1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
500g dry, vacuum-sealed or frozen gnocchi
Sea salt and black pepper
500g cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
3 Lebanese cucumbers (about 275g,) halved lengthwise and cut into 1cm pieces
1 small green capsicum, core, membrane and seeds removed and cut crosswise into thinly sliced
20-25 Kalamata olives, seeds removed and torn
200g feta, broken into large chunks
Handful of mint leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried mint
1. In a large bowl, add the red onions and red wine vinegar and leave to marinate for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the salad. This softens the flavour of raw onion.
2. Heat a large frying pan on medium high heat for 2 minutes until very hot. Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, along with the gnocchi. Drizzle the top of the gnocchi with a little more oil so it's covered. Season with sea salt and lots of black pepper. Leave to cook undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes until golden on the bottom and then toss constantly until the gnocchi is golden all over, another 2-3 minutes. If it ever looks dry, drizzle with a little more olive oil. Turn off the heat.
3. To the red onion, add the tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum, black olives, feta, mint, and dried herbs. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and season well with sea salt and black pepper. When ready to eat, add the gnocchi, toss well to combine. Serve immediately.