Although Greek salad is considered a very simple dish, even experienced chefs have a problem with it. Contrary to appearances, the solution is very simple and is based on knowledge of the natural properties of vegetables.
The problem of watery Greek salad results from natural chemical processes. The main culprits are tomatoes and cucumbers – High water vegetables. In contact with salt, they start to release it quickly, which results in unsightly and tasteless “soup” at the bottom of the bowl. It is salt, as well as salty feta and olive oil, although crucial for taste, contribute to the deterioration of the consistency of the dish. Instead of freshness and crunchiness, we get a soft, diluted salad that has little to do with the Greek ideal.
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So how do you avoid divorce? Just change the order of adding ingredients. Here are the three most important rules:
- We do not salt vegetables right away. Chopped tomatoes and cucumbers should wait in a bowl without salt, thanks to which they will not start to release the juice.
- Olive oil only before serving. Added earlier, it will only distribute water and cause the spices to fall to the bottom.
- Feta at the end and gently. Feta cheese is fragile and salty, so it’s worth adding it just before serving so that it does not fall apart and change the consistency of the salad.
The change in order is just the beginning. If you want your salad to always taste perfect, it is worth using a few additional tricks:
- Remove the seed nests from tomatoes – This is where the most water is located, and their removal will significantly improve the consistency,
- Choose harder vegetables – fleshy raspberry or cocktail tomatoes will work better than very ripe varieties, and the best cucumbers will be ground or greenhouse with a compact structure,
- Cut vegetables into larger pieces – The smaller the pieces, the faster they release water, the better beems of tomatoes and semi -slices of cucumbers,
- Fold the salad just before serving, and if you prepare the dish earlier, store vegetables separately and connect them only just before eating.
The last issue worth remembering is herbal additives. Although fresh basil and oregano smell beautiful and look, they quickly lose their charm under the influence of moisture. If you plan to store the salad for some time – use dried herbs and add fresh leaves only on a plate.
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