Upland Greek Salad with Avocado Yogurt Dressing
This refreshing crisp Greek salad recipe excuse is a great way to enjoy your upland and garden with homemade dressing
Summer is unofficially here. Thankfully, we still have time to get in shape before the summer solstice on June 21. One easy, tasty way I’ve cut back on calories is to pull upland birds out of my freezer and pair them with a fresh salad.
This recipe came about after eating lunch across from my office building at Public. This Wichita spot is a popular place with great drinks, food, and music. During my visit, I ordered their Greek salad with a tahini vinaigrette dressing.
I did not try to replicate Public’s tahini dressing, but rather, in keeping with the Greek theme, I opted for an avocado and yogurt-based dressing, which was very tasty. You can use whatever upland birds you prefer for this salad and prepare them as you like. You can roast and carve some pheasant to top off a salad or even air-fry your upland bird cuts and add them in.
When I’m picking a salad dressing, I choose ones that taste fresh, not a processed, low-fat ranch option. I also prefer the calorie count to fall between 20 and 40 for a serving size of two tablespoons. This dressing is 500 calories for the entire mix, with 22 two-tablespoon servings at 23 calories a serving. This dressing is on the low side of what I look for in a healthy dressing, and it is very fresh and tasty.
Upland Greek Salad with Avocado Yogurt Dressing
Ingredients
- 12 oz Thigh or breast meat from upland bird grilled and sliced
- Favorite spice mix or brine
Dressing
- 10 oz nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 large avocado
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano
- 1 medium lime hand-juiced
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Salad
- Spring mix
- Freshly diced tomatoes
- Freshly sliced cucumbers
- Freshly sliced red onions
- Kalamata olives
- Feta cheese chunks
Instructions
- To make the dressing, add only the diced avocado, fresh oregano, fresh lime juice, white wine vinegar, and kosher salt to a food processor or blender. Thoroughly puree and add it to a large mixing bowl. You can finely mince the fresh oregano before pureeing it or use the blender or food processor to blast it first. After pureeing and adding the contents to a large mixing bowl, add the nonfat Greek yogurt and honey. Stir in until there is a consistent, smooth texture. Cover it and place it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
- Spice or brine your upland bird overnight ahead of cooking. You can go as simple as kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper sprinkled over the meat. Allow the meat to dry, uncovered, in the fridge for at least six hours before cooking. Dry skin equals crispy skin.
- Either roast, smoke, or grill your protein, then, in a large mixing or salad bowl, add your spring greens, freshly cut vegetables, Kalamata olives, and feta cheese. Toss salad, then plate with cooked upland bird, and top with dressing. Enjoy!
Notes