By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 2, 2026
Serves 1
472 cal · 45 min
Greek Salad with Paprika Croutons
Recipe GLPRc3e21426d42f0b
A vibrant Mediterranean salad featuring crispy smoked paprika croutons, fresh spinach, cucumber, tomato, and banana peppers, topped with crumbly feta cheese and finished with a tangy vinaigrette dressing.
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Ingredients
1 serving ciabatta or sandwich bread, cut into cubes
½ tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup fresh spinach
½ cucumber, peeled and diced small
½ tomato, chopped
3 banana pepper slices, chopped
2 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, or Greek dressing for serving
Coarse sea salt to taste
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Cut the bread into bite-sized cubes and place them in a small bowl.
In a small separate container, combine the melted butter with the smoked paprika, mixing thoroughly until evenly colored.
Pour the paprika-butter mixture over the bread cubes and gently toss until each piece is well coated.
Spread the coated bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the preheated oven.
Bake for 8–10 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the croutons are golden brown and crispy. Immediately sprinkle with coarse sea salt while still warm, then set aside to cool slightly.
While the croutons bake, place the fresh spinach in a large bowl. Add the diced cucumber, chopped tomato, and chopped banana pepper slices.
Add the cooled croutons to the salad bowl along with the crumbled feta cheese and freshly chopped parsley. Gently toss all ingredients together.
Drizzle the salad with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, or Greek dressing to your liking. Toss once more gently and serve immediately.
Comments
The ingredients are all available at Charlotte-area chains like Harris Teeter or Walmart without a special trip, but 45 minutes for a single-serving salad with homemade croutons is optimistic—expect 50 to 60 minutes once you cube bread, toast it, and prep the vegetables. The real issue is the single serving: this dish makes sense for one person only if you're not batch-cooking, which limits its weeknight usefulness for families. At roughly $3.50 to $4.50 per serving depending on feta prices, it's a solid light lunch rather than a budget-friendly dinner, and it doesn't improve much on day two since dressed salad wilts quickly. A great choice if you're cooking for yourself and comfortable with a longer lunch prep; less practical if you're feeding a household.
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