Appetizer Salad Test Kitchen

Overloaded Greek Salad with Grilled Mustard Shrimp

There are all sorts of Greek salads, from very simply-dressed fresh vegetables with feta to this one – overdone, you name it, you can find it in here. I love these salads during the off season, when you need to wake up out-of-season vegetables.

Dressing Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves, finally chopped
  • 1 cup fat free Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup good feta cheese
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup dijon mustard
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
  • 1 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 pinches of sugar

Making the Dressing

  • Add all of the ingredients, except the olive oil, into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a medal blade. Turn the processor on and slowly add the olive oil until emulsified. Taste and adjust accordingly. This can last for two weeks in the refrigerator.

The Salad Ingredients

  • 1 pound of herbed mustard shrimp (remove the tails)
  • 4 baby heads of romaine, washed and torn into big sized pieces
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced, soaked in red wine vinegar for an hour, then drained
  • 1 orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, putted and rough chopped
  • 1 cup of mixed cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1 hot house cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 cup feta cheese, in brine, drained and chopped into 1/2 inch blocks
  • 1 16 ounce jar of pepperoncini peppers, drained
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
  • 3 sprigs of fresh dill, stems removed and rough chopped
  • 1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts (put a pan over medium heat, add the pine nuts toss and remove as soon as they begin to brown)

Putting It All Together

Take a large salad bowl and add a cup of the dressing to the bottom, then add the cucumbers, olives, feta cheese, tomatoes and pepperoncini peppers, followed by the lettuce, and add everything else on top. The lettuce will stay crisp, and all you have to do is toss the salad when it is time to eat.

We like to make a big Greek salad for lunch and serve it with a protein such as the mustard shrimp, but you can also switch out proteins:

Switch-out Shrimp for Other Proteins

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