While I was traveling in Europe, I had the unexpected pleasure of visiting Albania. I probably would have picked any other country to visit, but this was our best option so we went to Albania. And I am so glad we did. I really enjoyed my time there, and would definitely visit again. We were not in a touristy part of Durres, Albania and went to the local restaurants in our area. One of the most memorable meals I had there was a Greek Salad. It was the most simple Greek Salad I have ever had, and I haven’t been to Greece, so I’m probably missing out, but it was pretty close to perfection. It was so good we went there the next day, because it was necessary for life.

Whenever I want a simple, satisfying, light and refreshing salad, I make my version of the Greek Salad. In Albania they served it with a slice of bread. If I do eat it with bread, I make this  gluten-free grain ‘bread’ that I absolutely love and highly recommend, if your into venturing outside the box. I use kumato tomatoes, because they have less acidity than the other types of tomatoes. I know its not tomato season yet, but I can’t wait until summer. So here it is.

Greek Salad

2 persian Cucumbers, about 1/2” sliced

2 Kumato tomatoes, cut in 8 slices each

1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced

6 castelvetrano olives, pitted, thinly sliced

Slice of Feta cheese 

Dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch black pepper

No heat involved with this recipe! In a small mixing bowl, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper and mix with a whisk. In a medium bowl, add the cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and olives. Add the dressing to the bowl and gently mix everything together. Cut a thin slab of feta cheese from a whole block, place it into a wide bowl and add the veggies on top of the cheese with the dressing. And thats it! If the feta cheese is to salty, soak it in water for about 15 minutes and drain the excess water before eating.