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A traditional Greek salad is so much simpler that you might think. It’s a classic salad served in Greece that’s also called Horiatiki salad. It’s made up of tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, onions, feta cheese, and olives and drizzled with olive oil. It’s refreshing, simple and full of so much flavor!
What’s in a Greek salad?
Traditional Greek salad comes with very few ingredients and you might be surprised, there’s actually no lettuce in the salad. Here are the only 6 ingredients you’ll need, plus a super basic vinaigrette.
- Tomatoes: I like to use cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes as they tend to be the sweetest. But of course you can use regular tomatoes…got for ripe and juicy ones since they lend flavor to the dressing.
- Cucumbers: I like to use a Persian cucumber because they pack in more flavor. English will also work well.
- Red onions: Red onions add a great color to the salad and an important part of the recipe. They are also milder than yellow or white and can be eaten raw.
- Green peppers: The green bell peppers add a slight bitterness to the salad. You can use red, yellow or orange of you prefer. Get my tips for how to cut bell peppers.
- Feta cheese: A Greek cheese made from sheep’s milk, feta cheese has a wonderfully crumbly texture with a salty taste to it – a crucial part of any Greek salad. Go for blocks of feta cheese instead of crumbled to keep it more authentic.
- Kalamata olives: These are larger than green or black olives and slightly more mild. You can use black olives if you can’t find kalamata.
- Vinaigrette: This is simply a combination of oil and vinegar with basic seasoning. To make it simpler, you don’t even have to whisk the dressing ingredients together. You can simply drizzle the oil and vinegar and then season with salt, pepper and the dried oregano.
How to make a Greek salad
Chop the ingredients and place in a large bowl. The mix together the ingredients for the salad dressing and pour into the bowl .Lightly toss together the Greek Salad and serve or refrigerate.
Tips for making Greek salad traditionally
- Use feta cheese from Greece if you are able. It is so much better than pre-packaged feta and you should be able to get it at the deli counter.
- Use the freshest ingredients you can. Use the ripest tomatoes and firm cucumber and bell pepper.
- Chop the veggies into similar sizes. They will combine more evenly and it will be easier to eat.
- Toss the salad gently so that you don’t bruise any of the ingredients. It’s not a salad that needs to be emulsified with the dressing, so even just drizzling it on top will do.
Frequently asked questions
A classic Greek salad is a great appetizer or serve it as an accompaniment to any main dish. It works great with meat, fish, chicken and veggie dishes.It’s perfect to take on picnics or to serve as part of a cookout. Try it with:
Grilled Chicken Gyros
Salmon Burgers
Grilled Lemon Chicken
Beef Shawarma
Because there are no greens in this salad that can wilt, you can make this salad a couple of days ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge. It’s a great dish to take to potlucks and picnics during the summer.
A classic Greek salad is best served as an appetizer or side dish, but if you want to turn it into a fuller meal then you can easily ad some protein to it. Shredded chicken works really well, or you can keep it vegetarian by adding some chickpeas.
It’s so quick and easy to make this wonderful fresh and vibrant salad at home. It’s full of flavor and it’s such a great dish to serve throughout the summer.
More salad recipes
- Homemade Caesar Salad
- White Bean Salad
- Vegetarian Cobb Salad
- Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Salad
- Orange, Beet and Feta Salad
- Taco Salad
- Avocado Egg Salad
- Quinoa Avocado Salad
- Kale Tabbouleh Salad
- Tomato Caprese Salad
- Shirazi Salad
- Strawberry Caprese Salad
If you try this healthy-ish feel good Authentic Greek Salad recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then please come back to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
Classic Greek Salad
Ingredients
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved, or 3 vine-ropes tomatoes
- 3 Persian cucumbers sliced
- ½ small red onion sliced
- ½ green pepper sliced
- 4 ounces black kalamata olives
- 8 ounce block feta cheese
Greek Salad Dressing
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place the tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, green peppers, olives and feta cheese in a large serving bowl.
- Mix the ingredients of the salad dressing together in a small bowl and drizzle over the salad ingredients. Lightly toss to combine, being careful not to over-mix or break up the feta cheese (alternatively, toss everything and then add the feta blocks on top).
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
This is quick and easy salad but best of all it’s delicious!!! The dressing makes the salad love this recipe
Thank you so much! The dressing is definitely key!
I made this salad as a side dish for a potluck dinner with our new neighbors who made Vegetarian Indian Rice. It was a perfect perfect pairing. Thank you Yumna.
You’re so welcome! I’m so glad to hear it!
I love all your recipes!! I’m Greek and honestly, you are the only non-Greek that makes a real authentic Greek salad!!! Thank you for making the real deal!! You’re awesome Yumna😊
Thank you so much!! You’re so welcome!
Is probably the first time that someone refers to Greek Salad, and is actually a Greek Salad. Congrats, that’s exactly the way we prepare this dish (I’m Greek lol) . A small comment -we almost never use cherry tomatoes in this salad (unless we have no access to any other). Btw I love your recipes. They are always simple, close to the original dish and delicious.
Aww I’m really glad to hear it! Do you use regular tomatoes or no tomatoes at all? I actually created this recipe during the early pandemic days and I remember thinking I need regular tomatoes and didn’t want to go to the store! haha
We use regular tomatoes. Basic ingredients for Greek salad is Tomato-Cucumber-Feta-Onion-Olive oil. All the others is about personal taste. I do love green pepers and oregano. Some others love capers, and red smoked peppers in little pieces. Since the oil in a well-prepared Greek salad is enough, but also due to the tomato juices, the plate remains a quantity of oil and juices. This amount is received with the help of bread, which is dipped by the accomplices and is commonly called papara or ladobouki. This practice is not considered in accordance with the “good manners”, but it is very common in Greece …….lol !!!!
Nothing beats classic and simple salad as your Greek salad. I make all your no-lettuce salads. Healthy and refreshing.Thanks
I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you!!