Our easy no-fuss Greek salad shows how simple, fresh ingredients can make a delicious salad in 15 minutes. Following a classic recipe with chunky cucumber, tomato, bell peppers, feta and olives, plus a homemade oregano red wine vinegar dressing, you will be making this fresh salad on repeat.
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Why You’ll Love Our Greek Salad Recipe
Simple, quick and very appetising!
We adore easy salad recipes, especially when seasonal produce is in season, to show off its best qualities. Our Greek salad recipe is the perfect representation of this.
It does not get overly fancy or use too many ingredients but is packed with delicious textures and flavours.
This classic Greek salad recipe comes into play perfectly on warm days when we feel lazy and don’t want to slave over the stovetop. This is a no cook salad recipe using everyday ingredients we are familiar with, such as cucumber, tomatoes, bell peppers and feta cheese.
With a few easy chops and slices plus a simple tangy oregano salad dressing, this refreshing, easy Greek salad is ready to eat in less than 15 minutes.
Serve our easy Greek salad with your favourite grilled meats or take it to your next potluck party and watch it disappear. A fantastic salad to prep ahead and easily transported.
What Goes in A Greek Salad?
Also known as horiatiki salad in Greece, this name translates into village salad. It is assumed that the traditional Greek salad originated from farmers living in rural areas and basically putting together a meal with whatever they had on hand.
The traditional Greek salad generally comprises cucumber, tomatoes, onions, green bell peppers, olives, and a large block of feta cheese and is simply dressed with olive oil and dried oregano.
Over the years, there have been many variations to Greek salad, including adding lettuce. However, I love the classic combination of Greek salad without lettuce, so I am also sticking to this recipe.
What Is Greek Salad Dressing Made Of?
There are a few variations on what goes into a Greek salad dressing. I have kept mine true to the classic Greek salad recipe and used our oregano vinaigrette recipe, which is red wine vinegar, dried oregano and extra virgin olive oil.
Other variations of Greek salad dressing include added Dijon mustard, grated garlic and/or lemon juice.
All combined to create a zingy dressing that combines well with cucumber, tomato and bell peppers.
Recipe Overview
Flavour/Texture: Although Greek salad only comprises a few core ingredients, it does not skimp on texture and flavour. The freshest vegetables are chopped in chunks to get the juiciest taste and crunchy textures.
I love the sweet, refreshing combination of cucumber, tomatoes and bell peppers mixed with salty olives and creamy bites of feta.
With the added dried oregano, there is an earthy component to the recipe that gives the rustic homemade quality everyone enjoys.
Ease: No cooking, just simple chopping. Greek cucumber salad is one of the easiest salads you can make.
Time: Basically depends on how fast you can chop! Ready in less than 15 minutes.
Ingredients
These are the ingredients you need for Greek salad:
Cucumber: I have used Lebanese/Persian cucumbers for this recipe. However, English/garden cucumbers work well too.
Tomatoes: Select quality plump tomatoes. I prefer no cherry tomatoes in this recipe as you want large chunks of juicy tomato in the mix.
Green bell pepper: Bell peppers add crunch, volume and sweetness to the salad.
Olives: There are plenty of olive varieties available but go with a smaller black olive for their delicious saltiness. I used pitted kalamata olives for their salty briny flavour and kept them whole in this recipe.
Feta cheese: Salty, creamy and crumbly, Greek feta is the obvious choice here. Preferably purchase a block of feta rather than precut into cubes.
Dried oregano: Used in the Greek salad dressing and sprinkled on top to finish, dried oregano adds warmth, earthiness and aroma. It definitely helps tie everything together.
Variations and Substitutions
Vegan option: Substitute the Greek feta for your favourite vegan feta cheese.
Red wine vinegar substitute: If you don’t have red wine vinegar in your pantry, try lemon juice as a substitute in the Greek salad dressing.
Pitted olives or not pitted olives: I personally love olives, and in general, I love to eat those not pitted. However, for salads, I prefer pitted olives. The last thing I want to do is remove stones whilst I am trying to eat my salad.
However, there are some classic recipes that use not pitted olives in Greek salads. I think this is a personal choice.
Instructions
Step by step instructions for how to make Greek salad:
How to Make the Salad
Cut cucumbers, tomatoes and green bell pepper into large bite sized chunks.
Thinly slice red onion into half moons.
How to Make the Oregano Vinaigrette
In a mason jar, add extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar and dried oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Shake well until combined.
How to Assemble the Salad
Add chopped cucumber, tomatoes, green bell peppers, red onion and olives into a large bowl.
Dress salad with Greek salad dressing.
Toss together.
To serve, add block of feta on top of salad.
Sprinkle with dried oregano and season with black cracked pepper.
How to Make This Salad Perfectly (Expert Tips)
Good quality produce: There is no hiding with this simple Greek salad therefore, you need the best produce. Select quality cucumbers, bell peppers and ripe tomatoes for the recipe.
Ensure you also have a good quality extra virgin olive oil. The sharp peppery flavours will help enhance the sweetness of the vegetables.
Cut vegetables into similar sized pieces: Don’t be afraid to cut the vegetables into large chunks but also make sure they are similar in size, so the flavours mellow together well.
Some recipes slice the vegetables, but I prefer bite sized chunks.
Don’t crumble the feta: Serving the salad with a block of feta on top may seem odd to some, but this is how it is traditionally served in Greece.
With large broken chunks of feta, guests can select as much as they please. Whilst crumbled feta has a very creamy texture, I find this can overwhelm the salad when tossed together.
Keep the dressing simple: There are only 3 main ingredients in this Greek salad dressing recipe – extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar and dried oregano.
Other salad dressing recipes may call for Dijon mustard or garlic. There is no need, really. You want the fresh produce of cucumber, tomatoes, and bell peppers to shine through.
The feta cheese and olives will add extra flavour to the mix.
Great Mains for This Salad
Every classic Greek salad deserves a classic Greek main. Here are some of our favourites:
Nothing quite beats a traditional moussaka with eggplant and this is truly a personal favourite of mine! For lasagna lovers, this pastitsio surely could make the rounds in your kitchen!
If the weather is cold, how nice would it be to have some fakes, Greek lentil soup. Perfect for those meatless Mondays!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, of course! You can definitely make this salad in advance as there are no leafy green components. Add salad dressing and feta when ready to serve.
It is best to consume the salad on the day, but it will keep in an airtight container for one day in the fridge.
There are many great ingredient pairings with feta. You can use it in many types of cooking like pasta, baking or sauces. Try some of our favourite recipes like beetroot and feta salad, baked mushrooms or our whipped feta dressing.
No tedious cooking and very easy to make, our Greek salad recipe is one to add to your cooking repertoire.
Showcasing quality simple produce with light, refreshing flavours, you can’t go wrong when you serve this classic salad at the table for lunch, dinner, summer barbeques and all kinds of entertaining.
That’s all!
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Recipe
Easy Greek Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 cucumber, Lebanese / Persian
- 3 tomatoes
- 1 bell peppers, green, small
- ½ red onion
- 2 tbsp black olives
- 200 g feta, block
Salad Dressing
- 4 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dried oregano, + a pinch
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
Click on the toggle below for conversion to US Cooking Units.
Instructions
Salad
- Cut cucumbers, tomatoes and green bell pepper into large bite sized chunks.
- Thinly slice red onion into half moons.
Salad Dressing
- In a mason jar, add extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar and dried oregano.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Shake well until combined.
Assembly
- Add chopped cucumber, tomatoes, green bell peppers, red onion and olives into a large bowl.
- Dress salad with dressing and toss together
- To serve, add block of feta on top of salad.
- Sprinkle with dried oregano and season with black cracked pepper.
Notes
- Substitute the Greek feta for your favourite vegan feta cheese for a vegan recipe.
- If you don’t have red wine vinegar, try lemon juice as a substitute in the dressing.
- Select quality cucumbers, bell peppers and ripe tomatoes for the recipe. There is no hiding in the recipe. The freshest ingredients will make a difference.
- Ensure you also have a good quality extra virgin olive oil. The sharp peppery flavours will help enhance the sweetness of the vegetables.
- Make sure you cut the vegetables into similar sizes, so the flavours mellow together well.
- I prefer to keep my feta in large chunks. Crumbled feta has a very creamy texture, and this can overwhelm the salad when tossed together.
Nutrition
*Disclaimer: Nutritional information provided is an estimate only and generated by an online calculator.
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