Easy Maroulosalata Salad (Kokkari Copycat)

There is nothing better than a bright and refreshing Greek-style salad. Filled with crisp lettuces, bright herbs, and a creamy feta cheese dressing, Maroulosalata, aka a Greek lettuce salad, is the definition of just that. My Easy Maroulosalata Salad is a simple and healthy take on this traditional Greek recipe, and is a riff off of my favorite salad from famed San Francisco-based restaurant, Kokkari. It comes together in just a few minutes, and is perfect as an appetizer or as a main course!

Every time my husband and I venture into San Francisco for a date night, there’s one place that I want to go: Kokkari. Nestled close to the Embarcadero, Kokkari is a cozy, upscale restaurant known for creating timeless Greek dishes. From the Avgolemono (aka chicken and rice soup) to chicken and lemon rice, I love their rendition of traditional Greek food. There’s truly nothing like it!

But by far, my favorite dish to get there is their Maroulosalata, aka their greek lettuce salad. This salad may look simple on the surface, but is anything but ordinary. It’s made with crisp lettuces, fragrant herbs, toasted pine nuts, and a creamy feta cheese dressing to tie it all together. It’s reminiscent of the classic caesar salad, but made even better!

Luckily, however, you don’t need to travel to San Francisco to try this delicious salad. In fact, it’s so simple and easy to make at home! I love throwing this salad together on the days where I don’t have a ton of time to cook, but want something that’s filling and delicious. It’s the perfect salad to serve as an appetizer, or enjoy as a main course. No matter how you choose to enjoy it, you truly can’t go wrong.

What You Need to Make This Light, Refreshing Salad with Creamy Dressing

• Romaine Lettuce: When it comes to salad greens, I am a big fan of romaine lettuce. Why? Because it is perfectly crunchy and doesn’t easily get soggy, so your salad can always have the perfect consistency.
• Radicchio: Also known as Italian Chicory, radicchio is a bright red, lettuce-like vegetable that is perfectly crunchy and slightly peppery in flavor, making it perfect for this salad.
• Dill: Dill is one of my favorite herbs, and adds the best flavor to this salad!
• Green Onion: If you’ve never had sliced green onions in a salad before, let me be the first to tell you that they’re amazing. I love the taste that the green onions bring to this salad!
• Pine Nuts: Every salad needs a crunchy element, and for this salad, we’ll be using pine nuts. Toasted pine nuts are not only incredibly fragrant, but they also add a dose of healthy fats and plant-based protein to this salad.
• Olive Oil: Of course, this wouldn’t be a greek salad without the olive oil. Good quality olive oil is a staple when it comes to Greek / Mediterranean cooking, so it is essential to this recipe! My favorite olive oil is by Graza.
• Greek Feta Cheese: The key to getting the best flavor to this salad is to use Greek feta cheese that is in the brine, NOT crumbled. Why? Because it’s fresher and creamier, which means that it will lead to a better flavor and consistency in this dressing.
• Garlic: I highly recommend using fresh garlic cloves, in this recipe. It adds the best flavor that just cannot be replicated by garlic powder!
• Lemon: A squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds brightness to this salad, and helps cut through the fat of the Greek feta cheese.
• Ground Black Pepper: A pinch of black pepper adds the perfect balance of flavor!
• Water: Depending on how thick the dressing is, you may need a little bit of water to help thin out the consistency. You’ll want it to be thick and creamy, but still liquid enough to toss into the salad!

How to Make This Simple & Easy Greek-Style Salad

To make this salad, start by preparing the produce. Wash and chop the romaine lettuce, radicchio, dill, and green onions, and place them into a large bowl. Next, prepare the dressing. Add all of the dressing ingredients, minus some of the feta cheese (we will reserve this for topping the salad at the end!) to a blender.

Blend the dressing ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Depending on how thick the dressing is, you may need to add a little bit more water and re-blend, until your desired consistency is reached. Then, set the dressing aside and toast the pine nuts. Heat a small pan, on the stove, over medium heat, and add in the pine nuts. Allow the pine nuts to toast until they’re fragrant – this should take approximately 2-3 minutes. Watch them carefully so that they don’t burn!

Once the pine nuts are toasted, remove them from the heat and allow them to cool before assembling the salad. Toss the cooled, toasted pine nuts into the bowl with the produce and then top with the dressing. Mix the salad together, until all of the ingredients are fully coated in the dressing.

Finally, top the salad with the rest of the crumbled feta cheese and more dill, if desired. Then, serve and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to two days.

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.

** Photography by Gayle McLeod