Hearty Greek Salad

Prep Time 30

Total Time 30

Greek Dressing:
¼ c. red wine vinegar
2 t. dried oregano
2. T. fresh basil finely chopped
1 clove fresh garlic peeled and finely minced
2 t. red onion finely minced
1 T. Dijon mustard
½ c. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Salad Ingredients:
2 large heads Romaine lettuce washed, patted dry, and chopped into bite-sized pieces
4 oz. feta cheese cut into small, uniformly sized pieces
8 oz can black olives drained and roughly chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes washed and cut in half lengthwise
1 large cucumber peeled and sliced, then cut into quarters
¼ red onion finely chopped
Garnish optional:
additional dried oregano.

Add red onion to a small glass bowl and barely cover with a mixture of equal parts water and red wine vinegar. Set aside.
In another small non-reactive bowl, combine vinegar, oregano, basil, garlic, red onion, and mustard. Slowly whisk in olive oil until the mixture is emulsified. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
Add prepared Romaine lettuce to a large serving bowl. Starting in the center, add the feta cheese to form a row. On each side of the feta, add a row of chopped black olives. Then add two rows of sliced grape tomatoes on the other side of the black olives. Finish by filling in the far end with the sliced cucumbers.
Once all ingredients are in place, drain the red onions and gently pat dry. Then carefully arrange them in a thin row on either side of the feta cheese. You want to wait until the end to add the onion to give them time to soak and to prevent them from falling down between the larger toppings and getting lost.
If desired, sprinkle the top with additional dried oregano and serve immediately with Greek Dressing - or cover and place in the refrigerator for up to one day before serving.