Today we stick with the classic. A truly traditional Greek salad recipe is meant to be of few ingredients. Uncomplicated and fresh; just as served on the islands and villages of Greece. Best part, this flavor-packed salad comes together in 10 minutes!
I was lucky enough to visit the Greek island of Patmos and Kos back in 2006. Our group spent a good bit of time doing the touristy things and taking in the mix of Greek, Roman, and Ottoman landmarks. But the part I favored most was our visits to the smaller, off-the-beaten-path places. In particular the local shops and restaurants. I loved observing the Greek life and partaking of the simple, finger-licking Greek food.
It was at a small family owned restaurant in Kos that my eyes were first opened to the refreshing, uncomplicated, truly traditional Greek salad. Not the first time I ever had a Greek salad, but it was my first time having the real deal Horiatiki, or villagers’ salad.
VIDEO TUTORIALS
See the video for How to make Traditional Greek Salad:
So, What goes in a traditional Greek salad?
Horiatiki, or traditional Greek salad, is served most often from early spring to the early part of fall. It features the season’s quality juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and green bell peppers. There are no red peppers, yellow peppers or any other pepper variety. And there is no lettuce, nor any other leafy greens or vegetables in traditional Greek salad.
The seasoning is simple: a pinch of salt and dried oregano. And the dressing is a generous splash of olive oil. You may also add a little red wine vinegar.
Quality Greek kalamata olives and creamy feta cheese, made from sheep’a milk, are a must in a traditional Greek salad. And the cheese is never crumbled, but served in large chunks or blocks crowning the salad.
Simple.
Still there is no shortage of flavors in a traditional Greek salad. And the key to this salad is really in the quality of ingredients beginning with perfect ripe tomatoes. And be sure to serve this salad with your favorite crusty bread.
Traditional Greek Salad Recipe
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Prep Time: 10 mins -
Total Time: 10 mins
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Yield: 4 -
Category: Salad -
Cuisine: Greek
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 4 Medium juicy tomatoes, preferably organic tomatoes
- 1 Cucumber, or 3/4 English (hot house) cucumber preferred, partially peeled making a striped pattern
- 1 green bell pepper, cored
- 1 medium red onion
- Greek pitted Kalamata olives
- Salt, a pinch
- 4 tbsp quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 8 oz or more creamy Greek feta cheese in blocks (do not crumble)
- 1/2 tbsp quality dried oregano
Instructions
- Cut the tomatoes into wedges or large chunks (I sliced some and cut the rest in wedges).
- Cut the partially peeled cucumber in half length-wise, then slice into thick halves (at least 1/2″ in thickness)
- Thinly slice the bell pepper into rings.
- Cut the red onion in half and thinly slice into half moons.
- Place everything in a large salad dish. Add a good handful of the pitted kalamata olives.
- Season very lightly with salt (just a pinch). Pour the olive oil and red wine vinegar.
- Give everything a very gentle toss to mix; do NOT over mix, this salad is not meant to be handled too much.
- Now add the the feta blocks on top. Sprinkle the dried oregano.
- Serve with crusty bread!
shirlaine williams williams says
im in charge of salad this year with a family party next week soim doing this so simple but elegant
Suzy Karadsheh says
Awesome! Enjoy!
Cornelius says
Hi Suzy,
This salad is absolutely delicious! Had it with Baked Cod and Lebanese Rice yesterday, and some leftover today.
Used lemon juice in stead of vinegar, and sprinkled dry Basil over the tomatoes, which is the perfect herb in combination with tomato. Yummie!
Linda says
Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe. We rented a sailboat in September and tried Greek salads in all the small villages we visited. My husband loved the salad and I am happy to get as close as possible with your recipe. I have tried many of your recipes and find them easy to follow and tasty! Thank you.
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Linda, that is so great to hear. Thank you so much for taking the time to share!
Mary Wood says
This salad is awesome Suzy … I have it for lunch everyday.
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Wonderful, Mary! So glad!
Rachel Pugliese says
Hi, your recipes are amazing! Do you show calorie counts anywhere? Thanks
Suzy Karadsheh says
Rachel, many of your recipes include full nutrition information below the recipe. We are making our way through older recipes and adding the information as we are able.
Steve P says
It looks like the Greek salad that I get most of the time here on Long Island NY. But one thing is missing. All the Greek restaurants here for whatever reason always place a few rice stuffed grape leaves (dolmas ) on top. 2 on a small salad 4 on a larger one.
★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Hi Steve, Glad you enjoyed it. Greek dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) are absolutely delicious. They would not be considered an ingredient of Greek salad here, but rather an added personal touch. We will be sharing a dolmas recipe separately here in the near future 🙂
Bill Farley says
I’ve read that in the making of a Greek salad it is important to allow time for the flavor of the dried oregano to come out by mixing the oregano with the olive oil. Put all the ingredients into a large bowl except the feta cheese and olives, then add the olive oil, red wine vinegar and oregano, toss lightly and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, remove and add the feta cheese and olives. Toss lightly and serve.
I find this really brings out the flavor. What do you think?
★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Sure, Billy. Both ways work great. Personally, when we make this salad, it does take us at least 15 minutes by the time we gather at the table for dinner. So the time is definitely built in that way 🙂
Rose Bonn says
Absolutely wonderful! My friends asked for the recipe. My husband asked me to make it again!
★★★★★
Marjorie says
I’ve been To Greece a number of times and always love the Greek salad but i’m Fully aware that the same ingredients in New Jersey won’t taste the same because of the different in the terroir. That said, this is the perfect time of year to make this as the veggies are the best and freshest right now. I’m taking a long time to say that this salad was so delicious and refreshing on a hot and humid day in Jersey. We loved it I just made it today and we’re already planning on having it again this weekend. This is as good as it can be outside of Greece! Thank you for the recipe.
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Marojorie, thank you so much! I love hearing from folks who’ve had the real deal. You’re right, our ingredients here won’t taste 100% the same, but I’m glad to have something as close as possible.
Vel says
Fantastic salad, reminds me of travels in Greece. what I remember is, most often lemon juice used instead of vinegar. But love it both ways. Authentic indeed! Carry on. Love your site.
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Thanks so much, Vel! Lemon juice is often used as well. So glad to hear you enjoyed it.
Brenda says
I tried a number more times and now I see the correct video Don’t know why that was happening .
Can’t wait to make this Greek salad .
Suzy Karadsheh says
Awesome, Brenda! enjoy!
Jim says
This has been my favorite summer lunch since decades back when we spent weeks at a time backpacking through the Greek Islands having these rustic salads every single day for lunch, usually with glasses of local retsina.
This recipe is as I remember it except that I am certain that I never encountered a single Kalamata olive that had had its pit removed. Whole Kalamata olives have a better and more intense intense flavor and are firmer than pitted Kalamatas which tend to get watery and bland. But beware of the pits! I once inadvertently crunched down on an olive pit and had to wait until I got home to get a tooth repaired.
We tended to rate the quality of these salads largely by the number of olives, the size of the feta block and whether the maker topped the feta with oregano as many did not. The restaurant got bonus points if we could see the garden from which the vegetables were harvested from our table which was almost always outdoors and shaded. A few makers topped the feta with very finely chopped garlic and I do that when I remember.
I always make individual salads so that each person gets the correct proportions of the ingredients and so that people can dress their salads as they like.
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Jim, thank you so much for sharing! I am glad to hear from you. You are correct, Kalamata olives are better with the pit intact. However, I mostly use pitted olives to avoid any accidents 🙂
Maria says
Not sure if she would ever see this-but I’d love to respond to Cynthia if I may! In Greece there is a salad made with lettuce in the spring, dark leafy lettuce and it is mixed with fresh spring herbs such as mint and dill and has green onions in it, and often a lemon vinaigrette- the other popular salad of raw veg is the amazing one featured in this recipe. It is an Americanized version to add lettuce ( let alone iceberg) to the village salad. Thank you!;)
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Maria, thank you so much for sharing! I’ve had the salad you’re speaking of with the fresh herbs and dark lettuce. What is it called again?
Bill F says
Delicious and easy and reminiscent of delicious meals from vacation in Athens and Santorini Greece.
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Wonderful, Bill! Thank you!
micky says
I suggest that you pour the red wine vinegar, only on the vegetables, and not on the cheese.
Suzy Karadsheh says
That would be good especially if not eating it immediately!
Antoinette says
That’s probably one of the reasons why this recipe says put the cheese on top, sprinkling it all with the oregano, AFTER tossing the rest with the olive oil.
Cindy says
Fantastic…am greek/italian and this reminds me of my YaYas recipes…good cookbook !!!!!
Suzy Karadsheh says
Wonderful, Cindy! I am so glad you like it! Welcome to The Mediterranean Dish.
Darlene Johnston says
Help! All of these recipes look so delicious but I am allergic to raw tomatoes. I was told once to substitute red peppers in place of the tomatoes. Do you have any suggestions?
Suzy Karadsheh says
Hi Darlene. Oh sorry to hear! In salads, it’s easy to omit tomatoes in favor of a vegetable like red peppers…it is not the same of course, but will add color and texture still. Enjoy!
Rosena Ahrlett says
Thank you
Deb says
This was great! I was surprised at how good it was, being so simple..
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
I hear you! Sometimes, the simplest of recipes are the best. Glad you enjoyed it!
Joriene says
I love this salad. Now I know how to make it. Thank you so very much.
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Awesome! Enjoy!
ZAIBUN BEGUM says
I like this Greek Salad. send me the free cook book. Thanks
Suzy Karadsheh says
Glad you enjoy it! If you sign up for the newsletter, you will receive a link to download the cookbook for free. Enjoy!
Jeff says
Delish- it’s also good to serve with paximathia which is a twice baked bread from Crete. You can put the bread in the bottom and let the juices soak in for 30-40 mins or so. Or you can eat it super crunchy. Either way it’s amazing.
★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Oh, the bread sounds heavenly, Jeff! Thanks for sharing!
Cynthia says
Does this mean we Americanized the Greek salad?
Suzy Karadsheh says
Yes, but that’s okay, Cynthia! 🙂
Sue says
Love these recipes
Shannon says
We love Greek Salad, but have not had a lot of success making it at home. We buy the blocks of authentic Greek feta from a local Greek market. They come in a yellowish broth or brine. When we add them to our salad, they are so much saltier than the kind we get at our favorite Greek restaurant. Is there prep required for feta that I don’t know about?
Suzy Karadsheh says
Hi Shannon. Great question! So really authentic Greek feta can be on the saltier side. If you don’t enjoy it that salty, I found a few steps for you that you can try (the following info from curdnerd.com, and my mom used to do some of this):
Rinse just the amount of Feta you want to use under water and then allow to drain
Put it into a container that is big enough for the cheese plus another 25% room for liquid
Add fresh milk until it covers the cheese and put the lid on
Refrigerate for 1-2 days – the milk will draw out some of the salt from the Feta
Check the salt levels and if when you test the Feta it is still too salty, pour out the milk and then refill, leaving it for another 1-2 days before testing again.
Janice says
I made this once and we loved it. We ate it all up in one meal. But I’m wondering, can I make it the day before? Will it keep fine? Or should I not put the dressing on till ready to serve?
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Hi Janice. If you make it and you happen to have leftovers for the next day, it’ll still be good to eat. But my preference for this simple salad is to finish it on the day it’s made. If you need to make it the day before, prepare the ingredients and keep them refrigerated in tight-lid containers. Then assemble and add the dressing the day you serve it. Hope this helps.
Amber says
I thought this was even better the next day!
Suzy Karadsheh says
Yay! Awesome, Amber!
Matt @ ISUP Master says
Yum! So simple yet so tasty. I was looking for a good recipe for a Greek salad and I found a great one. I’ll be back for more recipes!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
That’s awesome, Matt! Glad to have you here!
Brianna says
Love this salad! The flavors are so wonderful and its made with pantry staples! I made it alongside with turkey zucchini burgers (from Jerusalem cookbook).
Suzy Karadsheh says
Awesome, Brianna! I am so glad you enjoyed it. And that turkey zucchini burger recipe sounds great…I’ll have to check it out!
Del's cooking twist says
Classic is always good. I love your Greek salad!! 🙂
Suzy Karadsheh says
Isn’t it though! Thanks very much, Del!
christine says
This looks amazing. Sometimes going back to the real deal basics is all the difference is a recipe.
Suzy Karadsheh says
Yes, totally Christine! Thanks so much for stopping in.