Greek Salad (Horiatiki Salada)
I make this traditional Greek salad with vine-ripened tomatoes, cucumber, feta, Kalamata olives, and red onion. I drizzle everything with red wine vinegar, olive oil, and dried oregano. It is so easy to make that in just 15 minutes, I can have this delicious side dish ready to pair with steaks, grilled mains, or enjoy on its own.
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
The best tip I can give you after making this Greek salad so many times is to keep it simple. The hardest part of making a proper horiatiki is knowing when to stop. I am always tempted to add extra greens, different tomatoes, more herbs, or another garnish, but every time I do, the salad starts drifting away from what makes it authentic in the first place. Cold vegetables, a sharp knife, good olive oil, real feta, and quality ingredients are all you need in my experience.
Buy feta in brine, in a block: I avoid vacuum-sealed crumbled feta because it is dry, mealy, and loses the tang almost the second I open the package. A block of feta in brine, sliced fresh at the deli counter or pulled from a refrigerated tub, is the whole salad.
Salt the onion before it hits the platter: I give the red onion 5 minutes with a pinch of salt and it loses the harshness without losing the snap. I skip the step and people (including my daughter) leave the onions on the platter every time.
Do not pre-mix the dressing: I pour the olive oil and the red wine vinegar separately, in that order, because that is the way a horiatiki has been dressed for as long as there has been a horiatiki. Whisking them together in a bottle first dulls both flavors and pushes the salad into vinaigrette territory.
Dress it cold and eat it fast: Once the salt and vinegar hit, the tomatoes start releasing water and the platter is sitting in a puddle inside 20 minutes. I dress at the table or right before serving, and I bring a piece of sourdough bread to soak up what is left in the bowl.
Make-Ahead: I cut the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, and onion up to 1 day ahead and hold them in separate containers in the fridge. I keep the feta block in its brine until just before serving, and I do not dress or salt the salad until it is on the table.
How to Store: I cover leftover horiatiki and refrigerate it for up to 2 days. Once it is dressed the salad is at its best for the first hour.
How to Reheat: I never put heat near this one.
How to Freeze: I do not freeze a horiatiki.
Nutrition
Calories: 176kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 629mgPotassium: 299mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 895IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 169mgIron: 1mg