I don’t know about you but I could eat a salad every single day of my life, and Santorini Salad with Cucumber-Basil Yogurt Dressing is one of the best! The combination of crunchy romaine lettuce, crispy baked garbanzo beans, fresh tomatoes, tangy feta cheese and sauteed lemon shrimp drizzled with a killer Cucumber-Basil Yogurt Dressing is one for the books. I usually forgo creamy dressings in favor of vinaigrette, but this cooling Greek-yogurt number is divine!
Now, I can’t take all the credit for this creation. The Santorini Salad is one of the menu items at SweetGreen, the made-to-order salad shop we visited the last time we were in DC. I was trying to decide between the Kale and Wild Rice Bowl and this salad, and while the Wild Rice Bowl eventually won out, I obviously haven’t been able to get this fresh, Mediterranean-inspired salad out of my mind. This is the kind of meal that you feel yourself getting healthier after eating. How many other dishes can you say that about?
Start by making the baked garbanzo beans which are added as a crispy-crunchy salad topping. Drain then rinse 1 can garbanzo beans, which are also sometimes called chickpeas.
Dry the beans off well in a kitchen towel then toss with 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, garlic salt, and pepper then bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown, shaking the pan halfway through. The garbanzo beans will crisp as they cool. Set those babies aside to cool and try not to munch your way through the entire batch before assembling your salads. You’ve been warned.
Next make the Cucumber-Basil Yogurt Dressing – my favorite part of the salad. In food processor or blender combine 1/2 small cucumber, 2 Tablespoons each plain Greek yogurt, chopped fresh basil, and extra virgin olive oil, 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 small garlic clove, salt and pepper then let ‘er rip. Dressing = done! Mmm, you’ll just love it.
Next get the shrimp ready. Pat 1lb peeled and de-veined shrimp dry with a paper towel then mist with extra virgin olive oil and season with garlic salt and pepper. Add them to a hot skillet over medium-high heat then cook for 1-2 minutes a side, or until just cooked through.. You may need to do this in a couple batches as to not crowd the skillet.
Finish by squeezing the juice of 1/2 lemon over the shrimp then let the juice sizzle away for 30 seconds or so before removing them to a plate.
Fill plates with chopped romaine lettuce then top with the sauteed lemon shrimp and crispy baked garbanzo beans, along with halved grape or cherry tomatoes, and crumbled feta cheese. Drizzle the Cucumber-Basil Yogurt Dressing on top, then chow down!
The dressing on this salad makes it feel very fancy – but you saw how easy it was to make. Plus, thanks to the cooling cucumber and yogurt, it makes for a wonderful meal on a hot spring or summer night. Enjoy!
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