I have always loved salads, especially those that are mostly a mix of veggies with NO meats.
One day, my (guy) friend asked me to make a “manly” salad for his world cup barbecue party. I had to whip up something that suited their palate, not mine. So I went to the grocery store and ended up with these items in my shopping cart:
• Baby romaine lettuce
• Cherry tomatoes
• A jar of marinated feta cheese cubes in olive oil (I used the “Emborg” brand)
• White wine vinegar
• Olive oil (from the feta cheese jar preferably)
• Large ham cubes or grilled chicken breast
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Large croutons/lightly crumbled garlic baguettes (you can find this at the bakery section at most grocery stores)
I put together a grilled chicken feta cheese salad and the guys absolutely loved it. Who knew salad could fly off a plate like that?
Here’s how I prepared the salad using the ingredients above:
1. Wash the lettuce leaf by leaf gently. Tear them into small enough pieces and dry them using a salad spinner. Slice the cherry tomatoes into halves. Combine them in the salad bowl and set aside in the refrigerator.
2. Gently mash the feta cheese in large crumbles to taste. Combine the olive oil and white wine vinegar in a separate bowl in 1:1 ratios.
3. Add the ham cubes/grilled chicken, feta cheese, olive oil and white wine vinegar and a generous amount of parmesan cheese to the salad bowl. Toss until evenly distributed. Add in the croutons/crumbled garlic baguettes and gently toss again. Serve!
Tip #1: Before adding in the croutons/crumbled garlic baguettes, ensure the salad is well dressed with the vinegar and olive oil mix. If it isn’t, add in more to ensure the salad is consistently coated.
Tip #2: For a purely vegetarian salad, replace the ham cubes/grilled chicken with avocado chunks!
