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Greek salad is a fresh, flavor-packed dish loaded with juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and creamy feta, all tossed in a simple olive oil and red wine vinaigrette. Briny olives, capers, and a sprinkle of oregano make this Mediterranean favorite unforgettable.
Here is Why This Greek Salad Recipe Works
Bold, Simple Flavors: No fuss here—just fresh veggies, creamy feta, and a zingy vinaigrette that lets each ingredient shine.
All About That Texture: From juicy tomatoes to crunchy cucumbers and briny olives, every bite’s got something to love.
Easy to Throw Together: It’s a one-bowl wonder! Toss it all together, and you’re basically done.
Perfect Make-Ahead: This salad gets even better as the flavors meld, so it’s ready whenever you are (or when you finally sit down to eat!).
The Ingredients
- Dairy: Feta cheese
- Produce: Tomatoes, English cucumber, purple onion, green bell pepper
- Pantry: Kalamata olives, extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, capers
- Pantry Seasonings: Sea salt, black pepper, dried Greek oregano
Variations
Greek Salad with Roasted Red Peppers and Artichokes: Toss in ½ cup of chopped roasted red peppers and ½ cup of marinated artichoke hearts.
Herb-Infused Greek Salad: Mix in ¼ cup of chopped fresh basil and ¼ cup of chopped fresh mint.
Greek Salad with Avocado and Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Fold in 1 diced avocado and ¼ cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
Tips for Success
- Slice the onions thinly: Thin rings of onion add just the right amount of bite without overpowering other flavors.
- Don’t skimp on the oregano: Dried Greek oregano brings authentic flavor, so be generous with your sprinkle!
- Serve with extra olive oil on the side: Some guests might want a little more dressing to bring out the flavors even further.
- Chill before serving: Letting the salad sit in the fridge for 15–20 minutes after tossing helps the flavors meld.
Storage
To store leftover Greek salad, transfer it to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days. Keep in mind that the vegetables may lose some of their crunch as they sit, so it’s best enjoyed fresh.
Freezing is not recommended for this salad.
Horiatiki Greek Salad
This Greek salad, or Horiatiki, is a rustic, no-lettuce salad that brings the essence of the Mediterranean right to your table. Fresh, bold, and packed with flavor,
Check out these recipes with feta cheese:
- Roasted Baby Beet Salad with Feta Cheese
- Feta Cream Salad Dressing and Dip
- Greek Cheese Triangle Pies (Tiropita)
This recipe was adapted from “Opa! Healthy Greek Cookbook” by Theo Stephan and Christina Xenos
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Greek Salad (Horiatiki)
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.
Ingredients
- 5 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
- An English cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 medium purple onion, thinly sliced into rings
- 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3/4 to 1 cup Kalamata olives
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 8 ounces feta cheese slices, cut diagonally into triangles
- 1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
- 2-3 teaspoons dried Greek oregano
Instructions
- Add the prepared vegetables to a large salad bowl with the Kalamata olives, salt and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and sprinkle with the red wine vinegar. Toss the salad together and place the feta cheese triangles on top. Sprinkle the capers and dried oregano over the top. Serve with a pitcher of olive oil for guests to add if desired.
- Alternative serving suggestion: Add the prepared vegetables to a salad bowl with the Kalamata olives, salt and pepper. Toss with the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Divide the salad equally into 4 serving bowls/plates. Place the feta cheese triangles on each serving and sprinkle with the capers and dried Greek oregano. Serve with a pitcher of olive oil for guests to add if desired.
Notes
- Buy the Kalamata olives with pits as they have more flavor than the pitted variety.
- The Greeks add large slabs of feta cheese to their Greek Salad (Horiatiki) so they can control how much cheese goes into each bite.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Yes! I have made and eaten this Greek Salad since my mother took a tour of Greece probably mid 1980’s. She was a self taught cook, having never cooked until she married. Her family had a cook so basically she never set foot in the kitchen. She was one of the best cooks around. She served us a Greek salad upon her return from Greece. She did leave out the capers. I have just read capers were included. But the Feta adds enough. Mom was eager to explain that Greek salads have no lettuce as the country is so arid and lettuce is near to impossible to grow. My family loved the salad then and still do now that they are out of the house.
Hi, Della….thanks for visiting our blog site! I loved hearing your story and your mother’s adventures in cooking, family memories are so precious! This is a wonderful salad that is full of nutrition and flavors, it is one of my favorites also.
Feta is my absolute favourite cheese. This salad is perfect for a balmy evening!
Hi, Sarah…This is really a great salad, low cal, healthy and easy to make. Thanks for your comments 🙂
Really love everything about this salad! I could eat this every day!
Thanks, Taylor….I agree! It is so healthy and low call. My kinda salad 🙂
what a gorgeous salad! plus nutritious & uncomplicated? sign me up
Oh my gosh! This salad looks so fresh and delicious! It’s so warm here, I’ve been having a salad every single day! This might be lunch, thanks!
Thanks, Kristine…This is a must for your salad days! Enjoy! 🙂
This is the salad I need in this hot weather. Looks delicious.
Thanks, Janette 🙂 It is perfect on a hot summer day!
LOVE this! I just found out I’m mostly Greek (I always thought I was almost all Italian lol), so I’m making an effort to eat ALL the Greek food!
Oh, that is funny, Lauren! Now you can enjoy all foods Greek, this is a delicious salad….but Italian is good too….try this Panzanella salad, it is a good Italian salad.
This is my favourite salad in the world. We ate so much of it when we were island hopping round Greece.
Hi, Danielle, thanks for stopping by our site. How I would love to go island hopping around Greece! 🙂
Our grocery store is full of produce from local farms at this time of the year. So many choices! I usually end up buying everything. Which is OK, because we’ve been eating a lot of main course salads for dinner lately (it’s been a HOT summer). This would be perfect — enough flavor and nutrition to be satisfying. Really nice — thanks.
Thanks, John….I know you will love this salad 🙂