Spinach Pear and Feta Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is feta salad made of? ›

This simple Greek salad recipe, or Horiatiki, keeps things traditional. No need to fuss with a dressing, just toss ripe tomatoes, cucumber, green bell pepper, onion, olives with good olive oil and red wine vinegar, top with tangy feta cheese, and you're all set! Serve as a quick and easy first course or side salad.

It pairs well with fruit, like watermelon or peaches, but is equally as delicious with crunchy cucumbers or hearty collard greens. Feta is classically paired with olives, lemon, and fresh herbs like mint, but can also be used less traditionally like in our One-Pot Pasta Primavera with Bacon and Feta.

French Feta is made with Lacaune sheep's milk (if you remember, that's the sheep breed used for Roquefort production). It has a softer and creamier texture that Greek Feta and a milder, less tangy flavor (though it's sharper than Israeli Feta).

This is the stuff that you see most frequently. Greek feta is briny, tangy, and sharp, and the fine texture makes it perfect to crumble in salads, sprinkle on cold soups, or toss into some rigatoni with sausage, beans, and greens.

Feta cheese pairs wonderfully with tart fruits like cranberries, apples, and pears as well as sweet honeycomb. It also goes amazingly well with olives and tomatoes—all of which can be used to create amazing salads or appetizers.

Feta dries out quickly when removed from its brine, so always store feta in the brine it is packed in (we do not recommend buying precrumbled “dry” feta). One final note: It's a good idea to rinse feta packed in brine just before serving to remove excess salt.

Compared to other cheeses, it's low in calories and fat. It also contains a high amount of B vitamins, phosphorus and calcium, which can benefit bone health. Additionally, feta contains beneficial bacteria and fatty acids.

Feta is made by separating and curing curds from milk using bacteria and enzymes. Traditional feta is made from 100% sheep's milk or a combination of sheep's milk and up to 30% goat's milk, but feta produced outside the EU may also contain cow's milk.

This feta dressing is pretty much effortless, and this recipe yields 1 ½ cups of salad dressing. Here's how you make it: Add ½ cup Greek yogurt, 6 ounces feta cheese, the juice of 1 lemon, 1 clove grated garlic, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, and 2 tablespoons water to the bowl of your food processor or blender.

When it comes to cheese, feta is a healthy choice. Not only is it packed with protein and fat – both essential nutrients for helping you to feel full and energised – it's also good for your gut. Probiotic yeasts in feta may lower the PH in your stomach, which is key for a healthy gut.

What is feta cheese like? ›

Greek Feta: There are different varieties of feta cheese, each with its characteristics, but the Greek feta cheese is probably the most authentic. It is briny, tangy, and salty, with a lemony aftertaste that lingers in the mouth for a while afterward. French Feta: French Feta is less salty, and Greek Feta is milder.