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travel friendly greek salad recipe

Bottom-Of-The-Bowl Greek Salad

This ingenious layered Greek salad keeps everything perfectly crisp until serving time. The clever arrangement places heartier vegetables and tangy dressing at the bottom while delicate greens stay fresh on top, making it ideal for picnics, potlucks, and meal prep.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Greek
Calories: 165
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup cucumber peeled, quartered, and sliced
  • 1/2 cup black olives pitted
  • 1/2 cup green olives stuffed
  • 1/2 cup radishes sliced into coins
  • 1/2 cup carrots sliced into coins
  • 1-2 cups red cabbage sliced
  • 6-8 cups lettuce any greens of your choice
Dressing
  • 1/3 cup olive or canola oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar red wine vinegar recommended
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Equipment

  • Large bowl with lid
  • Jar with lid

Method
 

  1. Combine all the hearty vegetables in a large bowl with a lid: black olives, green olives, radish coins, carrot coins, cucumber pieces, and red cabbage.
  2. In a jar with a lid, combine the oil, vinegar, salt, sugar, and paprika. Seal tightly and shake vigorously until the sugar and salt dissolve completely.
  3. For serving within a couple of hours: Place the lettuce on top of the vegetable mixture, then pour the dressing over everything. Cover with the lid.
  4. For longer marinating times: Pour the dressing over just the bottom vegetables first, cover and refrigerate. Add the lettuce layer just before transporting or serving.
  5. Allow the salad to marinate for at least one hour, letting the Mediterranean flavors develop.
  6. When ready to serve, toss everything together thoroughly to distribute the dressing evenly throughout the salad.

Notes

This salad is incredibly versatile - feel free to customize with what you have on hand. Water chestnuts make a great substitute for radishes, while celery, mushrooms, or broccoli can replace any of the other vegetables. For a heartier meal, add protein like pepperoni, bacon crumbles, or feta cheese.
The salad will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours if the lettuce remains on top, separated from the dressing until serving time. This makes it perfect for meal prep or potlucks.