This was a total pregnancy craving. For some reason throughout pregnancy I really wanted to eat Greek salad, but it had to be that cheap, inauthentic diner salad that is usually served with chicken souvlaki. You know those kinds of diners right? The ones that serve all day breakfast and mac and cheese, always have free coffee refills and feature some “international” dishes like lasagna and Mexican omelettes? 
That’s what I was craving. In fact I went into a Greek restaurant once while pregnant to feed my craving beast and I was disappointed to be served a chunky tomato and cucumber salad. Like I said, I was looking for the inauthentic experience. I was able to redeem the salad craving late in pregnancy on our way home from a cottage vacation. I saw a classic roadside diner, one that serves lots of truck drivers and local families, and sure enough their menu included a Greek salad and it was exactly what I was looking for.
It’s a tangy dressing which uses both lemon juice and red wine vinegar and this is key. It also whips together super fast because I’m sure you already have everything on hand. Normally I would use fresh garlic but this was one of the few foods I could tolerate in early pregnancy and because I was so sick to my stomach in pregnancy I refused to touch garlic at that time. I used garlic and onion powder and they really do the trick.
While I usually advocate for using the most nutrient dense salad greens (spinach, baby kale, arugula etc), the iceberg lettuce is essential to the true “diner” taste. Both iceberg lettuce and cucumbers are mostly water so this is a great, refreshing and hydrating salad. Just be sure to top it off with lots of more nutrient dense tomato.
| Diner Greek Salad & 3rd Trimester Tales | Print |
- ⅔ cup of extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp of red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp of fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp of onion powder
- ¼ tsp of garlic powder
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 head of iceberg lettuce, washed and torn
- 4 tomatoes, cubed
- 1 cucumber, cubed
- 200g feta cheese (goat or sheep's milk), crumbled
- While you're preparing the dressing, make sure the iceberg lettuce is draining or paper towels or has been spun in a salad spinner to remove as much excess water as possible.
- In a mason jar combine all the dressing ingredients and give it a good shake.
- In a salad bowl, place the lettuce, tomato and cucumber and toss together. Add the dressing and toss to coat well.
- Allow the salad to sit for 10-15 minutes so the lettuce really absorbs the dressing.
- When it's time to serve it, top with crumbled feta.
- Pairs really nicely with grilled chicken or beef skewers.
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