Chunky Greek Salad

Many of our weekends during May and June are spent at lacrosse or softball tournaments. These hot days include visits to a variety of "snack shacks" which typically offer a menu that is less on the healthy side and appeal more to the kid in all of us. I love a good hotdog, bag of Cheetos, and a Coke just as much as the next person. But after one too many Fruit Roll-Ups, slices of greasy pizza, and nacho chips covered in neon orange cheese, my body is craving just about any vegetable or fruit.

Packing an ice-filled cooler with sub sandwiches, cut up celery, carrots, and broccoli with hummus, wedges of chilled watermelon, single serving yogurts, snack bags of trail mix, and mini pumpkin, zucchini, and lemon poppy seed muffins makes the dining experience along the sidelines of a dusty ball field a much more enjoyable experience. I have been including a few travel-worthy salads in the cooler with the latest favorite being Chunky Greek Salad.

Some sports-filled Saturday mornings start just as the newspaper hits the driveway at 6 a.m. On these early days, I am glad that this salad is prepared in practically minutes. By combining a few crunchy peppers and cucumbers with feta, olives, and bottled vinaigrette dressing, we are out the door and off for our day's adventures.


Chunky Greek Salad

makes about 6 cups or 4 - 5 servings

1 large green pepper, cut in 1-inch dice
1 large red pepper, cut in 1-inch dice
2 kirby cucumbers, cut in large chunks
1/2 of a 15-ounce can of black olives, pitted, more if you love olives
about 1/3 pound feta cheese, crumbled in large chunks
about 3 - 4 tablespoons of Newman's Caesar Dressing or your favorite vinaigrette

In a large bowl, combine the peppers, cucumbers, olives and feta. Add vinaigrette to the ingredients and toss to coat.

Store in the refrigerator. Salad can be served chilled or at room temperature.