administratorA very tasty salad that works perfectly as a side for meat dishes or as a standalone lunch for work. It’s also great alongside grilled foods.
You can use any pasta, but small shells work best. What really makes this salad special is the dressing—it’s truly exceptional.
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
- 250 g (about 9 oz) pasta (small shells or similar)
- 250 g (about 1 cup) cherry tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 1 red onion
- 15 g (a small handful) fresh basil
- approx. 60 g (2 cups) mixed aromatic greens (arugula, lamb’s lettuce, butterhead; iceberg is not ideal)
- 70 g (about ½ cup) pitted black olives, preferably Greek
- 125 g (about 4½ oz) feta cheese
Dressing:
80 g (about 6 tbsp) olive oil
30 g (2 tbsp) red or white wine vinegar
30 g (2 tbsp) mustard
10 g (2 tsp) lemon juice
15 g (1 tbsp) honey
6 g (1 tsp) salt
1 small garlic clove
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
Cook the pasta: Boil in plenty of water. No need to salt the water. Follow the cooking time suggested by the package. After cooking, rinse under cold water and drain well.
Prepare the vegetables: Finely chop the basil and onion (a food processor or hand blender works well). Peel the cucumber, cut it in half lengthwise, remove the seeds with a small spoon, and cut into cubes or half-moons. Place in a large bowl. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add to the cucumber along with the greens and olives (you can slice the olives or leave them whole). Add the cooked pasta.
Make the dressing: In a tall container, combine the vinegar, salt, mustard, lemon juice, honey, olive oil, and pepper. Add the pressed garlic clove. Blend thoroughly with a hand blender. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Assemble the salad: Pour the dressing over the salad and crumble the feta on top before serving.
