Greek Horiatiki
Χωριάτικη·(ho-ree-ah-tee-kee)
LUNCH
Naturally Keto / Greek Traditional.
Grab a heavy chef's knife and hack cold cucumbers into thick chunks. The greatest trick the diet industry ever played was convincing us that salads require an hour of prep, a blender full of emulsifiers, and a pile of fat-free dressings. Combine those hacked vegetables with whole Kalamata olives and the sharp bite of red onion, drop a solid slab of sheep's feta on top, and make absolutely no apologies for the generous pool of extra-virgin olive oil and thick sheep's milk cheese.
Per serving: NET CARBS: 7 g Total carbs: 10 g | Fiber: 3 g Fat: 43 g | Protein: 10 g Calories: ~415
Before you start
Gather and wash the produce.
Because this recipe is assembled rapidly and relies entirely on raw ingredients, wash and dry all of your vegetables before starting the 10-minute clock.
Ingredients
- red onion1/4 small
- red wine vinegar1 tbsp
- ice water1 cup
- Roma tomatoes2 med
- English cucumber1/2 med
- green bell pepper1/2 med
- whole pitted Kalamata olives1/3 cup
- extra virgin olive oil1/4 cup
- dried Greek oregano1 tsp
- flaky sea salt1 pinch
- authentic Greek feta cheese packed in brine3 oz
Method
- 01
Shock the onions.
Place the thinly sliced red onion in a small bowl, add the 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, and top with the ice water. Set this aside to soak. This passive 10-minute soak pulls the harsh, sulfurous bite out of the raw onion and turns it sweet and crisp while you prepare the rest of the meal.
- 02
Build the base.
In a wide, shallow serving bowl (not a deep mixing bowl), arrange the tomato wedges, cucumber half-moons, and green bell pepper rings. Scatter the Kalamata olives over the vegetables.
- 03
Drain and combine.
Drain the red onions from their ice-water bath, pat them gently dry with a paper towel, and scatter them over the salad.
- 04
Dress the vegetables.
Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil and an extra splash of red wine vinegar evenly over the vegetables. Sprinkle with half of the dried oregano and a light pinch of sea salt. Go easy on the salt; the olives and feta will bring plenty of brine. Do not toss the salad.
- 05
Apply the feta finish.
Place the thick slabs of feta cheese squarely on top of the salad. Drizzle the cheese with a few extra drops of olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining oregano. Serve immediately, using your fork to break off pieces of the rich feta with every bite.
Notes
The lettuce rule.
You might be tempted to stretch this salad over a bed of chopped romaine. Don't. Authentic Horiatiki relies on the intense, undiluted flavors of the vegetables mixing directly with the olive oil to create its own rich sauce at the bottom of the bowl. Adding lettuce introduces too much water and ruins the fat balance.
Label check for feta cheese.
Pre-crumbled feta sold in plastic tubs is often coated in anti-caking agents like potato starch or powdered cellulose, which add hidden carbohydrates. Always buy block feta submerged in liquid brine; it is creamier, far lower in carbs, and authentically Greek. Look for a brand that uses sheep's milk (or a blend of sheep and goat).
Label check for Kalamata olives.
Check your olive jars. Real Kalamata olives are cured simply in water, salt, and vinegar. Avoid brands that list added sugars or suspend the olives in cheap, inflammatory seed oils like canola or sunflower.
Build flavor with capers.
If you have access to them, tossing a tablespoon of pickled capers into the bowl adds a phenomenal, authentic bite typical of the Greek Cyclades islands.
From Keto 10 Minute Meals.