As a youngster, my parents frequently took the family out to eat at local restaurants. One of my personal favorites was an Italian joint called Mama’s Italian Kitchen which was situated on the beach in the Ocean View neighborhood in Norfolk, VA. They would provide each table with a large bowl of Greek Salad.

The restaurant has since been demolished to make room for high-rise condos. What a shame! The aroma and flavor of that salad stuck in the back of my mind for years until finally I decided to create my own custom salad recipe based on that memory. The ingredients are chopped quite fine which makes this dish very filling for a salad. Makes 4 servings, but feel free to indulge…this one’s pretty healthy!

Ingredients

1 Cup Iceberg Lettuce, finely shredded
1 Cup Romaine Lettuce, finely shredded
1/2 Cup Red Onion, finely diced
1/2 Cup Green Pepper, finely diced
1/2 Cup Roma Tomatos, finely diced
6 Large Pepperoncinis, finely diced
1/6 Cup Kalamata Olives, finely chopped
1/4 Cup Mozarella Cheese, finely shredded
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, finely shredded

Dressing Ingredients

1/6 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Clove Garlic, Finely Diced
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Dried Basil
1 Tsp Dried Parsley
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Pepper

1. Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and use salad tongs to toss well.
2. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a clean bottle and mix well.
3. Dress the salad to taste, serve, and enjoy!

RECIPE TIPS: If you aren’t fond of one or more of the salad ingredients, go ahead and leave them out! This salad can be made to order and I usually exclude the olives.