Feta has a special place in my heart.

Mostly because it tastes so good.

And feta can easily make itself comfortable in a variety of social situations.

You know, because ingredients are like people and everything.

Crumble it on top of a rustic pizza.

Layer it in a trendy veggie sandwich.

Stir it into a no-fuss bowl of pasta.

Include it in krispy zucchini pancakes.

Or simply toss it in a fresh salad.

Today we’re talking Greek salad.

Lettuce is good, but sometimes you need a change of pace.

Don’t get me wrong, Greek salads are pretty ordinary.

Not as ordinary as Caesar salad though.

So I’m not boring you completely.

Hopefully not, that is.

Did you know that the key to a fantastic Greek salad is the dressing?

(Besides the quality of ingredients themselves, of course.)

You need a dressing that will add some zip yet still allow the flavors of your veggies, olives and cheese to shine through.

Since we’re on the topic of dressing, let’s go over that wonderful stuff first.

Extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, zesty lemon juice, dried oregano, minced garlic, black pepper, herby fresh Italian parsley and a bit of red onion come together to make one bad Greek salad dressing.

And yes, “bad” is a good thing in this case. (Think Rihanna bad.)

On to the bulk of the recipe.

Juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber, bright red bell pepper, salty Kalamata olives and tangy feta cheese embrace the dressing like a big, happy Greek family reunion.

P.S. This time around I had some fresh mint on hand so I tossed that into the dressing instead of parsley. (And reduced the amount to 2 tablespoons because mint is a very strong character indeed.)

P.P.S. You can add more cheese if you want. Just sayin.

P.P.P.S. This salad would go really well with hummus, pita and zucchini pancakes. Keeping it Greek(ish).