How many more times do you think I'm going to bundle up in my puffiest ski jacket before taking a step outside and realizing that the sinisterly frigid season is decidedly over-- not just "it's technically spring" over, but "I can go to the grocery store with a t-shirt on and survive strolling through the refrigerated section" over?
You know that feeling when you brace yourself for the cold, tensing and tucking your neck down as you walk out the door, only to be greeted with sunshine on your shoulders and not the tiniest nip in the air? Talk about a sweet surprise.
Even though that's happened a dozen times in the past couple of weeks, it wasn't until my housemate ran out to grab a new propane tank that I was like holy spit, it's actually WARM OUT! We decided to make the most of it and marinated some chicken for grilling, took the margarita glasses out to play, invited our neighbors over, and I decided to toss together a backyard barbecue-worthy side. Does it still count as a side dish if everyone eats more of it than the main dish? Because this Greek Avocado Salad with Garlic-Dill Vinaigrette was gone within maybe 10 minutes.
I've gotta admit, I had a hard time naming this recipe because it draws inspiration from so many places-- from Greek fattoush to Italian panzanella to Mexican guacamole. All favorites of mine, and this salad is bit of the best from them all.
With creamy avocado, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, red onion, crisp cucumber, and crunchy pita chips, the Greek Avocado Salad packs in diverse flavors and textures without having to do any cooking at all. It's all about playing up the fresh ingredients. And as if that wasn't enough, a light drizzle of homemade Garlic-Dill Vinaigrette (which comes together super easily in the food processor) brings this salad from great to unforgettable.
I could go on and on for paragraphs about how deliciously it all comes together but honestly, it's just one of those things you have to try for yourself to know exactly how amazing it is. Shed off your sweater, invite some friends over, and enjoy the nice weather, while you're at it!
When you do try the Greek Avocado Salad with Garlic-Dill Vinaigrette, don't forget to take a picture and share it on Instagram with the #hostthetoast to show it off.
PrintGreek Avocado Salad with Garlic-Dill Vinaigrette
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the Greek Avocado Salad:
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- 1 ½ cups mixed cherry tomatoes, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
- 4 ounces feta cheese, cubed
- 3 handfuls pita chips
- Fresh dill, to garnish
For the Garlic-Dill Vinaigrette:
- 3 cloves garlic
- Juice of 2 lemons
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, divided
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, gently toss together the avocado salad ingredients. Break up the pita chips slightly if they're too large. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the garlic, lemon juice, dijon mustard, and half of the fresh dill. Process until well-combined. Keep the food processor running and slowly stream in the olive oil. Add in the remaining dill and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Lightly drizzle the vinaigrette over the avocado salad to taste. Don't use it all-- the salad would become soggy-- just enough to add some extra flavor and prevent the avocados from browning. Save the remaining vinaigrette in a sealable container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Garnish with the salad with additional dill, if desired, and serve.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
Jamie says
This was absolutely delicious. I omitted the pita chips because I was trying to have a light and refreshing salad for my BBQ on a hot, hot day. This is the kind of salad I would make on a Sunday and eat every day throughout the week! It was SO refreshing, so tasty, so fresh...The avocado added a creamy texture and the dill was just so dang good. Loved this, can't wait to make it again. Oh, and it was great for leftovers!