Greek Salad
Authentic Horiatiki — Greek country salad with NO lettuce. Just tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, green pepper, olives, and a thick slab of feta on top. Dressed simply with olive oil and oregano. The Greek refusal to put feta in cubes is a hill worth dying on.
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
27 min
Servings
2
Calories
430 cal
🛠 Interactive Recipe Tools — Use them right here on this page
Smart Servings Scaler
- Lettuce1 cups
- Feta Cheese½
- Olive½
- Tomato1 medium
- Cucumber½
- Olive Oil1 tbsp
- Lemon Juice½
- Black Pepper¼ tsp
- Salt½ tsp
All quantities scaled automatically from 2 servings.
Ingredients
Makes 2 servings · Use the Servings Scaler above to adjust
- Lettuce1 cups
- Feta Cheese0.5
- Olive0.5
- Tomato1 medium
- Cucumber0.5
- Olive Oil1 tbsp
- Lemon Juice0.5
- Black Pepper0.25 tsp
- Salt0.5 tsp
Instructions
- 1
Cut 4 ripe tomatoes into wedges (not cubes) — about 8 pieces per tomato. Use the best tomatoes you can find; this is a tomato-forward dish.
- 2
Peel 1 cucumber in alternating strips (decorative AND removes bitterness). Cut into thick half-moons, about ½ inch.
- 3
Halve 1 small red onion. Slice paper-thin against the grain. Soak in cold water for 5 minutes to mellow the sharpness, then drain.
- 4
Slice 1 green bell pepper into thin rings (remove seeds). Add to the salad.
- 5
Combine vegetables in a wide shallow bowl. Add ½ cup Kalamata olives (whole, with pits — pit-removed olives taste flatter). Drizzle 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil over everything. Sprinkle generously with dried oregano (Greek oregano is best — fresher and more aromatic).
- 6
Place a thick slab of feta (200g, in one piece — not crumbled) on top. Drizzle the feta with more olive oil and another sprinkle of oregano. Don't toss the salad — let people break the feta as they serve. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the juices.
Watch how to make Greek Salad
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💡 Expert Tips
- 1.Greek feta is non-negotiable. Bulgarian feta is creamier (also great); supermarket 'feta-style' crumbles are bland and don't melt into the dressing properly.
- 2.DO NOT add lettuce. This is a hill Greeks die on. Real horiatiki has no greens.
- 3.The juices at the bottom of the bowl are the best part — sop up with bread. Don't waste them.
- 4.Use the best olive oil you can afford. With only 3 ingredients in the dressing, quality is everything. Greek single-estate oils are spectacular.
🔬 Why It Works
The simplicity is the point. Each ingredient must be at peak quality because there's nothing to hide behind. Tomatoes provide acidity and sweetness. Cucumber brings water and freshness. Red onion contributes bite. Olives add savory umami. Feta brings creaminess and salt. Olive oil and oregano bridge all the flavors. The salt in the feta seasons the whole salad as it sits — no need to add separate salt. This is Mediterranean cooking at its purest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don't Greeks put lettuce in this?▾
What's the best feta to use?▾
Can I add chicken or shrimp?▾
How do I keep the tomatoes from getting watery?▾
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Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 2 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 2 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
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