Who doesn’t love a greek salad, better yet one with crispy fried feta croutons! The weather is finally warming up in here in Calgary for a much-needed break from winter. Spring has me craving dishes that are a bit lighter and fresh. Of course, healthy salads are great, but a little indulgence is still delicious and these crispy feta croutons fit the bill.
This greek salad is a mixture of the traditional veggies typically used for this dish. Cucumbers, tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onion and a bit of flat-leaf parsley thrown into the mix. For the dressing, a simple mix of olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, oregano and salt, and pepper. I made just a single serving of this dish today for myself as I had some veggies to use up, and my kids aren’t crazy about greek salad), so I’ve attempted to scale up the recipe for this post. Feel free to make your Greek Salad as you normally do, and just add in the crispy feta croutons! Such a neat little twist on a classic dish.
For the Crispy Feta Croutons
Use a firmer feta cheese for this dish. Line up a breading station with a little flour in one bowl, egg in another bowl, and some panko breadcrumbs in another. I spiced up my breadcrumbs with a bit of Za’atar seasoning which is a common middle eastern seasoning blend. The blend I have is a mixture of sesame seeds, thyme, sumac, lemon peel, oregano, basil, savory, marjoram and sea salt. If you don’t have the Za’tar blend, don’t fret. Throw in a little oregano and salt, or a little lemon zest would be great, even basil would be delicious. Mix it up to your liking.
Dip your feta cubes in flour first, then in egg, then in the panko mixture, coating well. In a small pan with a good healthy dose of olive oil over medium heat, fry the feta on each side until lightly brown and crispy. Serve these warm on top of your greek salad.
If you like this recipe you should try: Simple Arugula and Fennel Salad with Toasted Almonds and Pecorino
Greek Salad with Crispy Feta Croutons
Ingredients
Crispy Feta Croutons
- 150 grams greek feta cheese, firmer variety
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp Za'atar seasoning blend
For the Salad
- Sliced ripe tomatoes
- Sliced cucumbers
- a few thinly sliced red onions
- kalamata olives, seeds removed
For the dressing (this makes a decent batch, scale down if needed or save for another use)
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup mixture of lemon juice and red wine vinegar (combined)
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1-2 tbsp honey
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
For the salad
- Cut up your veggies as desired. Layer them nicely on a platter.
For the dressing
- Combine all the ingredients in a mason jar. Shake well and taste. Adjust seasonings as required.
For the Crispy Feta Croutons
- Dip your cubed feta into flour, then egg, then panko mixuture to coat well.
- Fry in olive oil until browned on all sides over medium heat.
- Remove from oil and place on a bit of paper towel to absorb a bit of the oil.
- Serve hot overtop of your salad.
