This Greek Salad Cottage Cheese Flatbread is a fresh and vibrant meal that combines the warmth of freshly baked dough with the cool crunch of a classic Greek salad. Slathered with a homemade creamy tzatziki sauce and topped with savory feta and juicy vegetables, it is the perfect light lunch or dinner for warm weather.
With a golden, crispy crust and a refreshing, tangy topping, this flatbread is bursting with Mediterranean flavors in every bite.
Recipe Details
- Flavor Profile: This dish features a savory garlic-infused crust topped with tangy, lemon-garlic tzatziki and a salad mix of salty olives, sweet tomatoes, and crisp cucumbers.
- Texture: You get a delightful contrast between the warm, chewy pizza dough and the cold, crunchy vegetable topping.
- Time: 20 minutes prep (dough resting), 13 minutes bake time.
- Difficulty: Easy. It uses store-bought dough and simple fresh ingredients.
What You’ll Need
To make this recipe, you will need a baking sheet for the flatbread and a grater for the cucumber. The recipe has two main components: a homemade tzatziki sauce made from Greek yogurt and fresh herbs, and the flatbread base topped with a fresh Greek salad mixture.
Ingredient Notes
- Pizza Dough – You can use store-bought or homemade pizza dough (8 oz). Bringing it to room temperature is crucial for stretching it out evenly without it snapping back.
- Greek Yogurt – 2% plain Greek yogurt is the base for the tzatziki. It provides a thick, creamy texture and a nice tang.
- Cucumbers – You will need cucumbers for both the sauce (grated) and the salad (quartered). Persian cucumbers are great because they have thin skins and fewer seeds.
- Feta Cheese – This adds the essential salty, savory punch. It is used both baked onto the crust and crumbled fresh on top.
- Fresh Herbs – Fresh dill and mint are key for that authentic Greek flavor. Dried herbs won’t give the same brightness.
- Kalamata Olives – These olives provide a rich, briny depth to the salad topping.
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic goes into the sauce, while garlic powder seasons the crust for a double dose of flavor.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Protein – You can add grilled chicken strips or chickpeas to the salad topping for extra protein.
- Dough – If you want a lower-carb option, you could swap the pizza dough for a pre-made cauliflower crust or a large naan bread (adjust cooking times accordingly).
- Vegetables – Bell peppers or artichoke hearts would be delicious additions to the salad mix.
How to Make Greek Salad Cottage Cheese Flatbread
- Prepare the Dough: Remove the pizza dough from its packaging and place it in a small bowl. Cover it with a dish towel and let it come to room temperature for at least 20 minutes before baking. This relaxes the gluten and makes it easier to shape.
- Make the Tzatziki: While the dough rests, start on the sauce. Grate the small/medium cucumber and squeeze off the excess liquid using a paper towel or cheesecloth. In a bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, shredded cucumber, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, minced garlic, chopped dill, chopped mint, and 2 teaspoons salt. Stir together until well combined and refrigerate until needed.
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Bake the Crust: On a baking sheet, spread out the pizza dough until it is uniform in thickness. Sprinkle the dough with the garlic powder and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Pre-bake for 5 minutes.
- Add Cheese and Finish Baking: Remove the crust from the oven and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of crumbled feta and 1 tablespoon of fresh dill. Bake for 7-8 additional minutes until the edges of the crust are lightly golden.
- Make the Salad: While the pizza is baking, make the Greek salad topping. In a bowl, combine the quartered tomatoes, quartered Persian cucumbers, sliced red onion, and halved Kalamata olives. Season with salt and pepper, and toss with the remaining olive oil and remaining fresh dill.
- Assemble: Remove the crust from the oven. Top the warm pizza crust with the fresh Greek salad mixture. Add dollops of the chilled tzatziki sauce on top.
- Serve: Finish with a final drizzle of olive oil plus more fresh dill if desired. Enjoy immediately!
Pro Tip: Squeezing the liquid out of the grated cucumber is the most important step for the tzatziki. If you skip this, the water from the cucumber will seep out later and make your sauce runny and watery.
Recipe Tips
- Room Temp Dough: If your dough keeps shrinking back when you try to stretch it, it is likely too cold. Let it sit covered on the counter for another 10 minutes and try again.
- Seasoning the Salad: Toss the salad vegetables with the oil and salt right before serving. If you do it too early, the salt will draw moisture out of the veggies and make them soft.
- Serve Immediately: This dish is best eaten right away while the crust is warm and crisp and the toppings are cold and crunchy.
FAQs
- Can I use store-bought tzatziki? Yes, to save time you can use a high-quality store-bought tzatziki, but homemade offers a fresher herb flavor.
- Can I bake the toppings? The salad ingredients (lettuce, cucumber, fresh tomatoes) are meant to be eaten raw and cold on top of the cooked crust. Baking them would result in a soggy salad.
- How do I store leftovers? This recipe is best eaten fresh. If you have leftovers, remove the cold salad topping before reheating the crust, then add the salad back on.
Serving Suggestions
- Appetizer: Slice into small squares for a refreshing party appetizer.
- Main Dish: Serve as a light main course alongside roasted potatoes or hummus.
- Lunch: This makes a great open-faced sandwich alternative for lunch.
Make This Recipe in Advance
- Tzatziki: You can make the tzatziki sauce up to 2 days in advance. The flavors will meld and get even better in the fridge.
- Prep Veggies: You can chop the cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions ahead of time, but store them in separate containers and do not dress them with oil or salt until you are ready to assemble the flatbread.
Greek Salad Cottage Cheese Flatbread
- Total Time: 33 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Greek Salad Cottage Cheese Flatbread is a fresh and vibrant meal that combines the warmth of freshly baked dough with the cool crunch of a classic Greek salad. Slathered with a homemade creamy tzatziki sauce and topped with savory feta and juicy vegetables, it is the perfect light lunch or dinner for warm weather. With a golden, crispy crust and a refreshing, tangy topping, this flatbread is bursting with Mediterranean flavors in every bite.
Ingredients
Homemade Tzatziki
- 1 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
- 1 small/medium cucumber, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2–3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
- 1 small lemon, juiced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
The Flatbread & Salad
- 8 oz pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)
- 1/3 cup olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled and divided
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, divided
- 1/3 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered or halved
- 2 Persian cucumbers, quartered
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, halved
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
Remove the pizza dough from its packaging and place it in a bowl. Cover with a dish towel and let it sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. This relaxes the gluten, preventing the dough from shrinking back when you stretch it.
Make the Tzatziki
While the dough rests, grate the cucumber for the sauce. Crucial Step: Squeeze the excess liquid out of the grated cucumber using a paper towel or cheesecloth. In a medium bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, squeezed cucumber, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, minced garlic, chopped dill, chopped mint, and salt. Stir well and refrigerate until needed.
Preheat
Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C).
Bake the Crust
On a baking sheet, stretch and spread the pizza dough until it is uniform in thickness. Sprinkle the dough with the garlic powder and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes.
Add Cheese and Finish Baking
Remove the crust from the oven. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the crumbled feta and 1 tablespoon of fresh dill. Return to the oven and bake for 7 to 8 additional minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and crispy.
Make the Salad
While the crust finishes baking, prepare the topping. In a bowl, combine the quartered tomatoes, quartered Persian cucumbers, sliced red onion, and halved Kalamata olives. Season with salt and pepper, then toss with the remaining olive oil and remaining fresh dill.
Assemble
Remove the finished crust from the oven. Immediately top the warm crust with the fresh Greek salad mixture. Add generous dollops of the chilled tzatziki sauce on top.
Serve
Finish with a final drizzle of olive oil and extra dill if desired. Slice and enjoy immediately.
Notes
Squeeze the Cucumber: Do not skip squeezing the water out of the grated cucumber for the tzatziki. If you leave the liquid in, the sauce will become watery and runny as it sits.
Temperature Contrast: This dish is best served immediately. The magic lies in the contrast between the hot, crispy, garlic-infused crust and the cold, crunchy salad topping.
Dough Trouble? If your dough keeps snapping back into a ball when you try to stretch it, it is likely too cold. Cover it and let it rest on the counter for another 10 minutes to warm up.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Category: Lunch/Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 flatbread
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 1450mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
Keywords: greek salad flatbread, tzatziki pizza, healthy summer dinner, vegetarian flatbread, mediterranean recipes, homemade tzatziki, light lunch ideas
