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    Traditional Greek Salad Recipe (Horiatiki Salata)

    Published August 11, 2021. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    This classic Greek Salad Recipe is loaded up with fresh tomatoes, vegetables, feta cheese, and herbs in a light red wine vinaigrette.

    At least 2 or 3 times a week, I crave salads big time. My body just needs those greens and I feel much better when incorporating them into my regular weekly diet.  If you are looking to make some great salads then definitely check out my chef salad or my cobb salad.

    greek salad with vegetables on a platter


     

    Greek Salad

    A Greek salad, which is better known as a Horiatiki Salata in Greece, is a classic vegetable salad that is mixed with herbs, cheese, and a light vinaigrette.  The tradition of eating a salad before the main meal was actually founded in ancient Greece.   They believed that consuming fresh raw vegetables before a big main meal, that would aid in digestion.

    There are some basic ingredients that assist in the makeup of a traditional Greek salad, with some slight variations.  Here are the staple items:

    • Tomatoes – I like bigger tomatoes like vine-ripe, but all tomatoes are good to use.
    • Cucumbers – A regular cucumber will do, and it can be peeled or non-peeled.
    • Peppers – Green bell peppers are most commonly used.
    • Onion – Red onions are classically used, but you can substitute out for yellow, white, or sweet.
    • Olives – Kalamata olives are the classic olive of choice but feel free to add any of your favorite Greek olives.
    • Feta Cheese – A good block of feta cheese is preferred over crumbled.
    • Vinaigrette – Simple combination of red wine vinegar and olive oil.
    • Herbs – Either dry or fresh oregano is classically served with this salad.

    How to Make a Greek Salad from Scratch

    Use these simple instructions as a guide to making this tasty Greek salad from scratch:

    Rinse and prepare all of the vegetables into bite-size pieces.

    slicing a vine ripe tomato

    Add all of the vegetables to a serving bowl or platter.

    adding tomatoes and cucumbers to a platter

    Add capers, olives, and feta cheese chunks to the top of the salad.

    putting feta cheese chunks on an horiatiki salad

    Finish with olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and oregano.

    sprinkling herbs and olive oil on a Greek salad

    Additional Ingredients

    There are a few more ingredients you can add to this classic Greek salad to customize it while still keeping it authentic.  Here are my favorite things to add:

    • Red Bell Peppers
    • Fresh Basil
    • Assorted Greek Olives
    • Fresh Oregano
    • Romaine
    • Capers

    Make-Ahead and Storage

    Make-Ahead: Keep the dressing separate, but you can make this up to 1 day ahead of time.  I would also advise keeping the feta cheese separate until ready to serve.  Don’t season it either until ready to serve.

    How To Store: If you can keep the seasoning and vinaigrette separate and cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

    Chef Billy Parisi

    chef notes + tips

    • Use pitted olives to make it easier to consume.
    • It is more classic to use a block of feta cheese rather than crumbles.
    • Any tomato will work for this recipe.
    • For more flavor, use my Greek salad dressing recipe.

    More Salad Recipes

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    Let's Cook - Chef Billy Parisi

    Traditional Greek Salad Recipe (Horiatiki Salada)

    5 from 13 votes
    This classic Greek Salad Recipe is loaded up with fresh tomatoes, vegetables, feta cheese, and herbs in a light red wine vinaigrette.
    Servings: 8
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes

    Ingredients 

    • 5 cored vine ripe tomatoes cut into bitesize pieces
    • 1 cucumber sliced into half-moons
    • 1 seeded and julienne green bell pepper
    • ½ peeled and julienne red onion
    • ¼ cup capers
    • 10 to 12 pitted kalamata olives
    • 10 to 12 pitted green Greek olives
    • 8- ounce block of feta cheese broken into bitesize pieces
    • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
    • 1 ½ teaspoons dry oregano
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Rinse and prepare all of the vegetables accordingly.
    • Add the tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and red onions to a large platter or bowl.
    • Evenly place on the capers, olives, and feta cheese.
    • Drizzle on the olive oil and red wine vinegar.
    • Sprinkle the oregano, salt, and pepper over top, and serve.

    Notes

    Chef Notes:
    Make-Ahead: Keep the dressing separate, but you can make this up to 1 day ahead of time. I would also advise keeping the feta cheese separate until ready to serve. Don’t season it either until ready to serve.
    How To Store: If you can keep the seasoning and vinaigrette separate and cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
    Use pitted olives to make it easier to consume.
    It is more classic to use a block of feta cheese rather than crumbles.
    Any tomato will work for this recipe.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 176kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 629mgPotassium: 299mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 895IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 169mgIron: 1mg
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Greek