rather than hidden under an additional sauce.
Storage and Serving
Serve this salad right after it is dressed and tossed, while the romaine is still crisp and the tomatoes are fresh.
If you have extra un-dressed salad, cover and refrigerate the romaine, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, olives and feta separately from the dressing. Dressed romaine softens as it sits, so keeping the components apart until closer to serving time preserves the crunch.
If the dressing stands while the salad is prepared, keep it covered and whisk it again before pouring. The source does not establish a separate dressing shelf-life estimate.
Pair the salad with the linked kabobs or other already-introduced Full GAPS foods. It does not need rice to complete the plate.
Keep the salad ingredients and dressing covered until assembly. Dress and toss when you are ready to serve; the source gives no tested transport duration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Leave Out the Feta Entirely?
Yes. The recipe is written to work with or without it, so simply omit it if dairy is not yet part of your meals.
Do I Have to Soak the Onion?
No. The ice-water soak in Step 1 is optional and only affects how sharp the raw onion tastes. Skip it if you prefer a more pronounced onion flavor.
Can I Make the Dressing Ahead of Time?
You can whisk the dressing while preparing the salad, cover it and whisk it again before pouring. Keep the original measured amounts.
Should the Salad Be Dressed Ahead of Serving?
Dress it just before serving. Romaine softens once the dressing is on, so tossing it right before you plate keeps the texture at its best.
What Kind of Olives Should I Look For?
Kalamata olives preserved without added sugar or other non-GAPS additives. Check the label on the jar or tin before buying.
Can I Use a Different Type of Lettuce?
Keep the baby romaine called for here. A different lettuce changes the texture and how well the salad holds up once dressed, which moves away from the recipe as written.
Can I Prep the Vegetables the Night Before?
Yes. Slice the cucumber and onion and halve the tomatoes ahead of time, then store them covered in the refrigerator and assemble and dress the salad closer to when you plan to serve it.
Is This Salad Good for Packed Lunches or Outings?
Keep the dressing separate until assembly and arrange serving around that last toss. The measured recipe does not supply a transport or holding-time guarantee.
Related Recipes
The separate Greek Beef Kabobs recipe is a related main dish. Link the two dishes when planning the meal rather than embedding either complete recipe in the other.
Recommended Equipment
- A cutting board and sharp knife for slicing the vegetables
- A small glass bowl and a whisk for the dressing
- A large bowl for tossing the salad
- Measuring cups and spoons for the dressing
- A garlic press or a knife for crushing the garlic
Next Steps
The Dinner Cookbook is coming soon.
Leave a comment