Fire It Up For This Greek Salad On The Grill
Salad for President is a collection of recipes from the blog of the same name, by food writer and artist Julia Sherman. If you've been looking for a book to shake up your vegetable game, look no further. Grilled veggies are all the rage, so why not toss your whole salad on the barbie? Here's a recipe for Greek salad on the grill that will delight everyone at the table.
This salad proves that rules are meant to be broken. I have always considered the classic Greek salad to be the Platonic ideal. I balk at fancy upgrades since the cheap red wine vinegar, Kalamata olives, and romaine are fundamental to the dish. Hell, I even prefer dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) from a can to those from the deli counter.
Then one day I had a few vegetarian dolmas left over in the fridge, and I tossed them on the grill to warm them up. The oil-marinated leaves crisped, the rice steamed and softened inside, and I had somehow managed to improve upon my favorite snack. With the rules out the window, I tossed all the veggies on the grill (save the cucumbers and tomatoes), and it worked. It's not a replacement for the fresh Greek salad, but with the old-school Greek diners becoming a thing of the past, this is a fun variation to make at home.
Note: Tossing the cheese on the grill is optional, but it's a nice way to warm it up before serving. Feta cheese sticks to the grill, so be sure to use tinfoil if you decide to do this step.
- 4 hearts romaine
- 1 small red onion
- extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 6-ounce slab sheep's milk feta cheese
- 1/4 cup Kalamata olives
- 8 to 10 canned or fresh vegetarian stuffed grape leaves (dolmas)
- 1 medium ripe heirloom tomato
- 2 to 3 small Kirby or Persian cucumbers
- 4 or 5 oil-packed anchovy fillets (optional but highly recommended)
- Pepperoncini (optional)
- red wine vinegar
- sea salt
- Breadsticks or Melba toast (optional)
- Prepare a charcoal fire, heating until the coals turn white.
- While the coals are heating, brush the romaine and onion rounds with oil and season with kosher salt, pepper, and the oregano. Place the feta and the olives on a rectangular piece of aluminum foil and fold the edges upward to create a shallow boat. Drizzle them with oil.
- Spray the grill grate with cooking spray or brush with vegetable oil.
- Place the stuffed grape leaves, romaine, onion, and feta/olive packet on the grill and cook until the vegetables have a nice light char on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes total. The feta should be warm throughout. Remove from the grill with tongs.
- On a large platter, make a bed of the grilled romaine (keeping the halves intact) and top with the tomato, cucumbers, grilled onion, olives, and stuffed grape leaves. Cut the feta into 1-inch cubes and toss them on top. Drizzle the whole mess generously with oil and season very lightly with sea salt (the olives, feta, and anchovies add lots of salt) and black pepper to taste.
- Top with the anchovies and pepperoncini, if using. Serve with red wine vinegar and oil on the side (you can also dress the salad for your guests, but I like to do it myself), and breadsticks or Melba toast if you want to make a nod to the salad's roots.