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Authentic Greek Salad Recipe Greece, Europe

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We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though

Introduction & history

This simple summer salad consisting of seasonal vegetables is only assembled, but it is never tossed before serving. Wedges of ripe, sweet tomatoes are combined with thick slices of cucumber and strips of green pepper and placed on a plate or in a shallow bowl. Onion, typically a red variety, is very thinly sliced and sprinkled on top of cucumber, peppers, and tomatoes together with Kalamata olives which should be unpitted so they remain firm. After the salad has been drizzled with some olive oil and perhaps a splash of red wine vinegar, a thick, large slice of feta cheese is placed on top. Lastly, to finish, the salad is sprinkled only with dried Greek oregano. Additional ingredients may include purslane and capers, while often recipes will exclude any acid component. Greek salad, although typically served as an appetizer, can also be served as a main course in which case it's accompanied by some crusty bread on the side.

Cooking tips

  • oregano

    If you'd like to make an authentic Greek salad, try to find Greek oregano. The recipes typically call for a dusting of dried oregano, but some chefs swear that using fresh oregano improves the flavor of the salad.
  • ingredients

    Ingredients added to this salad will vary across Greece and depend on the season. Some of the more common ones include capers and purslane. For a proper Greek salad, you should use only red onion, while purists claim the salad should not be dressed with any vinegar, but only with olive oil. Outside of Greece, this salad will often include lettuce, potatoes, bell peppers, and even chicken meat.
  • feta cheese

    One may often come across recipes which call for cubes of feta cheese. However, in Greece a slab of feta cheese, not cubes, is placed on top of the salad. When ready to eat, the first thing you do is break the cheese with your fork and then start grabbing the pieces of cheese and vegetables to eat. Another thing to take note of when it comes to feta is that not all fetas are the same, they do vary ... Read more
  • dressing

    When dressing your salad, don't be skimpy with the olive oil. Of course, you should not drown your salad in oil, but make sure it's well coated. Also, if you're using vinegar, you should aim for a 2:1 ratio of oil to vinegar, and although this is not traditional, you can use lemon juice instead of vinegar.
  • onion

    If you can't stand the taste of raw onions, soak the onion slices for 20 minutes in vinegar or lemon, that you will also use to dress the salad, together with some salt, as this will make their taste mild and mellow.
  • olives

    Traditionally, Kalamata olives are used, but you can substitute with any black or green olive. However, always try to go for unpitted ones as they have more flavor as opposed to pitted ones which are just briny and mushy.
  • method

    Although simple, there is a method to Greek salad. There are some rules mainly regarding how to cut the ingredients. Tomatoes, for example, need to be cut into chunks or thick slices, as they will better release juice if cut like that. Cucumber needs to be peeled, and the seeds can be removed, though that's not common. Also, cucumber is typically cut into slices or half slices. Onion is also thinly ... Read more
  • serving

    This salad is always served in a shallow bowl or on a plate, and if you'd like to make it more filling, serve it with a piece of crusty bread.

Recipe variations

Traditional Greek Salad

PREP 20min

RESTING 15min

READY IN 35min

4.6

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The following recipe makes two servings of the traditional Greek salad. Tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, green peppers, blocks of feta cheese, Kalamata olives, Greek oregano, and olive oil are the only ingredients allowed. 

Ingredients

2 Servings

2 medium-sized tomatoes, cored and cut into eight slices

1/2 cucumber, peeled and cut into slices or half slices

1 green pepper, deseeded, cut into thin strips, then in halves

1/4 small red onion, cut into thin slices

200g (7 oz) feta, cut into two blocks

1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

salt and dried Greek oregano, to taste

Kalamata olives, unpitted, to taste (about 10-15)

crusty bread, for serving

Preparation

Step 1/6

Combine the tomatoes and the cucumber in a bowl, mix, season with salt, and let sit for 10 minutes to release juices. (don't go overboard with salt, as feta is already salty)

Step 2/6

After 10 minutes, crush the onion slices, and add them to the bowl along with pepper slices.

Step 3/6

Let everything rest for a few minutes. Then, season with oregano and mix.

Step 4/6

Divide between plates or bowls, and add the Kalamata olives to each serving.

Step 5/6

Top with a block of feta cheese, pour over with olive oil, and sprinkle some more oregano.

Step 6/6

Serve straight away with some crusty bread for mopping up the juices.

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