Greek Cherry Tomato Salad

This salad is so yummy – it has several of my favorite things in it – tomatoes, kalamata olives and feta cheese.  It is the perfect healthy side dish to bring to a party or for a Greek inspired meal.   Definitely a keeper in this house – I’m sure I’ll be making this recipe many times.  Enjoy! 

Ingredients

• 2 pints cherry tomatoes , ripe, halved (about 4 cups)
• Table salt
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 2 medium garlic cloves , minced
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 shallot , minced
• 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• Ground black pepper
• 1 small cucumber , peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
• 4 ounces feta cheese , crumbled (about 1 cup)
• 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

1. Toss tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and sugar in medium bowl; let stand for 30 minutes.

2. Transfer tomatoes to salad spinner and spin until seeds and excess liquid have been removed, 45 to 60 seconds, stirring to redistribute tomatoes several times during spinning. Return tomatoes to bowl and set aside.

3. Strain tomato liquid through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible.

4. Bring 1/2 cup tomato liquid (discard any extra), garlic, oregano, shallot, and vinegar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until reduced to 3 tablespoons, 6 to 8 minutes.

5. Transfer mixture to small bowl and cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes.

6. Whisk in oil and pepper to taste until combined. Taste and season with up to 1/8 teaspoon table salt.

7. Add cucumber, olives, feta, dressing, and parsley to bowl with tomatoes; toss gently and serve.

Source: Cooks Illustrated

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