We have been having some amazing weather here in Colorado recently. So when the sun comes out, I really crave a big old salad. Greek salad is my favorite, so it was perfect for today! This salad is pretty big, but it is full of veggies, so you can eat plenty without feeling too full!
INGREDIENTS
-***1 salmon steak
-1/2 small head romaine lettuce
-1 handful arugula (optional)
-1 handful cherry tomatoes
-1/4 small red onion
-1/4 orange bell pepper
-1/3 cucumber
-1-2 tablespoons feta
-1/3 can chickpeas
-1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
-1/4 teaspoon paprika
-Juice of 1 lemon
-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
-2 teaspoons honey
-1/2 teaspoon oregano
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and dry with papertowls. Toss chickpeas with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and the garlic salt and paprika. Add to a foil-lined sheet pan, and bake for 30 minutes, shaking pan every 10 minutes.
2. Prepare the Greek vinaigrette. Whisk together the lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, oregano, salt, and pepper. Set aside. (You will have vinaigrette leftover after you dress the salad)
3. Next, prepare the vegetables. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, cut red onion into quartered slices, halve and thinly slice the bell pepper, and slice the cucumber into quarters. Discard the outer leaves of the romaine and wash and chop half of the remaining romaine leaves.
***Optional Step: You can quick-pickle the red onion at this point if you'd like. Simply place the sliced onions in a small bowl with some red wine vinegar and allow them to soak while you prepare everything else. Quick-pickling really mellows the flavor of raw onions.
4. Plate the vegetables by tossing together the romaine and arugula. Then top with a mixture of the tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and cucumber. Sprinkle the salad with feta cheese.
5. About 10 minutes before the chickpeas are finished cooking, heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Season salmon on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add to the oil once hot and cook 4-5 minutes per side.
6. Sprinkle the salad with the cooked crispy chickpeas, top with the salmon, and drizzle with some of the Greek vinaigrette.
***MM Option: To make this meal meatless, simply leave off the salmon.