Greek Lamb Salad with Feta & Olives
Submitted by sarah hyland
A Greek lamb salad of lemon-and-rosemary marinated lamb, griddled and sliced over a loaded tomato, cucumber, and olive salad with a herby dressing and crumbled feta. A summery main-course salad.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
10 minREADY
30 minThis is a Greek salad turned into a full meal, with strips of lemony grilled lamb draped over a bowl piled with tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and feta.
The lamb gets a quick but punchy treatment: a paste of lemon zest, garlic, and rosemary bashed in a mortar and rubbed over the meat before it hits a hot griddle. Searing it hard, then resting it before slicing, keeps the lamb pink and juicy inside.
The salad uses a mix of tomatoes for varied texture and sweetness, dressed with a vibrant herb vinaigrette of mint, oregano, basil, and garlic loosened with red wine vinegar and olive oil.
There’s a clever trick at the end: pour the dressing over and squash it into the tomatoes with your hands. That releases the tomato juices to mingle with the dressing, leaving an extra-savory pool at the bottom of the bowl made for mopping up.
Chef Tips
- Rest the grilled lamb a full 5 minutes before slicing so the juices settle and it stays pink.
- Slice against the grain into strips for tender, easy-to-eat pieces.
- Squash the dressing into the tomatoes with your hands, as the recipe says, to draw out their juices.
- Let the herb-and-olive dressing sit 10 minutes so the flavors meld before it hits the salad.
Variations
- Use lamb leg steaks or chops if tenderloin is hard to find.
- Add a handful of toasted pine nuts or a sprinkle of dried oregano.
- Serve with warm pita or a dollop of tzatziki on the side.
Ingredients
Directions
In a pestle and mortar, bash grated lemon zest, garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper and oil and rub over lamb.
Cut vine tomatoes into wedges.
Slice green tomato thinly.
Halve cherry tomatoes.
Slice beef tomato into large mounds.
Put in salad bowl.
Cut onion into wafer thin slices.
Cut cucumber into 5mm slices.
Slice pepper into rings and add to salad.
In separate bowl, mash the olives a little so they begin to seep juice - don’t break them though.
Roughly chop half the mint and add to the bowl.
In a pestle and mortar, bash together the garlic, oregano, basil and rest of the mint to form a paste, then gradually add the vinegar.
Whisk in olive oil, then season.
Add this to mint and olives and leave for 10 mins.
Heat griddle pan and grill the lamb for 4/5 minutes on each side. Leave to rest for 5 minutes then carve into strips.
Pour dressing over salad, then squash the dressing into the tomatoes with your hands.
Crumble feta on top.
Lay on lamb strips and serve.
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