Greek soup and salad

Tonight we had a wonderful Greek meal! We had most of these ingredients on hand, so it was inexpensive and really super good. Leanne, the mother of my 10-year-old sewing student, Madison, gave me some late homegrown plum tomatoes at our last lesson. The combination of the warm, soothing soup with the cool, tangy salad will make you overeat! Serve it will some warm, crusty bread and you'll be drooling =) This combo is defintely a keeper!

Chicken Feta Soup

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
8 oz. crumbled feta
1 lb diced tomatoes with juice (fresh, not frozen)
14 oz. baby spinach leaves (fresh, not frozen)
32 oz. chicken stock
1/4 tsp. oregano
juice of one lemon
12 oz. cooked pasta (I used wheat spiral because I had it, but it calls for bowtie)

Boil chicken in the stock until cooked through. Remove from heat. Cool chicken enough to handle, and shred into bite-sized pieces. Return to pot. Add tomatoes, spinach, feta, oregano, lemon, and pasta. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Serve warm with crusty bread.
Serves 6-8.

The Ultimate Greek Salad

Dressing

6 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Salad

1 head lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces (I actually used spinach)
3 large plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 medium red onion, sliced (chill the rings in ice water for about 10 minutes and they're not as potent)
3/4 cup Kalamata olives
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Whisk dressing ingredients until blended. Combine all salad ingredients, except cheese, in a large bowl. Toss with dressing. Sprinkle with feta and serve.


Mmmmmmm!