Greek Salad Pita Sandwich

Horiatiki (Greek Village Salad)

by Cat, Aug 2008  (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

See also: 1. Horiatiki (Greek Village Salad and Dressing); 2. Simple Tapenade

This salad uses the Greek Village Salad to make a sandwich in Pita bread. The tapenade is a nice touch.

Greek Salad Pita Sandwich, with Olive-Garlic Tapenade

This recipe is adapted from Fine Cooking magazine daily recipe, August 10, 2010, originally by Ellie Krieger (1). Makes 4 sandwiches.

If you want more protein in the sandwich, add falafel, or grill some brined chicken breasts, then cut into ½” cubes. Toss with the salad, but use a bit less cucumber and tomatoes in the salad.

Another protein option is to cook some sprouted quinoa, then chill it before tossing with the salad.

Ingredients

Tapenade

• 1 – 2 cloves garlic
• ½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ Tbsp red wine vinegar
• food processor, or mortar and pestle, or Vita Mix.

Salad & Sandwich

• 1 recipe Olive-Garlic Tapenade, above
• 4 medium (6″) whole-wheat pitas, warmed
• ½ medium English cucumber
• 2 -3 Roma tomatoes or 12 -20 cherry or grape tomatoes
• ¾ cup crumbled feta
• 4 medium radishes
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp dried oregano, or 2 tsp fresh, chopped.
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups lightly packed baby spinach leaves
• bowl

Method:

Tapenade

1. Place all ingredients in food processor, and process until pureed.
2. If you don’t have a food processor or Vita Mix, use a mortar and pestle, but chop up the olives, and mince the garlic first.  A regular blender won’t work well because there is not enough liquid in the recipe.  However, you could try a hand-held (immersion blender) if making a larger quantity.

Salad & Sandwich

1. Prepare tapenade.
2. Warm pitas.
3. Seed and dice cucumber, about ¼” dice, to make 1 ½ cups. Seed and dice Roma tomatoes, or quarter cherry/grape tomatoes to make 1 ¼ cups. Mince or finely dice the radishes to make ½ cup.
4. Combine veggies in bowl with feta. Add olive oil, vinegar, oregano and a few grinds of pepper; toss to combine.
5. Warm pitas, then slice in half, and open the pockets. Divide the tapenade among the pita pockets, spreading it evenly inside each.
6. Stuff each pocket with about ½ cup of the spinach and ½ cup of the salad mixture.
7. Serve.

References:

1. Fine Cooking magazine daily recipe, August 10, 2010, originally by Ellie Krieger: finecooking.com/recipes/greek-salad-pitas-olive-garlic-tapenade.aspx