Greek salad, the AIP way

This Greek salad is built the honest way: crisp greens, cucumber, olives, and a sharp herb dressing that firms up cold into something that stands in for a salty bite, all on its own terms. Fast, filling, and it asks nothing of the stove.

The chicken brings protein to steady you through the afternoon, and the olive oil, garlic, herbs, and lemon carry polyphenols and brightness. The dressing does real work: chilled, it firms into a creamy, savory texture that satisfies on its own.

Build it with color and care: green leaves, pale cucumber, dark olives, the shine of good oil. Before you eat, take a breath and look at the plate. A beautiful salad, eaten slowly, lands in the body differently than one eaten in a hurry.

Ingredients

Salad:

• 1 lb cooked chicken, chopped (skip the chicken to serve this as a side)
• 8 cups mixed greens, chopped
• 4 oz black olives, sliced (omit for low-histamine)
• 1 cup cucumber, sliced
• 1 red onion, chopped

Dressing:

• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup lemon juice (omit for low-histamine)
• 1 1/3 tbsp apple cider vinegar (omit for low-histamine; note that the source confirms apple cider vinegar is AIP while white vinegar is not, since white vinegar is grain-derived)
• 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

Method

Add the chopped chicken, mixed greens, olives, cucumber, and red onion to a large bowl and toss to combine.

In a separate bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, oregano, garlic, basil, salt, and ground ginger until the dressing emulsifies. If you make it ahead and chill it, it firms up into a creamy texture that stands in for the salty richness of feta; let it come back to a pourable consistency or spoon it on as is.

Dress the salad right before serving so the greens stay crisp, then toss and bring it to the table.

*Adapted from a-clean-plate*