Like BLTs, the best time to indulge in a Greek salad is during tomato season. That's the time when this mix of raw vegetables—usually tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and olives—tastes vibrant and dynamic, instead of watery and sad. And no one loves a sad salad.
To stretch this salad into a full meal, I immediately thought of lamb. Sadly, I didn't have time to roast a whole leg of lamb (shame), but I did have the eight minutes necessary to cook up these cute little lamb loin chops (which look like miniature t-bone steaks). The two components would have tasted fine together, but I wanted to find a way to truly combine them. That's where the yogurt-lemon dressing with feta comes in. The cooling sauce plays nicely with the lamb, while also adding some creamy and tart notes to the salad.
Recipe Details
Lamb Loin Chops with Greek Salad and Yogurt-Lemon Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh juice from about 1 lemon, divided
2 large tomatoes, stems and seeds removed, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup Kalamata olives, pits removed, cut in half
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 lamb loin chops, 4 to 6 ounces each
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Add tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and olives, and toss until combined. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the yogurt, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Stir in the crumbled feta. If necessary, season with salt and pepper.
Season the lamb loin chops with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a 12-inch stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chops. Cook without moving until brown crust develops, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip and cook until medium-rare, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer chops to a plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, divide the Greek salad between four plates, leaving as much of the liquid behind as possible. Add a lamb loin chop to each plate and drizzle with the yogurt-lemon sauce. Serve with more of the yogurt-lemon sauce.
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
616 | Calories |
48g | Fat |
11g | Carbs |
37g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 4 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 616 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 48g | 62% |
Saturated Fat 17g | 86% |
Cholesterol 116mg | 39% |
Sodium 832mg | 36% |
Total Carbohydrate 11g | 4% |
Dietary Fiber 3g | 9% |
Total Sugars 5g | |
Protein 37g | |
Vitamin C 18mg | 91% |
Calcium 148mg | 11% |
Iron 4mg | 23% |
Potassium 697mg | 15% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |