Pita Bread Salad with Cucumber, Feta and Mint
This salad is so fun! Feta and mint anything is always my favorite. And as we all know, mint is all the rage right now. I refuse to believe it's just about the color even though I did just buy this dress and these pants and this polish (which turned out to be more aqua than mint, but I'm rockin' it anyway) and since I was clearly on a roll, I thought why not add the actual herb into the mix, eh? Anyone? Crickets. Okay.
We actually ate this as our main course for dinner one night along with a veggie and hummus spread. It was pretty tasty although I'm pretty sure my husband had a bowl of cereal later that night. Normally, I'd make my own hummus and it would probably be this cucumber mint version, but we stocked up at Trader Joe's before we left Tucson, and they have some of the best pre-packaged hummus. Plus, it made my job easier. They also have super good pizza sauce. Just a hint.
The original recipe calls for watercress but I think next time, I'll use arugula. Use which ever you prefer. This is not a leafy salad anyway, but one that lets the chunkier ingredients like the cucumber and pita shine. The leaves are sort of an afterthought, even if it doesn't seem that way in the picture. I used whole wheat pita bread, but I noticed at my health food store they had a sprouted grain version of pita labeled "pocket bread" and I'll probably do that next time. I also will probably leave the celery out next time and sub more cucumber. It just didn't taste like it totally belonged. You'll see I changed the quantities up a bit, but it's just for my own preferences and you can make it either way.
Try this one on a hot night and pile your plate high.
Pita Bread Salad with Cucumber, Feta and Mint
adapted from Martha Stewart
serves 2 as a main course and 4 for an appetizer or side portion
2 pita breads, cut into 1-inch squares
3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I used less)
Kosher salt (about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon)
Pepper, to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)
1 large cucumber, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice (or sub for more cucumber)
1 bunch fresh mint, trimmed and chopped
1/2 bunch watercress, trimmed or 1 cup arugula, slightly packed
6 oz. light feta cheese, crumbled (I used slightly less, about 4 oz)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread pita squares on a baking sheet and bake until they are crisp, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
In a medium salad bowl, combine toasted pita bread, celery and cucumber. Add vinegar mixture, and toss well to combine. just before serving, add mint and watercress or arugula and gently toss again. Sprinkle feta cheese over the top and season with more pepper.
As for me? I'm in the throes of moving. Pictures soon.