This Greek salad recipe is easy, authentic, fresh, and absolutely delicious! A handful of simple ingredients, extra virgin olive oil, oregano, and a splash of vinegar is all you need.
This simple Greek salad was inspired by a trip to the islands of Patmos and Kos, where every little family-run taverna served their own version. It opened my eyes to how uncomplicated a true Greek salad should be! That’s exactly what I have recreated for you.
Horiatiki, or Greek village salad, is served most often from early spring through summer and up until mid fall. Like Bulgarian Shopska or Italian Caprese, the classic table salad uses just a few humble ingredients, yet has become an iconic dish that’s beloved around the world. It’s truly the best use of the season’s produce, like crunchy cucumbers, sweet tomatoes, and earthy green bell peppers. I know you’ll love it as much as I do!
What is in Traditional Greek Salad (Horiatiki)?
This easy recipe stays true to the traditional Greek salad, with easy-to-source ingredients and a no-whisk dressing.
- Tomatoes: Use Roma tomatoes or vine-ripe tomatoes. They stay somewhat firm, which works well with the crunchy bell pepper and onion.
- Cucumber: English cucumbers as they tend to be sweeter. If standard slicing cucumbers are all that’s available, fully peel their waxy skin.
- Onion: Red onion is sweet and mild enough serve raw. To further take the edge off, a quick soak in ice water and a dash of vinegar does the trick.
- Olives: Briny Kalamata olives are my favorite for a traditional Greek salad, but any high-quality olive you have on hand will work.
- Bell pepper: An authentic Greek salad only uses green bell pepper, but of course you can use whatever bell pepper you like.
- Feta cheese: Whole blocks of Greek sheep’s milk feta packed in brine is ideal, as you’ll get those satisfying large pieces that make a Greek salad so special. That said, crumbled feta can of course work in a pinch.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Use a full-flavor Greek olive oil, like our Private Reserve from Kyparissia.
- Red wine vinegar: Adds a dash of acidity to make an easy vinaigrette with no whisking necessary. Though untraditional, you can substitute with lemon juice, white wine vinegar, or lime juice.
- Seasoning: This salad is seasoned simply with a sprinkle of kosher salt and dried Greek oregano.
How to Make Greek Salad
This Greek salad recipe couldn’t be easier to make. Simply grab a serving bowl and get started:
- Shock the onion (optional). Halve and thinly slice one red onion into half moons. If you’d like to mellow its raw taste, fill a small bowl with ice water. Add about 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar to the water, then add the onion slices. Set aside to soak for 10 minutes or so while you prep the veggies.
- Prep the veggies. Slice 4 medium tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Partially peel a cucumber into a stripe pattern, then slice into half moons. Slice 1 green bell pepper into rings.
- Season. Place all the veggies in a large serving dish, along with a handful of pitted Kalamata olives. Remove the onions from the ice water and add to the platter with the rest of the veggies. Sprinkle on 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried oregano and a pinch of kosher salt.
- Dress. Pour in 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil and 1-2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Give everything a very gentle toss.
- Finish and serve. Break off or slice large pieces of feta and add to the top of the salad. Finish with a final sprinkle of 1/4 tablespoon of oregano. Enjoy!
What to Serve with Greek Salad
You can serve this simple Greek salad as a first course or side dish to just about any entree. But why not go Greek? Try:
- Meat: Chicken gyros, pork souvlaki, or lamb Kleftiko.
- Fish: Shrimp Saganaki
- Vegetarian: Gigantes Plaki (Greek Baked Beans), Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithosoupa), or Greek Tomato Fritters
- For Dessert: Portokalopita (Greek Orange Cake)
- To Drink: Ouzo, of course!
More Greek Recipes
Browse all Mediterranean Recipes.
Visit Our Shop.
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced into half moons
- 4 medium juicy tomatoes, sliced into bite-sized pieces or wedges
- 1 English cucumber, partially peeled to make a striped pattern and sliced into half moons
- 1 green bell pepper, cored and sliced into rings
- 1 handful pitted Kalamata olives
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 (7 ounce) block Greek feta cheese in brine, torn into slabs
Instructions
- Shock the onion (optional). If you’d like to mellow the onion’s raw taste, fill a small bowl with ice water. Add about 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar to the water, then add the sliced onion. Set aside to soak for 10 minutes or so.
- Combine the veggies. Place the tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, and olives in a large serving dish. Remove the onions from the water and add to the dish with the rest of the vegetables.
- Season. Sprinkle the vegetables with 3/4 teaspoon of oregano and a pinch of kosher salt. Add the oil and vinegar (to your liking) then give everything a gentle toss.
- Finish and serve. Top the salad with slabs of feta and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of oregano and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil and oregano used in this recipe.
- Leftovers? Cover and refrigerate them for up to 2 days.
- For a punchier lemon and garlic flavor, try this salad with another classic Greek Salad dressing: Ladolemono.
Nutrition
Try Our Greek Oregano!
This dried herb straight from Greece is lemony, fragrant, and perfect for everyday use.
*This post has recently been updated with new information for the readers’ benefit.
I suggest that you pour the red wine vinegar, only on the vegetables, and not on the cheese.
That would be good especially if not eating it immediately!
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.
Fantastic…am greek/italian and this reminds me of my YaYas recipes…good cookbook !!!!!
Wonderful, Cindy! I am so glad you like it! Welcome to The Mediterranean Dish.
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?
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!
Thank you
This was great! I was surprised at how good it was, being so simple..
I hear you! Sometimes, the simplest of recipes are the best. Glad you enjoyed it!
I love this salad. Now I know how to make it. Thank you so very much.
Awesome! Enjoy!
I like this Greek Salad. send me the free cook book. Thanks
Glad you enjoy it! If you sign up for the newsletter, you will receive a link to download the cookbook for free. Enjoy!
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.
Oh, the bread sounds heavenly, Jeff! Thanks for sharing!
Does this mean we Americanized the Greek salad?
Yes, but that’s okay, Cynthia! 🙂
Love these recipes
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?
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.
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?
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.
I thought this was even better the next day!
Yay! Awesome, Amber!
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!
That’s awesome, Matt! Glad to have you here!
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).
Awesome, Brianna! I am so glad you enjoyed it. And that turkey zucchini burger recipe sounds great…I’ll have to check it out!
Classic is always good. I love your Greek salad!! 🙂
Isn’t it though! Thanks very much, Del!
This looks amazing. Sometimes going back to the real deal basics is all the difference is a recipe.
Yes, totally Christine! Thanks so much for stopping in.