Salad · Greek
How do you make an authentic Greek salad?
The short answer
A real Greek salad, or horiatiki, has no lettuce — just ripe tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, red onion, Kalamata olives and a slab of feta, dressed simply with olive oil, red wine vinegar and dried oregano. Serve it at room temperature so the tomatoes taste their best.
A proper Greek salad is a summer of ripe tomatoes in a bowl. There is no lettuce and no fuss — the whole point is a handful of excellent ingredients dressed with good olive oil and left to taste of themselves. The feta goes on top in a single slab, not crumbled, so it stays creamy.
Because it lives or dies on its produce, make this when tomatoes are in season and at room temperature. It is the perfect no-cook side for a rich pasta like spaghetti carbonara, or a light lunch next to a bowl of creamy tomato basil soup.
Does a real Greek salad have lettuce?
No. Traditional horiatiki (village salad) contains no lettuce at all — it is built on tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, onion, olives and feta. Adding lettuce turns it into a different, more Americanised salad; leave it out for the authentic version.
Tips
- Salt the tomatoes lightly a few minutes before dressing to draw out their juices.
- Use the best feta you can (look for Greek PDO feta) and real Kalamata olives.
- Soak the sliced onion in cold water for 10 minutes if you find raw onion too sharp.
Storage
Greek salad is best eaten fresh. Undressed, the chopped vegetables keep for a day in the fridge; add the dressing and feta just before serving so nothing goes soggy.
SiteName Kitchen
Salad · Greek
Classic Greek Salad
Authentic Greek salad (horiatiki) with ripe tomatoes, cucumber, olives and a slab of feta — no lettuce, just a simple olive oil and oregano dressing.
- Prep
- Cook
- Total
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- ~220 kcal / per serving
Ingredients
- 4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 1 cucumber, halved and sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 200 g (7 oz) feta, in a slab or cubed
- 100 g (⅔ cup) Kalamata olives
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dried oregano, plus extra
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Add the tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper and red onion to a large bowl.
- 2
In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- 3
Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss gently to combine.
- 4
Top with the olives and the feta — traditionally left as a whole slab — and sprinkle with a little more oregano.
- 5
Serve at room temperature with crusty bread to mop up the juices.
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