Top Greek Recipes that Use Vinegar

Written by Greek Boston in Greek Cooking Comments Off on Top Greek Recipes that Use Vinegar

Vinegar is one of those ingredients that is often included in recipes and we don’t even realize it. It enhances the flavors of a dish and adds something special to the taste. For example, it is traditional to finish Greek-style lentil soup with a little bit of vinegar just before serving it, and most of us don’t even realize it’s there.

However, there are some recipes that make vinegar the start ingredient. In these, vinegar is not only used to enhance the flavors of the dish, it is an integral, main ingredient. Here’s a look at some of our favorite recipes that feature vinegar:

Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing

It doesn’t get any simpler than this recipe. This is not only a great dressing, it can also be used as a sauce or condiment. You can use it to dress salads, particularly salads that involve lettuce and other greens, and it also tastes great on vegetables, such as green beans. You can also use it to finish soups, such as Greek style lentil soup or even use it as a simple dip for vegetables. It is definitely a good idea to make some of this in advance and keep it on hand.

Simple Greek-Style Lettuce Salad

This simple Greek-style lettuce salad gets its main flavor from the vinegar that is included in it. You can use any type of vinegar that you have on hand, it can be fun to play with the flavors a little bit. Each type of vinegar out there, such as balsamic, apple cider, or wine vinegar, brings a different type of flavor to this simple salad.

Traditional Snails in Vinegar 

Snails are found throughout Greece, and they are considered a delicacy. They’ve also helped feed the people in times of economic difficulty and poverty. There are stories all over Greece of how snails have felt feed hungry mouths during times of war and economic strife. These snails get their flavor from the vinegar mixture they are boiled in, and this dish is both easy and delicious.

Cucumber Salad with Vinegar and Honey

Cucumbers and vinegar go naturally well together. In this recipe, a simple vinaigrette is prepared that has been sweetened with authentic Greek honey. The affect of this is that the vinegar lends a classic brightness to the dish, while the honey mellows things out and perfectly complements the cucumber. Although the recipe does say to serve this immediately, I find that waiting about 15 minutes before serving tends to soften the cucumbers and makes them feel a bit more like a “pickle.”

Baked Fish with Garlic and Vinegar

When making fish, we tend to think that lemon is the perfect complement. While lemon is certainly good, vinegar can be just as good, depending on the dish. Both brighten up the dish and give it a nice acidic quality. This dish is versatile and can be served with anything, such as salad, roasted vegetables, and rice pilaf. Use a fresh catch of fish whenever possible.

These Greek recipes feature vinegar as the main ingredient and make a great addition to any table.

Categorized in: Greek Cooking

This post was written by Greek Boston