Yummy Spoon

Salads

Greek Salad

Juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber, red onion, green pepper, Kalamata olives and creamy feta, dressed simply with olive oil, red wine vinegar and dried oregano.

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Greek salad with cubes of feta, tomatoes, cucumber, olives and red onion rings
Photo: Flickr - cyclonebill - Græsk salat by cyclonebill, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A real Greek salad, or horiatiki, has no lettuce at all. It is a bowl of chunky, sun-ripe vegetables, salty olives and feta, held together by good olive oil and a pinch of dried oregano. It takes 15 minutes, goes with almost anything and tastes even better after a few minutes, once the tomatoes start to release their juices into the dressing.

Why this recipe works

  • Big pieces. Cutting the vegetables into generous chunks keeps them crisp and lets each bite taste of tomato, cucumber or pepper.
  • Salted tomatoes. A pinch of salt on the tomatoes a few minutes before serving draws out their juices, which mix with the oil to make the dressing.
  • Feta added last. A slab or large cubes of feta on top look beautiful and stay creamy instead of crumbling into the dressing.

Choosing the ingredients

Use the ripest tomatoes you can find; in winter, cherry tomatoes usually have the best flavor. Buy feta sold in brine rather than pre-crumbled, and look for Kalamata olives with pits, which have a better texture.

What to serve with Greek salad

FAQ

Can I make Greek salad ahead?

Chop the cucumber, pepper and onion up to 4 hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. Add the tomatoes, dressing and feta just before serving.

Greek Salad

Print recipe

Prep time
Total time
Servings
4
Yield
1 large bowl
Difficulty
Easy
Course
Salad
Cuisine
Greek

Ingredients

Salad

Dressing

Conversions are rounded for convenience. For baking, use the original measurements where possible.

Instructions

  1. Put the tomatoes in a large, shallow bowl, sprinkle with the salt and leave for 5 minutes.

  2. Add the cucumber, green pepper, red onion and olives.

  3. Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, oregano and pepper together, pour over the vegetables and toss gently.

  4. Top with the feta, drizzle with a little more olive oil and sprinkle with oregano. Serve within 30 minutes.

Notes

  • If raw onion is too strong for you, soak the sliced onion in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry.

Tips

  • Serve with bread to mop up the juices at the bottom of the bowl. That is the best part.

Substitutions

  • Add greens: a handful of chopped romaine turns it into a more familiar restaurant-style salad.
  • Vegan: use a firm plant-based feta or extra olives and capers.
  • Protein: add a can of drained chickpeas.

Storage and reheating

  • Best eaten the day it is made. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 1 day but the cucumber softens.
Salads Vegetarian Quick & Easy #gluten free #mediterranean #no cook #side dish #summer

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