Breakfast Salad (NYT Recipe)
NYT-Inspired Breakfast Salad with Marinated Feta
My Take on the Viral Recipe
The New York Times Cooking section never misses — especially when it comes to unexpected flavor combos. One recipe I’ve come back to again and again is their Breakfast Salad, a genius brunch dish that turns your morning greens into something you actually crave.
Their version calls for whole romaine leaves served handheld (think: finger food salad), but I’ve taken a slightly different route — chopping the lettuce, adding a few personal touches, and leaning into a marinated feta moment that honestly deserves its own spotlight.
This is my riff on the NYT breakfast salad, with the same essence but a few tweaks to make it easier, customizable, and a little extra delicious.
What Makes This Salad So Good?
Marinated Feta: Make it ahead and thank yourself later. It’s flavorful, versatile, and steals the show. This marinated feta is also delicious in pasta salads!
Simple but Savory Dressing: A few pantry staples dress the salad, no need to create an official dressing!
Perfect for Brunch or Meal Prep: Light, protein-packed, and gorgeous on a plate.
Marinated Feta (Make-Ahead)
You’ll want to start this the night before if possible (or give it at least 2 hours to soak up flavor).
Ingredients:
~4 oz feta (about half a block, sliced)
2–3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
Good quality olive oil (enough to cover)
Instructions:
Layer the feta in a small container.
Add garlic and peppercorns, then pour olive oil over until the cheese is fully submerged.
Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least a couple hours).
Pro tip: This feta is also amazing on toast with tomatoes and cucumbers, or tossed into other salads.
🥗 The Breakfast Salad: Essential Ingredients
This is where it all comes together. I’ve kept the NYT vibes but made it a bit more weeknight-friendly.
Romaine lettuce, chopped
Small Persian or Kirby cucumbers, thinly sliced
Hard-boiled eggs, halved
Avocado, sliced
Sprouts or pea shoots
Black olives, not in the original, but I love the salty kick
Chopped herbs for garnish: dill, parsley, mint, or whatever you have!
Optional: Toasted sourdough bread on the side
A Note on the Dressing
If you’re looking for a little more flavor than the original’s lemon-only approach. Here is my recipe for a simple shallot based vinaigrette.
Ingredients:
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine or balsamic vinegar
Juice of half a lemon (reserve the other half)
Instructions:
Let sliced shallots sit in vinegar for ~15 minutes (this softens their bite aka maceration).
Mix in olive oil and lemon juice.
Save the other lemon half to squeeze over the salad just before serving.
breakfast Salad with Marinated Feta Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes + marination time for feta cheese, Total Time: ~30 minutes
Yield: 2-4 servings
Marinated Feta Ingredients
~4 oz feta, sliced (about half a block)
2–3 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and minced
1/2 tsp whole black or mixed peppercorns
Good quality olive oil - my go to brand right now is Graza, recommend using the “Drizzle” bottle for this recipe.
Salad Ingredients
Romaine lettuce
1-2 lemons, halved
1 avocado, chopped or sliced
~2-3 ounces sprouts or pea shoots
2 small Persian or Kirby cucumbers, sliced
2 soft or hard boiled eggs, halved
Black olives (this is not in the original recipe, but it adds great flavor!)
1/2 cup of fresh herbs (or more!) - find the herbs you like best and chop them up for garnish, I love dill, mint, cilantro and basil)
Directions:
Marinate the cheese: Up to a day before or at least 2 hours before serving, marinate the cheese. Follow the steps above.
Make the dressing (optional if you are using my shallot vinaigrette above)!
Make your hard or soft boiled eggs: To determine the timing, use my guide here in the FAQ section.
Prep your veggies: Wash, dry and cut all the veggies listed above.
Layer the salad: Layer the lettuce onto a large plate. Squeeze lemon juice over the lettuce.
Layer the avocado, sprouts, cucumbers, soft or hard boiled eggs and black olives.
Crumble the feta on last. Top with your fresh herbs, more lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and more extra virgin olive oil, if necessary. Use the olive oil that you marinated the feta with!
Serve with warm sourdough bread.