Taverna Salad

Name: Taverna Salad
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1 teaspoon minced garlic (1 small clove); 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; Salt and pepper; 3 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced into 1/2-inch pieces (or 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes); 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed; 1 orange or yellow bell pepper, halved, seeded and diced into 1/2-inch pieces; 1/2 large English cucumber, halved, seeded and diced into 1/2-inch pieces; 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives; 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley; 1/4 cup minced red onion or shallot; 2 tablespoons (drained) capers, coarsely chopped; 2 scallions, thinly sliced; 1 (6-inch) pita; 1 (8-ounce) block halloumi cheese, patted dry and cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices

Instructions

Prep:25minCook:20min

This colorful, meal-of-a-salad from Lidey Heuck’s cookbook, “Cooking in Real Life” (S&S/Simon Element, 2024), is inspired by two dishes: classic Greek salad (also known as horiatiki) and fattoush, the Lebanese salad of vegetables and pieces of fried pita. The ingredient list may look long at first, but each ingredient contributes to the harmony of the salad: bell pepper and cucumbers for crunch; shallot, olives and capers for a bit of tang; chopped tomatoes for sweetness. Pan-fried halloumi adds richness and heft, but you can skip the searing process and instead opt for a 6-ounce block of feta, if desired. To save even more time, you can add a large handful of crumbled pita chips instead of making your own.

Updated at: Sat, 29 Nov 2025 17:31:36 GMT