Hairy Bikers Greek Salad Recipe

This Hairy Bikers Greek salad recipe roasts green pepper and red onion, then sets them on cos, tomatoes and chickpeas beneath feta and olives. Plus their Roasted Vegetable Greek Salad, from The Hairy Dieters Make It Easy, serves 4 at 279 calories in 30 minutes, plus cooling.

Rather than leave the classic alone, they “boosted the usual recipe by roasting the pepper and onions” and added chickpeas. So the can of chickpeas turns it into a hearty meal, packed with veg, rather than a side.

The roast is the step to watch, because the pepper and onion want just 20 minutes, until slightly browned but still with some bite. Then they cool to room temperature before going on, since this salad is served at room temperature rather than warm.

Hairy Bikers Greek Salad Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Roasting Cuisine:British Greek Courses:Lunch

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 10 minutesCook time: 20 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time: 30 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:279 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Green pepper strips and red onion wedges roast with oregano, then cool before topping a bed of shredded cos, cucumber, tomato wedges and chickpeas. Then crumbled feta and sliced olives go over them, finished with an olive oil and vinegar dressing and the last of the oregano.

Ingredients

For the roasted vegetables

• 1 green pepper, cut into strips
• 1 red onion, cut into fine wedges
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• sea salt and black pepper

For the salad

• 1 cos lettuce, shredded
• ½ cucumber, halved lengthways and sliced into crescents
• 4 tomatoes, cut into fine wedges
• 400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 150g feta cheese, crumbled
• 50g black olives, sliced

For the dressing

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar

Instructions

1. Prep the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Then put the pepper and onion on a roasting tray, drizzle with 1 tsp of the oil, season well and sprinkle over half the oregano.
2. Roast and cool: Once the oven is hot, roast them for 20 minutes, until slightly browned but still with some bite. Then take them out and leave them to cool to room temperature.
3. Build the salad: Once they’re cool, arrange the cos lettuce in a salad bowl or on a platter and top with the cucumber, then the tomatoes. Next sprinkle over the chickpeas, then add the roasted pepper and onion, the feta and the olives.
4. Dress and serve: After that, whisk the oil and vinegar together, pour over the salad and finish with the remaining oregano. Then serve at room temperature.

FAQs

Can you make it with halloumi instead of feta?

Their Veggie Feasts Greek salad does, with a 225 to 250g block of halloumi, because vegetarian halloumi is easier to find than feta. And the halloumi slices roast for about 20 minutes on top of chopped tomatoes with dried mint, at the same 200°C.

Then the roast tomatoes, halloumi and juices go over as a warm dressing, on a salad with 30g of capers and lemon.

Is there a Greek pasta salad version?

Yes, Eat Well Every Day has one with 150g of short pasta, cooked and cooled, plus rocket, green pepper, black olives and 200g of feta. But there the cherry tomatoes go under the grill with oil, vinegar and oregano, so they turn into more of a sauce than a dressing.

And they soak the onion in cold salted water first, then sell it as a great lunch box dish, at 440 calories a serving.

Can you make it ahead?

The book doesn’t cover it, but I’d roast the pepper and onion an hour or two ahead, which gives them time to cool. Then I’d build and dress it just before eating, since the dressing softens shredded cos fast. But that’s my own habit rather than their advice.

Is it filling enough for a main meal?

I’d happily eat it as a light lunch on its own, since the chickpeas and feta bring protein to every plate. Or for a bigger spread, it sits well next to their Hairy Dieters lamb kebab in warm pitta.

And it cuts through something rich like their cinnamon lamb moussaka, while their minty lamb steaks make a good summer pairing.

Do you need fresh oregano?

No, this recipe uses 2 teaspoons of dried oregano, with half roasted on the vegetables and half scattered over at the end. But their Greek pasta salad in Eat Well Every Day uses both, with dried on the grilled tomatoes and fresh leaves to garnish.