Paximadi Bread Salad with Tomatoes, Feta and Capers

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 0 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6 Servings

When I embarked on my trip to Greece last week, I knew I’d be documenting the heck out of it, and when I landed in Athens, the first thing I did was order a Greek salad, take notes, and snap it with my iPhone. It was beautiful: ripe red tomatoes from Crete, substantial chunks of feta cheese, perfectly sweet raw purple onions, and lots of fragrant olive oil and dried oregano. Seemed familiar, and yet I relished in the experience of consuming these simple ingredients on foreign soil. Of course it’s better there, I thought to myself.

Ingredients

4 cups paximadia in bite-size pieces (see Recipe Note)
2 pounds summer ripe and firm tomatoes that have not been refrigerated (big or small, any color or a combination of different heirloom tomatoes)
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
3 to 4 tablespoons capers, drained
1 cup purslane leaves (optional)
1/2 cup basil leaves torn to pieces with the fingers, or coarsely chopped tender flat-leaf parsley, or a combination of parsley and fresh oregano or thyme
2 1/2 cups diced feta cheese
1 tablespoon dry Greek oregano
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, or to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, or more
2 to 3 pickled peperoncini or chilies, minced (optional)
Zest of 1 non-treated lemon (optional)
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste

Instructions

Spread the paximadia at the bottom of a salad bowl or container. Using serrated knife, slice the tomatoes into roughly 1 1/2–inch pieces and scatter them over the paximadia, letting the juices penetrate the bread. Arrange the onion rings and purslane (if using) over the tomatoes, sprinkle the capers and basil, or other herbs, over the onions. Top with the feta and sprinkle with the oregano.
In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar and olive oil. Add the chilies and lemon zest (if using), along with a few cracks of black pepper and some salt — keeping in mind that capers and feta are quite salty so you may not need extra.
Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let stand for one hour in a cool place. If you won't serve it within the hour and the weather is hot, let the salad rest in the refrigerator. Toss thoroughly just before serving.