Liven up holiday parties with a refreshing gyros salad
Layered gyros salads are hits at any home party. Especially between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, people look for good, tried-and-true options that aren't too heavy. For the gyros salad, I recommend a lighter sauce—this version won't "sit" heavily on the stomach.
Gyros salad owes its name mainly to the gyros spice, which is added to the fried meat. It's usually chicken, but sometimes minced meat is used in some recipes.
Light yogurt dressing
What pairs perfectly with fried meat strongly seasoned with intense spices is traditionally mayonnaise. Unfortunately, right after the holidays, many people feel heaviness and slightly tighter pants, so to avoid extra digestive problems, it's better to replace this ingredient with another product. The best choice is natural yogurt with a thick, velvety texture. I do not recommend Greek yogurt—although its consistency is tempting, it is not a low-calorie dairy product. The yogurt should be properly seasoned. Here, too, you should be careful with the seasonings because premade gyros spice mixes contain a lot of salt, which can cause water retention in the body and lead to feelings of fullness and bloating.
Recipe for a lighter version of gyros salad
The presentation of a gyros salad is part of its appeal. You can use a salad bowl or a glass baking dish, such as a pâté mold.
Ingredients:
- 1 double chicken breast
- 3 tablespoons of homemade ketchup or one with a good ingredient list
- 1 large red onion
- 7 oz of canned corn
- 3 large pickled cucumbers
- 7 oz of thick natural yogurt
- 2 cloves of garlic
- optionally, 1 tablespoon of 18% sour cream
- freshly ground black pepper
- butterhead or romaine lettuce (a few leaves)
- 1 tablespoon of gyros spice (can also be homemade)
- 3 tablespoons of crispy fried onions
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil for frying
Preparation:
- Clean the meat and cut it into small cubes. Fry in hot oil, season with gyros spice, and set aside. Learn how to cleverly remove membranes from chicken.
- Peel and dice the onion. Drain the corn. Dice the pickled cucumbers.
- Peel the garlic cloves and press them through a garlic press. In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, garlic, freshly ground black pepper, and optionally a tablespoon of sour cream.
- Wash, dry, and tear the lettuce into smaller pieces.
- Layer the ingredients in a dish—starting with the chicken, then ketchup, followed by red onion, pickled cucumbers, corn, white sauce, and top with lettuce and crispy onions. The lighter version of the layered gyros salad can "marinate" for a moment before serving.
