Greek Salsa

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.

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!

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

PREPARATION

1. Combine cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and black olives in a large bowl.
2. In a smaller bowl whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, dill, salt, and pepper. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss well to combine. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Fold in feta cheese just before serving. Use as a dip with pitas, chips, or as a side dish with fish or chicken.