What kind of cheese goes into a Greek salad. What kind of cheese is used in Greek salad

Greece gave the world not only spiritual food, expressed in unique cultural values, but also a classic recipe for a dish that can be found in restaurant menu any institution in the world. It's about, of course, about the famous Greek salad. The meal is prepared from the most simple ingredients, but has a unique delicate taste. Today we'll talk about how to choose the most important component of this dish - cheese for Greek salad. Do you always follow classic version Or do recipe variations have their own advantages? Let's find out in the article!

Salad, which we call Greek, in our Fatherland is called "Horiatiki". In Russian, this expression can be translated as "easier than simple." This name of the dish reflects the simplicity grocery set, which is included in the Greek salad with cheese.

The composition of the dish contains traditional village food: fresh vegetables, olives, onions, olive oil and Feta (the so-called sheep / goat cheese, which is used in the classic Greek salad). All these products were often served at the peasant table for lunch, but, of course, not in the form of a single cooked dish. Who and when realized that these ingredients are ideal for a Greek salad? There are two versions.

The legend of the emigrant

Tradition says that the classic recipe for the most famous Greek dish of feta cheese was formed in 1909 as a result of a combination of random circumstances.

One young Greek, born in a family of local peasants, was very fond of olives, herbs, vegetables and cheese. Raised on country food, the young man, by the will of fate, emigrated to America, where he lived for a long time but not lost love and habit to natural products of their homeland.

One day he happened to return to his native land. On the trip, the man had a bad toothache, and although he tried to calm the aching pain, the ailment did not recede. Having reached his father's house, the traveler certainly wanted to have a bite to eat with his favorite products from childhood. But the toothache was aggravated by biting food, making it difficult to enjoy the taste of food. Then the man, without further ado, decided to cut the food into pieces, seasoned with olive oil.

The resulting dish was to the taste of the whole family, so much so that the next day this dish was served to guests at the wedding of the man's nephew. By the way, they were also delighted with unusual food, so soon without Greek salad from good cheese And fresh vegetables not a single festive feast was spared.

Snack for tourists

The legend of the emigrant beautiful story, but it is not known for certain whether this is a fantasy of local residents or whether the events actually described took place. Therefore, there is a second, closer to reality, version.

In the second half of the 20th century, the flow of tourists to Greece increased significantly. In 1960-1970, foreign tourists flooded the country, who needed not only to be entertained with sights and views of nature, but also to be treated with delights. local cuisine. But there was often not enough time or labor to prepare dishes, so the owners of taverns had to think hard. And they found a way out simple solution: do vegetable cutting and season it with spices and oil. Added a special touch to the dish sheep cheese for Greek salad.

Such simple technology preparations and the composition of improvised products greatly facilitated the work of cooks. And tourists and locals fell in love with the salad for its delicate aftertaste, nutritional value, bright appearance and refreshing effect.

Now this dish is prepared in all countries of the world, but the original recipe is not always preserved: they are added to Greek salad some other cheese, use additional ingredients and spices, change the manufacturing technology. We will look at a few popular recipes, but first let's look at original way cooking this dish and find out what cheese for Greek salad is used by the Greeks to create the desired taste.

Classic Greek Salad Ingredients and Recipe

As already noted, main principle cooking the most famous Mediterranean snack is simplicity. Therefore, the ingredients of a classic Greek salad add up to a simple list:

• cucumbers;
• tomatoes*;
• Red onion;
• olives;
• cheese;
• olive oil;
• salt, pepper, oregano;

*Contrary to popular belief, original recipe large tomatoes are used, not cherry tomatoes.

The Greek chefs also made the classic cooking technology simple in a rustic way. Tomato and cucumber are cut into large cubes (2-3 cm each), and the onion is chopped into thin rings. Sliced ​​vegetables, without stirring, are put in a deep salad bowl and black olives are added on top, which, according to the classic recipe, must be with a bone.

A piquant note sets off the taste of vegetables in a Greek salad cheese called Feta. This salty creamy product made from goat and sheep milk, harmonizes perfectly with vegetable composition"Horiatics". Of course, outside the Mediterranean, what kind of cheese is not put in a Greek salad. But unique combination rich taste of vegetables and creamy tenderness can give only natural Greek cheeses.

Many chefs prefer to pre-cut the Feta into large cubes, and in this form add the cheese to the Greek salad. But the classic strictly prescribes covering the vegetable mixture on top with a cut-off layer of cheese 8-10 mm thick. It remains to add salt, pepper and dry oregano to taste and do not forget about the olive oil seasoning the Greek salad. The result is a summer-like bright and eye-pleasing composition with unforgettable taste sensations!

During the existence of this dish, many of its variations were invented. Can cook vegetable dish with addition chicken breast using for refueling Apple vinegar or lemon juice. Add variety to your taste classic recipe bright yellow or red will help bell pepper, green onion, Cherry tomatoes. You can play with the intensity of the spices using different proportions lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper, etc.

Due to the lack of original products, Horyatiki are often prepared in Russian cuisine using canned olives and replacing Greek feta with cheese. All culinary delights have the right to exist, but if you want to feel real taste famous dish, then you should strictly adhere to the classic recipe. And in it, the main violin in the orchestra of taste is played by the cheese component, which is very important to be able to choose the right one.

Choosing Cheese for Greek Salad

In the Mediterranean, cheeses are made mainly from sheep and goat milk. They have a peculiar salty creamy taste that cannot be compared with any other dairy product. No wonder the Greek "milk" was famous in the old days, when gourmets passed from mouth to mouth legends about the unimaginably delicious Greek cheese delivered from Demos Island.

But back to our time. Feta is traditionally considered the right cheese for Greek salad, the name of which is even officially patented by Greece. This cheese is 70% sheep's milk, with the remaining 30% goat's milk added. For fermentation, a special rennet extract. The taste of feta cheese is perfect for Greek salad - salty, but not salty and does not overshadow the taste of vegetables. Rather, on the contrary, it emphasizes the saturation and juiciness of other products, adding a pleasant creamy aftertaste to this “bouquet”.

Yes, ideally, the cheese for a Greek salad, of course, should be produced in Greece. But, despite the scope of world globalization, it is not always possible to find original products, especially since the price for it is correspondingly high. How to act in such a situation? A real culinary specialist will always find a replacement for the missing ingredient.

It is not uncommon for this mediterranean salad cooked with available analogues: Fetaksa, Mozzarella, cheese. Unpretentious cooks can add to Horyatiki and processed cheese, and gourmets, on the contrary, will add a touch of sophistication to the dish and prepare a Greek salad with peppers and fried cheese. Each recipe has its own unique taste, so let's take a look at the most popular species cheeses for Greek salad and compare their qualities.

Sirtaki and Fetaksa

Many attribute Fetaksu and Sirtaki to the concept of "Greek cheeses", but this is fundamentally not true. Essentially this trade names, under which enterprises offer consumers analogues of this Greek feta. Sirtaki is a popular dance in Greece, and Fetaksa is a derivative of the original name.

In fact, both types are pickled cheeses and lose original product not only in consistency, but also in high content salts. The structure of Sirtaki is denser, thanks to which it is well cut and does not crumble. By palatability the variety is more reminiscent of cheese, so a dish with the addition of this product should be salted minimally, or spices should be completely abandoned.

However, if you skillfully approach the matter, Sirtaki gives amazing taste Greek salad, which is not much worse than the classic one. The main thing to pick up quality product bona fide manufacturer and find the appropriate recipe, then salted cheese ny taste in combination with the rest of the ingredients will be perceived harmoniously.

Feta

As we have already noted, Greek cheese called Feta is the most perfect option for salad. But he is also the most inaccessible, because. produced only in the sunniest Greece.

Feta is exactly that colorful “zest” Greek cuisine. If you managed to get a piece of this cheese treat, then definitely you will find an unforgettable taste delight from the cooked dish. This variety will fit perfectly into almost any recipe, whether the Greek salad is seasoned with olive oil or more sophisticated blends and sauces. Gentle-salty creamy aftertaste will not leave indifferent any eater.

Mozzarella

Olives, fresh cucumbers and tomatoes, bell peppers and lettuce - Mozzarella cheese will perfectly complement such a vegetable mixture of Greek salad.

Although this type of cheese is made primarily from cow's milk, it is worthy replacement sheep feta. Mozzarella in Greek salad has a denser texture, which distinguishes the dish from the classic version, but does not spoil it at all. In terms of taste, this cheese is distinguished by the absence of “sourness”, which, on the one hand, makes the dish fresh, and on the other hand, gives the salad a clean creamy aftertaste.

Tofu

This product differs from the rest in that it is based not on milk, but on soy. Thanks to its lean properties and neutral taste, Greek salad with Tofu perfectly preserves the taste of vegetables and receives a lot of useful nutritional properties.

By consistency this variety produce two types. Firm Tofu is similar in density to Mozzarella, while soft Tofu is similar to pudding. This type of cheese is highly valued by vegetarians and adherents. proper nutrition, as the product features winning content useful amino acids, the presence of calcium and iron, as well as the complete absence of cholesterol. Therefore, by adding Tofu to the dish, you will get a delicious and light salad With the minimum amount calories. And if you season the food with a pinch of oregano, then the cheese will acquire a rich and pleasant taste.

Suluguni and Adyghe cheese

Soft pickled cheeses produced in the mountainous Caucasus and Georgia are also used as substitutes for Feta. Dish With Suluguni is moderately salty, but the consistency of this cheese is somewhat dense. And a Greek salad prepared with Adyghe cheese requires a richer dressing, since the cheese itself is rather bland in taste.

How many chefs - so many recipes for any dish, and Horyatiki is no exception here. Flight culinary fantasy always takes place, but I would like to warn against the most common mistake when preparing this dish. Never add cheese to a Greek salad. It too salty variety cheese: cheese overshadows olives, vegetables, and dressing. Cheese in Horiatiki is an important component, but not the sole player leading role, but in perfect harmony with the entire composition of the vegetable delicacy.

Greek salad recipes with different cheeses

Armed with theoretical knowledge, let's move on to practice and try to cook a Greek salad recipe with Feta, Mozzarella, Adyghe cheese and Fetaksa / Sirtaki.

Greek Salad with Feta Cheese

Having natural Greek Feta cheese in stock, you can use it as strictly classic recipe dishes, and freely make your own adjustments to the composition of the dish. For example, let's talk about the preparation of a very bright and tasty dish, which is known to many under the name "Rustic Greek Salad".

In the absence of real Greek Feta, it can be replaced with analogues in the form of Sirtaki or Fetaksa.

Greek Salad with Mozzarella

It is extremely lightweight and diet dish Suitable for those who like to eat tasty and not get better. To give the Mozzarella more rich taste selective is added to this Greek salad onion and bell pepper.

A dish is formed traditional way: vegetables are stacked, then dressing is added, and cheese cubes and olives are sprinkled on top of the salad. The difference between this recipe and the classic dish is that it allows mixing of all components.

“Khoriatiki” with fried Adyghe cheese is distinguished by its piquant taste. The dish requires a little more time, but the rich taste more than pays for this cost.

IN this recipe instead of the Adyghe variety, you can also successfully add Fetaksa or Suluguni cheese.

Can you make Greek salad without cheese?

So we have considered different recipes the famous Greek "Horiatiki" and emphasized distinctive features cheeses used in them. But one more question remained unlit: is it possible to cook a Greek salad without cheese at all? Well, of course you can. Only it will no longer be a dish known to the whole world, but Vegetable mix seasoned with olive or vegetable oil.

In the course of the article, the dominant role of cheese in this dish was noted more than once. He is like a conductor - he gathers his vegetable orchestra and skillfully manages it, creating an unimaginable taste symphony. Without the cheese component, the ensemble will fall apart, and each vegetable will give only its own separate taste. Therefore, always add cheeses to the Greek salad, and we have already suggested which one to choose.

Successful culinary achievements and bon appetit!

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Classmates

Greek salad - horiatiki - has been known since time immemorial. The main ingredient in Greek salad is cheese, it is called feta. The right to this name is enshrined in law for Greek producers, so imitators call their cheeses “fetaki”, “fetaksa”, etc.

But, whatever you call it, it's not that, no other cheese is suitable for a Greek salad. At least any Greek will tell you so. Although now they often put brynza, mozzarella or Adyghe salad in a salad, Greek salad is real only with feta cheese.

What is feta?

Feta is a traditional Greek cheese mentioned by Homer. It is made from the milk of sheep or goats and goes well with vegetables and herbs, while cheese can clog them with its sharp taste. Although feta is a "relative" of cheese, they are not very similar to each other. Cheese is made mainly from cow's milk, while feta is only made from goat and sheep, which certainly adds a subtle touch to its taste.

Its fat content is from 30 to 40 percent, but more often it is 45. Fetax or sirtaki cheeses, made from cow's milk and rather sharp in taste, have nothing to do with feta, which is different fine taste and undeniable benefits. After all, feta contains many valuable trace elements that are so rich in sheep's milk: iron, zinc, phosphorus, manganese. As well as vitamins and protein. And most importantly, real feta contains the most valuable beneficial bacteria that fight dangerous diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Feta is the best (and correct) cheese for Greek salad, with it this dish is a valuable complex of vitamins, minerals, protein and bacteria, so necessary for a person for good health. So don't ask a Greek what kind of cheese is in a Greek salad. For him, the question is meaningless.

How to cook horiatiki?

So, Greek salad: a recipe with feta cheese. Let's do it, as is customary in Greece.

• Feta cheese - 500 g
• Tomatoes - 4 large and fleshy
• Green Bell pepper- 2 shuks, also plump
• Cucumbers - 3-4, depending on the size
• Red onion - 1-2 bulbs, depending on size
• Olives - 20 pieces (remove the pits or, worse, use pitted)
• Oregano - dried basil - to taste, about 2 tablespoons
• Olive oil - tablespoon
• Salt - a little, salted olives

We clean the vegetables, cucumbers and onions. We cut the cucumbers into large semicircles, the tomatoes into slices and very carefully mix the vegetables with our hands.

We free the pepper from seeds and cut into large cubes, onion - into half rings and disassemble so that each half ring is separate.

Again, gently mix everything. In the process, you can add a drop of oil to make it easier.

Add olives.

Cut the feta into thin slices.

Place lettuce on each plate, top with feta pieces, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with oregano. The cheese in the Greek salad is not mixed with vegetables, but lies on top, as in the photo.

Serve immediately before the vegetables release their juices.

Other salad options

Sometimes a Greek salad is prepared with Adyghe cheese or mozzarella cheese. This, of course, is wrong, but still not as bad as feta cheese. Both of these cheeses are similar to feta in taste and preparation. Adyghe cheese differs from feta in that it undergoes pasteurization at high temperature; Plus, it tastes unsalted.

As for mozzarella, it is prepared exclusively from black buffalo milk (of course, there are doubts that the product that is sold everywhere in our country is just from such milk ...) But still not from goat or sheep.

However, there are many varieties of salad, like Greek, with mozzarella or Adyghe cheese. For example, in a salad with Adyghe cheese, it is prepared, in general, in almost the same way, but lemon juice must be added to it, otherwise it will turn out too bland. Mozzarella cheese for Greek salad is taken in brine, so you get a fairly distinct taste of cheese - but still not the same!

During the existence of horiatika, it has become popular in many countries, where many salads have been invented on its basis, also, as it were, Greek: with chicken, with salmon, with shrimp, with tuna, with cherry tomatoes, with eggs, in pita bread, in pepper, etc., and so on and so forth...

For example, the composition of the "Greek" salad with pasta and tuna includes ingredients such as tuna fillet, pasta, cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, and from classic composition- cucumbers, red onions, olives and a bit of feta, which in this case, of course, cannot be served in slices on top of the salad: there will be one slice for all. I have no doubt that this salad is delicious and liked by many people, but why is it called Greek?

So let's recap. Best Cheese for Greek salad - feta. It has no analogues, but in extreme cases it can be put in a salad Adyghe cheese or mozzarella in brine. Cheese will hopelessly spoil the taste of the salad. And here right salad- with feta - not only tasty, but also very healthy.

Bon appetit!

Hello!

I don’t eat any mayonnaise salads, not because I keep my figure (although I should), but because I have never eaten two things in my life: this is mayonnaise and boiled eggs. And the basis of all salads are precisely these ingredients. And here salads made from fresh vegetables, such as Greek, come to the rescue.

I used to make Greek salad with Fetaksa, because the most main ingredient in this salad, I think, cheese. It is he who gives the necessary sourness and saltiness.

I didn't really like the salad with Fetaxa. It's more like melted cream cheese, and not on cheese.

I have been staring at pickled cheese "Sirtaki" for a long time. And then something I wanted for dinner Greek salad. I took it for a test.

Box weighing 200 grams.

Cost: 95 rubles.

Place of purchase: Shop "Pyaterochka".

This pickled cheese made from natural milk.

What pleased me was that there were no "foreign" ingredients, such as animal fat, in the composition.

Also, the product does not contain preservatives, artificial dyes and genetically modified foods.

Calorie content: 225 kilocalories per 100 grams.

Manufacturer: JSC "Northern milk", Vologda region.

The packaging is easy to open.

The cheese itself is soft, it was inconvenient for me to get it out of the box.

This is exactly what you need! It is salty, sour, a real cheese for a Greek salad!

I make a salad without adding bell pepper. I don't like its taste. The rest is also my improvisation.

For the Greek salad we need:

Chinese cabbage.

Tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes)

Olives

Olive oil

Sirtaki cheese.

Chop the Beijing cabbage not very finely. It will give us the necessary juiciness and useful fiber for the body.

We put it in a salad bowl (take a larger dish).

Add cherry tomatoes to cabbage.

We put our Sirtaki cheese on top.

Drain the brine from the olives and add to the salad.

The turn has come olive oil.

I used Altero olive oil. This oil is first cold pressed Extra Virgin.

It is difficult to find a person who has never tried a Greek salad, because for this it is not at all necessary to go to his homeland. It's delicious and healthy dish it is quite possible to cook at home. To do this, you just need to know what kind of vegetables it includes, what it is dressed with and what kind of cheese is in the Greek salad? Now it's up to you to find the right recipe.

The History of Greek Salad

In Greece, in the homeland of this famous lettuce, it is considered rustic. And all thanks to such an uncomplicated composition. fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, onions, olives, olive oil and village cheese "Feta" were the very staples in the diet of ordinary peasants. But the story of the appearance on the table of the Greeks of the salad itself is connected with one curious case.

The fact is that back in the 19th century, vegetables, for example, tomatoes and even onions, were usually eaten whole, biting off a piece and eating bread or cheese. And only in 1909, one emigrant from Greece, returning from America to his home, decided to grind familiar products and connect them together. The reason for this was a bad tooth, which did not allow the young man to bite off whole vegetables.

Later, his sister, who also liked this dish, decided to treat guests to a village wedding with it. The success was stunning. Thus, the first appeared original lettuce with feta cheese. Now he is famous not only in Greece, but also far beyond the borders of this sunny country.

Cheese for Greek salad: name, description

According to the Greeks themselves, a salad that does not use feta can no longer be called Greek. This cheese has long been the hallmark of Greece. It is made only in this country, exclusively in certain areas, for example, on the island of Crete, in Macedonia and some others.

Feta is a soft, salty, light-colored cheese made from sheep's and goat's milk. For its fermentation, a special renin is used. A prerequisite for making cheese is a certain ratio of milk: 70% sheep and 30% goat. Nothing else is added, no preservatives, dyes.

The technology for making cheese has remained unchanged for many years. First, an enzyme is added to the milk, thanks to which it is fermented to form a mass resembling cottage cheese. Then it is pressed into special pieces. After that, the formed mass is soaked in a special brine in wooden barrels two more months. So it turns out the same cheese for the Greek which with Italian and translates as "piece". Feta is the most famous and popular soft cheese in the world.

original salad dressing

According to the classic "rustic" recipe, the Greek salad is dressed only with olive oil. With only a small addition. To create a fragrant bouquet and unique taste Lemon juice and herbes de Provence are added to high-quality cold-pressed olive oil.

Salad dressing should always be prepared in advance so that all its components are connected to each other, and it has time to infuse and soak in their smells. For her you will need: 70 ml of olive oil, juice of half a lemon (can be replaced with a tablespoon of wine or balsamic vinegar), fragrant herbs(oregano, thyme or Provence).

Therefore, it depends not only on what kind of cheese will be present in the Greek salad, but also on the dressing itself. true taste dishes. Now it remains to collect all the ingredients together and proceed directly to the cooking process.

Classic Greek salad recipe

In the preparation of Greek salad, there are also secrets that must be taken into account. It seems that it is difficult here: chop vegetables and soft cheese, season them and mix thoroughly. But it's not like that at all. The original recipe for Greek salad with Feta cheese does not involve mixing the ingredients, but laying them in layers.

To prepare this dish you will need the following ingredients:

• 4 medium-sized tomatoes;
• 2 cucumbers;
• 1 large green bell pepper;
• ½ onion (sweet, purple);
• 150 g of feta;
• 8 pieces of black olives;
• some capers;
• dressing prepared according to the recipe above.

All salad ingredients are cut into large pieces and stacked in layers in a certain sequence.

1. Cut cucumbers: small slices, large ones in half again. Put on the bottom of the salad bowl.

2. Peel the pepper and cut into half rings. Arrange on top of cucumbers.

3. Peel the tomatoes from the stalk and cut into four parts.

4. The onion is cut into half rings. After that, it must be washed in cold water to take away the bitterness. Squeeze the onion and put it next, after the tomatoes, in a layer.

5. Decorate the dish with capers and olives, which do not need to be pre-cut.

7. Lay on top whole piece cheese and drizzle with remaining dressing.

8. Immediately before serving, salt, pepper and mix the Greek salad. Cheese "Feta" at the same time carefully breaks into large pieces.

This is how Greek salad is prepared in his homeland. However, many chefs in different countries long gone from traditional recipe, and offer restaurant visitors a dish that includes other types of cheese.

What can replace feta cheese in a Greek salad?

If you can’t find feta before preparing the Greek salad, you can try replacing it with another pickled cheese. Cheese has a similar taste. This cheese is also suitable for Greek salad, since it is also soaked in brine, but, unlike feta, it does not crumble so much and is more compressed, so when added to a dish, it still has to be cut.

Brynza has a more salty taste. For a Greek salad, cheese of this kind is less suitable only in the sense that the dish is very easy to oversalt. To prevent this, cheese must be soaked in cold water for several hours. boiled water. This will make it less salty and more like traditional Greek cheese.

There are other options for replacing feta. Often in recipes, Greek cheeses sirtaki and fetax are used. Both of them have a pronounced salty taste so be careful when using them in recipes. Otherwise, you can oversalt the dish, which, as a result, spoil it.

Greek salad with Fetax cheese: a step by step recipe

This is no longer the original Greek salad recipe. And it's not just a different kind of cheese. Lettuce leaves are used instead of onions. The rest of the ingredients are similar. The Greek recipe requires the following components: tomatoes (2 pcs.), Cucumbers (2 pcs.), Bulgarian pepper, lettuce, olives, fetax (150 g), olive oil (30 ml), salt.

Step by step cooking recipe:

1. Cucumbers, tomatoes and bell pepper cut into large pieces.

2. Tear lettuce leaves with your hands.

3. Cut the fetax into large cubes. It has a dense structure, so unlike feta, it will not crumble.

4. Olives can be cut in half or added whole to a salad.

5. Mix all the ingredients in one salad bowl, season with olive oil and salt to taste.

The above recipe for Greek salad with Fetax cheese is in no way inferior in taste to the classic version. If desired, you can change the salad dressing by adding lemon juice and aromatic spices to the olive oil.

Greek salad with sirtaki

Stepping back from original recipe can cook at least delicious salad but with different cheese. Sirtaki also comes from Greece, but they also learned how to successfully cook it in Russia from cow's milk. It is denser in texture than feta. It cuts well into cubes, does not crumble.

The recipe for Greek salad with Sirtaki cheese involves the use of tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, olives, olive oil and fresh basil. It is customary to chop all the ingredients coarsely so that you can feel the taste of each of them. The salad is dressed with fresh olive oil and basil (½ bunch) or dry (1 teaspoon). Sirtaki is a salty cheese, so salt is added at the very last moment when dressing a salad. Otherwise, the dish may be spoiled.

The recipe for Greek salad with Sirtaki cheese is great alternative traditional version cooking. It can be submitted as festive table as well as for breakfast.

Mozzarella in Greek salad

A tasty and healthy dish of fresh vegetables can be prepared with the addition of Italian mozzarella. It has a dense texture, but at the same time it has a delicate salty taste. For Greek salad, mozzarella cheese is no worse than sirtaki or fetax.

This recipe uses the same ingredients as the ones above. Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, olives, soft cheese and olive oil are the essential ingredients of the salad. But whether to add onions depends on the excellent preferences of the cook.

The Greek salad is dressed with a traditional dressing of olive oil, lemon juice and Provence herbs.

Greek salad with Adyghe cheese

Real Greek cheese made from sheep's milk can not be found in every store. Of course, they learned how to make it in Russia from cow's milk. But the taste of such cheese (feta, sirtaki or fetax is not the point) is not at all the same, and the price is still high. How to find a way out?

There is another option that is ideal for Greek salad - Adyghe cheese. It is more insipid in taste, but with skillful preparation of the dressing, it may well replace more expensive cheeses. The rest of the Greek salad recipe remains unchanged.

A rich history full of myths and legends, colorful nature and abundance of the sun have made a huge contribution to the development of classical Greek cuisine. Culinary traditions have absorbed both the classics of their native lands and the innovations of the conquerors. One of most popular dishes- Greek salad. Socrates considered this combination of vegetables and cheese to be incredibly healthy. Traditionally, for the Greek salad, they took local cheese and its varieties.

Taste of the Mediterranean

The geographical location of Greek cuisine played a significant role in its development. One of the features is a clear difference between the island cuisine and the mainland. Long and majestic feasts were described more than once by Homer and Plato, as well as by other ancient thinkers. Many recipes have been preserved that were compiled by Plutarch and Plato. And they are often served in restaurants in the Greek capital.

Secrets of the Greek feast

Greece is famous for long feasts with an impressive list of dishes served. Moreover, it does not matter at all whether it is a festive meal or everyday gatherings. But with all the simplicity and accessibility of Greek cuisine, there are still some features:

Most Popular soft cheeses from sheep or goat milk, such as brynza, feta cheese (fetaxa or feta cheese familiar to Russian gourmets).

Cheese guide

Of the abundance of recipes for Greek cuisine, the Russian layman is accustomed to Greek salad, or horiatiki. Although it is called Greek only in Russia. In Greece, this salad is called rustic. Traditionally, cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, shallots and olives go into it, all this is seasoned with olive oil with black pepper, salt and oregano. The highlight of the dish is that the vegetables are not chopped, but coarsely chopped. It was also customary for the Greeks to peel cucumbers. Sometimes pepper is added to choriatiki. Stirred ready meal immediately before eating.

Before revealing the secrets of this dish, it is necessary to determine what kind of cheese is added to the Greek salad. The highlight of Horiatika is fetaxa or feta, a traditional Greek cheese. The name of this cheese is translated from Greek as "chunk, slice." It is produced in all Mediterranean countries. Usually cheese is made from sheep's milk, but cow's milk can also be added. It is very rich and satisfying, its fat content can reach 60%.

Brynza is similar to feta cheese. In fact, this is the same cheese, the difference is only in the manufacturing process. Cheese is made with a lower fat content, it turns out to be dry, more dense and salty. If for horiatika you prefer unsalted cheese, then it is better to take feta cheese.

salad mosaic

There are many options for preparing Greek salad. Each hostess adapts it to her tastes and preferences of the family.

Cooks like to supplement it with capers, several types of sweet peppers, instead of shallots, they add ordinary onions or Crimean purple onions.

Classic variant

classic in pure form. Before you customize this dish for yourself, you should try it in an authentic version. It will require the following:

Wash vegetables thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. Prepare a deep dish. The trick of the salad is that all vegetables are cut very large. Cut each tomato into six slices, cucumbers into large pieces, onions are cut into half rings, peppers into six pieces each, feta into cubes, olives remain in their original form. All the ingredients are alternately laid out in the dish, the cheese is placed last on top. For salad dressing you need to mix all the spices with oil and lemon juice, mix. The salad is flavored with dressing and mixed before eating. Bon appetit!

Sirtaki cheese recipe

For Russian culinary specialists, the recipe for Greek salad with sirtaki cheese is familiar. This product can be bought in almost every supermarket and its properties are close to classic feta. Sirtaki cheese for Greek salad is better to take brine. For this dish you will need:

Wash all vegetables. Arrange coarsely torn leaves on a serving platter. Chinese cabbage. Coarsely chop tomatoes, cheese and cucumbers. For dressing, mix spices with lemon juice and olive oil. Put vegetables and cheese, olives on top of the cabbage leaves, pour over the dressing. Mix and serve in portions. It is better to prepare this salad immediately before eating, otherwise it may drain and not be crispy.

Low Calorie Horiatiki

Its ingredients are not much different from previous recipes. But it is still distinguished by a smaller amount of oil and some features in the choice of vegetables. Components:

• 3 cucumbers;
• 3 lettuce leaves;
• 2 yellow tomatoes;
• 2 small green bell peppers;
• half a bunch of parsley;
• sirtaki cheese - 150 g;
• 1 st. l. olive or pumpkin oil.

This salad is easy to make! Peel cucumbers and chop coarsely. Tear lettuce leaves and place on a platter. Send cucumbers and coarsely chopped tomatoes, peppers, chopped parsley, sirtaki cubes to the salad. Salt, pour oil, mix, and you can try! In the absence of sirtaki, they usually put young cheese of local origin.

Spicy rustic salad

This variation is for those who love spicy dishes. Greek salad is no exception - it can also be "sharpened". Required Ingredients:

Cut the tomatoes into six pieces, peel the cucumbers and chop coarsely. Onion cut into half rings, hot peppers- thin rings. Place chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, onion and pepper half rings in a salad bowl, put feta cubes and whole olives. Mix dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Serve immediately!

In general, it is not so difficult to cook a real horiatiki. The main thing is to remember the leading rule of Greek cuisine: nothing superfluous and everything should be in moderation. Today this salad, this business card sunny Greece is loved and revered in every corner of the vast globe.

Attention, only TODAY!