Ovcharska Salad with a Twist
Ovcharska Salad is a delicious traditional Bulgarian salad, known for its vibrant mix of fresh vegetables, savory ham, and creamy feta cheese. This version is specially adapted for meal prep, making it a perfect choice for those who want a convenient, nutritious, and hearty meal option. With layers of fresh vegetables, protein-packed ham, and hard-boiled eggs, this salad stands out as both a satisfying main course and a delightful side dish.
Ingredients
🍅 2 medium-sized tomatoes
🥒 1 cucumber or 5 small cucumbers
🧅 1/2 red onion
🌶️ 1.5 medium orange bell peppers
🍄 8 oz button mushrooms
🥚 4 hard-boiled eggs
🍖 Cubed ham, as desired
🌿 1-3 sprigs parsley, destemmed and finely chopped
🍃 1-3 sprigs dill, destemmed and minced
🧀 Feta cheese, grated, as desired
🫒 Carapelli Original Extra Virgin Olive Oil
🍷 Priano Red Wine Vinegar
🧂 Salt
🌶️ Black pepper
Instructions
1- Hard-boil the eggs:
- Place the eggs in a stainless steel saucepan.
- Fill with water, bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let them cook in hot water until hard-boiled (about 10-12 minutes).
- Transfer to an ice bath to cool, then peel and halve lengthwise.
2- Prep the Vegetables:
- Dice the cucumbers into small cubes.
- Halve and seed the bell peppers, then slice them julienne-style.
- Halve the tomatoes, remove the stem, and slice thickly.
- Peel and thinly slice the red onion.
3- Blanch the Mushrooms:
- Boil the mushrooms for 3-4 minutes in the saucepan.
- Cool them in an ice bath.
- Slice once cooled.
4- Prepare the Dressing:
- In a stainless steel mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced dill, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
- Adjust seasoning and oil to taste.
5- Assemble the Salad in Meal Prep Containers:
- Layer the sliced mushrooms at the bottom.
- Follow with layers of tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, red onions, and cubed ham.
- Top with halved eggs and generous amounts of grated feta cheese.
- Garnish with chopped parsley.
6- Serving:
- Pour the dressing over the salad right before serving or store it separately to maintain freshness.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: Makes approximately 2 meal-sized servings
Calories: ~450-500
Proteins: ~20-25g
Fats: ~35-40g
Carbohydrates: ~25-30g
Equipment:
- Wooden cutting board
- Red-handled chef's knife
- Stainless steel saucepan
- Stainless steel mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Box grater
- Plastic meal prep containers
- Paper towels or dish towels
- Fork
- Generic pepper mill
Cooking Tips
- Blanching mushrooms enhances their texture for a richer salad experience.
- Avoid early dressing to keep the salad crisp through meal prep.
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Mitch Mai: https://www.youtube.com/@mitchmai
#mitchmai
Ovcharska Salad with a Twist
