Traditional Greek salad is simple and uncomplicated but unbelievably refreshing and delicious. Full of fresh ingredients and dressed with olive oil. You will be transported to the Greek Islands immediately!
Every day. I mean every day, I dream of the day we can travel back to Greece. And so I can eat my body weight in traditional Greek salad again!
We traveled to Greece in Italy back in 2019 and man! It was so dreamy and I left part of my heart there. My goals were to eat greek salads, gyros, pizza, seafood, and all the bread and wine I could get my hands on, and boy I did!
When I say the food hits different there - I mean it. When I came home I immediately tried to recreate so many dishes we had. Specifically a Greek salad. It is so simple and easy but WOW they tasted out of this world! I had one every day and couldn't get enough!
I will be the first to admit, I have not been able to make them the same since. I am convinced the feta and fresh ingredients are just different there. I can't find feta as good here in the states, nor can I find Kalamata olives as we had there. I am drooling just thinking about this!
But using as farm fresh, local, and high quality ingredients - you can pretty close!
What is a Greek Salad Made Of?
This is THE MOST IMPORTANT tip of all!
Use the FRESHEST, LOCAL, and SOURCED FROM GREECE ingredients as possible. Since this is a very simple and minimal salad - you want to make sure to use the best and freshest ingredients. It will make all the difference! Buying from a local farmers' market will give you the best flavor here in the states.
the picture above is 1 of my daily greek salads while over there. TAKE ME BACK!
Unfortunately, since coming back from Greece, this salad has never tasted as good as it did there. The ingredients here are so fresh and taste different (BETTER) and the FETA!!! Oh, the feta! They don't make it here in the States as they do in Greece, Their feta is so creamy and not as salty and has more of a goat and cream cheese creamy consistency. It is heavenly and truly makes the salad.
I have bought feta that says it's from "Greece" and it's ok but definitely not as good. So just try and buy the biggest quality feta as possible.
Same with the olive oil.
Just use the best and most fresh ingredients for them all!
- Cucumber - English cucumbers work great for this. Slice in half then in moon shapes.
- Tomatoes - ripe farm fresh or local tomatoes are the best and offer the most flavor. Small to medium-sized tomatoes quartered is a perfect size.
- Red Onion - use a mandolin to get even thin slices of red onion
- Green Bell Pepper - green peppers are traditional in Greek salads. Thinly slice like the red onion. If you are not a green pepper fan, omit or sub in a red pepper for a non-traditional twist.
- Kalamata Olives - try and find authentic Greek Kalamata unpitted olives for the best flavor. Pitted ones work and are easier if you would like.
- Feta - buy a block of feta sourced from Greece.
- Red Wine Vinegar - a splash gives a great tang to the dressing
- Extra Virgin Greek Olive Oil - use high-quality extra virgin olive oil from Greece for the best flavor!
- Salt, Pepper, Dried Oregano - helps bring all the flavors together.
How to Make Traditional Greek Salad
- In a large bowl add in the cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and olives.
- Sprinkle in some salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and dried oregano, and drizzle with red wine vinegar and olive oil. Toss to combine.
- Serve into dishes and top with a chunk of fresh feta. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, salt, and oregano. Enjoy!
Does Greek Salad Contain Lettuce?
No, it doesn't. Traditional Greek salad does not contain lettuce.
Just cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, green pepper, and Kalamata olives.
Can I Make This Ahead of Time?
You can, but I think this is best made fresh.
You can prep the salad by doing all of the chopping ahead of time so that the "hard part" is finished.
You can make this is a big bowl or make in individual servings. It works easy either way.
If you have any leftovers, seal tightly and keep in the fridge for 1 day.
What to Serve with Greek Salad?
Serve greek salad with Gyros, lamb burgers, or along side spanakopita.
I love eating this for lunch as it makes a light but filling midday meal.
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Recipe
Traditional Greek Salad
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Traditional Greek salad is simple and uncomplicated but unbelievably refreshing and delicious. Full of fresh ingredients and dressed with olive oil. You will be transported to the Greek Islands immediately!
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Cucumber - sliced into thin half-moons
- 4 Ripe Farm Fresh Tomatoes - quartered
- ½ Red Onion - thinly sliced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper - thinly sliced
- 1 Cup Black Kalamata Olives
- 8 Ounces Feta - block not crumbles
- 1-2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
- Extra Virgin Greek Olive Oil
- Salt, Pepper, Dried Oregano
Instructions
- In a large bowl add in the cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and olives.
- Sprinkle in some salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and dried oregano, and drizzle with red wine vinegar and olive oil. Toss to combine.
- Serve into dishes and top with a chunk of fresh feta. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, salt, and oregano. Enjoy!
Notes
- It is important to use as fresh of ingredients as possible. Buy at a local farmers market if you can. It will make the world of difference in flavor!
- Equally, try and find authentic Greek feta in a block - not crumbles.
- I am not partial to green papers, so I usually omit them. But traditional Greek salads have them. You can also use a sweeter red pepper.
- Use high-quality Greek olive oil.
- Store covered in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days.
- You can also make individual bowls too.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 Minutes
- Category: Salads
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 265
- Sugar: 8.4 g
- Sodium: 777.1 mg
- Fat: 19.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.8 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 10.4 g
- Cholesterol: 50.5 mg
Keywords: Traditional Greek Salad
