
Here’s a perfect make-ahead recipe for easy entertaining, Greek Composed Salad. A composed salad is a salad in which the ingredients are arranged in a colorful eye-appealing manner and drizzled with a vinaigrette. There is a nice balance of color, texture and flavors. The salad is a meal with a protein, vegetables, and sometimes a starch, such as potatoes or beans. The salad is not tossed, each of the ingredients lies on the plate in a row, allowing guests to select their favorites.
This recipe for a Composed Greek Salad has chopped Romaine lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes, assorted bell peppers, red onion, cucumbers, Kalamata olives and Feta cheese. I grilled chicken breasts and cut them on the bias to add to the platter. Toss the lettuce, lay on the platter and the arrange the other ingredients in rows around the chicken and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.
Not only is this a colorful and palate pleasing dish, it’s has minimal cleanup and quantities are easily doubled or tripled for a big bash!
To accompany the salad, make this delicious Humus recipe and serve with warm pita triangles.
Chicken Marinade:
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 large lemon)
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 boneless, skinless whole chicken breasts, split and pounded to an even thickness
METHOD
Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Add the chicken, toss to coat and let marinate for a few hours or overnight.
Preheat the grill or griddle and cook the chicken.
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing on the bias.
Greek Vinaigrette:
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons dried Turkish oregano, crushed by rubbing the herbs in the palms of your hand
1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
METHOD
Place the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper in a covered container and shake well.
Salad:
4 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
1 each red, green and yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 English cucumber, peeled or not, and sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
METHOD
Toss the Romaine lettuce with one-half of the vinaigrette and spread over a large platter.
Place the chicken in the center of the platter and arrange the individual salad ingredients in rows around the chicken.
Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the vegetables.
NOTE: Shake vinaigrette well before using.
Composed Greek Salad

A colorful and delicious one-dish meal that’s easy to prepare and has minimal cleanup. Lots of fresh vegetables!
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Entree Salad (chicken)
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Add the chicken, toss to coat and let marinate for a few hours or overnight.
Preheat the grill or griddle and cook the chicken.
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing on the bias.
Greek Vinaigrette
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons dried Turkish oregano, crushed by rubbing the herbs in the palms of your hand
1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Salad
4 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
1 each red, green and yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 English cucumber, peeled or not, and sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
Instructions
Chicken Marinade
Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Add the chicken, toss to coat and let marinate for a few hours or overnight.
Preheat the grill or griddle and cook the chicken.
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing on the bias.
Greek Vinaigrette
Place the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper in a covered container and shake well.
Salad
Toss the Romaine lettuce with one-half of the vinaigrette and spread over a large platter.
Place the chicken in the center of the platter and arrange the individual salad ingredients in rows around the chicken.
Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the vegetables.
Note: Shake vinaigrette well before using.
Notes
Vinaigrette can be made a day or two in advance.
Keywords: composed salad, greek salad, greek vinaigrette, salad, entree salad, chicken salad