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!
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Greek Salad (Traditional Horiatiki Recipe)
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.
Wonderful salad with a great dressing
I have been trying Susie’s dishes that she demonstrates online and I have learned wonderful new dishes and Susie is a wonderful teacher…she really inspires. me to keep learning.
I’ve made this greek salad many times. It’s always delicious and every one loves it. Shocking the onion is a great tip. I also use oregano from Greece which really makes a difference. The salad is as good if not better than our local Greek restaurant.
I’ve made this recipe 3 times now. We love eating it for lunch or dinner! The tastes meld together so perfectly and it’s so light and fresh tasting! I usually double the recipe so we can eat it all week.
Add a few capers and omit the wine vinegar.Kalamata olives are a must, as is Greek Extra-virgin Olive Oil. Eat with crusty white bread. Brined Feta too broken into chunks
I make this every week! It’s perfect for just me and when i have company. They always seem to be so surprised at how simple yet tasty it is. I tell them it’s the MD Greek oregano! Because it IS!
This salad was great. It was very easy and tastes so fresh. I will make it again. Thanks for another great recipe.
Mouth wateringly delicious!!!
Easy to make and so very delicious! I make extra and just drain any liquid off that accumulates to help it keep longer.
Looks like what my Dad made years ago haven’t had in 20 years using soon
Well Greeks do not use vinegar. Simply cut the tomatoes ahead of time, salt it and wait for the juices to come out, then put some cucumber, green pepper, onion, olives, feta cheese, extra virgin olive oil and….Bob’s your uncle.
Yes. My Italian friend used to make his salads similar salting the tomatoes, adding a bit of water, then more veggies and let the juices do the rest.
Love this! Its just me and it will be gone in 2-3 days. A little protein on the side and that will make a nice cool dish for these hot summer days. Thank you!
OMG!!! This traditional Greek Salad checked all the boxes for my family! It was absolutely amazing! So simple, fresh and delicious. We all agreed that when I make it again, we’re going to stuff this salad into pita pockets to enjoy on the beach when we go on vacation in a couple of weeks. It’s the perfect summer meal! Thanks so much for sharing, Suzy ♥
So good! And so easy too! Gives me confidence to try other Greek Mediterranean recipes. My husband stays away from cheese so I cut up an avocado in large chunks. It worked well. It’s pretty much all gone! Will make again soon.
I was looking for a recipe that would be basic and authentic, and this is it. It’s also nice to have permission to use an alternative to Kalamata olives, because oil-cured black olives are my passion. Shocking the onion worked great! Lately, I had been noticing how sharp and bitter my red onions seemed, and this time they were sweet and clean-tasting. And let me just say this: I love a salad without greens!
Another wonderful recipe Suzy!! I love the simpleness of the dressing!! I couldn’t stop eating it!