Traditional Greek Salad (Horiatiki Salata)
, Updated Aug 21, 2023
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Learn how to make the perfect Greek Horiatiki Salad at home, using the authentic Greek ingredients. Forget limp salads and complicated dressings – this is the real deal, THE BEST GREEK SALAD RECIPE EVER.
Excellent paired with Air Fryer Spanakopita Rolls and Air Fryer Whole Chicken
Post may contain affiliate links. For more information, check my disclosure
If you go to a Greek restaurant and ask for a “Greek Salad” they will ask you to point out which salad you want.
Because there are actually lots of different types of Greek salad, but the one most people associate with “GREEK SALAD” is Horiatiki Salad (Χωριάτικη Σαλάτα).
TRADITIONAL GREEK SALAD RECIPE
Horiatiki means “village salad” – a healthy and colourful salad that packs a lot of flavour into few ingredients, making the best of fresh summer produce. I can honestly say I could eat this salad every day without tiring of it.
Since this salad contains only a handful of ingredients you must use the best sun ripened tomatoes, proper Greek barrel aged feta, extra virgin olive oil and the freshest vegetables. There’s no need for complicated dressings or fancy plating – this is a rustic village salad!
WHAT GOES INTO A PROPER GREEK SALAD
Horiatiki salad is always made with the following ingredients, no more no less! The olive oil, red wine vinegar, the briny saltiness of the olives and tomato juices are the only greek salad dressing you need! If you want to serve a Greek salad that actually tastes like the one served in Greece then read on.
- Tomatoes: this salad is only as good as the tomatoes you use. Use the best, juiciest sun-ripened tomatoes you can buy (or even better, those straight from your vegetable patch).
- Cucumber: a crisp fresh cucumber with the seeds cut out if it is large
- Red onion
- Green pepper: the green peppers in Greece are long and very mild tasting. A green bell pepper can be substituted but use it sparingly.
- Olives: black Kalalmata olives, pitted and sliced or whole
- Feta cheese: tangy, barrel-aged Greek feta (avoid feta-style cheese)
- Sea salt
- Dried Greek oregano
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
HOW TO MAKE GREEK SALAD (HORIATIKI SALATA)
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Rinse the tomatoes, peppers and cucumber. Slice your tomatoes into chunky irregular wedges. Slice smaller tomatoes, if using, in half. Place the tomatoes in a salad bowl.
Slice the onion into thin half moon slices – I like using a mandolin for this but of course a knife will work just as well.
Top the green pepper and discard the seeds and white membranes. Slice into rounds. Cut the seeds our of the cucumber (unless it is super crisp!) and then slice into half moons or rounds.
Add all the vegetables and olives to your salad bowl and sprinkle liberally with sea salt. Drizzle generously with olive oil, add the red wine vinegar and then gently toss everything together.
Allow the salad to rest for 15-20 minutes so that the tomatoes release some of their juices. Add the feta cheese as a block or in two large wedges over the salad and drizzle with extra olive oil and a bit of dried oregano.
Serve the salad with slices of Horiatiko bread or pita to dip into the salad juices and mop up every delicious drop.
RECIPE TIPS
- Store any leftover salad in the refrigerator for a day or two. The vegetables will lose some of their crispness so I prefer to toss them with some orzo pasta to serve or supplement the leftovers with some freshly cut tomatoes.
- A proper Greek salad is only as good as its ingredients and so it is served during the summer months and into autumn when the ingredients are seasonal and plentiful. If the tomatoes are watery and insipid the salad will be a disappointment.
- Taste the feta cheese before using. If it is very salty you might need to adjust any additional salt in the salad.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
I serve a Horiatiki salad as a side dish with all the Greek recipes on this site in the summertime. Here are some suggestions:
- Chicken: souvlaki, chicken gyros, oven roasted chicken and potatoes, Air Fryer Greek Chicken, Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma, Air Fryer Whole Chicken
- Lamb: lamb kleftiko, lamb chops, roast lamb, lamb kebab giaourtlou, lamb gyros
- Beef: soutzoukakia, moussaka, makaronia me kima (Spaghetti with ground beef sauce), Bifteki
- Pork: pork souvlaki, Slow Cooker Roast Pork
- Seafood: Shrimp Saganaki, Herby fish croquettes
- Vegetarian & Vegan: spanakopita (spinach pie), tyropita (cheese pie), lemon potatoes (lemonates patates), tzatziki sauce, Air Fryer feta rolls, Zucchini Pie (Kolokithopita) , Air Fryer Roasted Zucchini, Gemista – Greek Stuffed Tomatoes, Turkish Bread, Greek Bread (Horiatiko Psomi)
HAVE YOU MADE MY GREEK SALAD RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram with @supergolden88 and the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Traditional Greek Salad (Horiatiki Salata)
Video
Ingredients
- 5 large tomatoes or 20 cherry tomatoes
- ½ red onion
- ½ cucumber
- 1 green pepper
- 20 black Kalamata olives , pitted and sliced or whole
- 7 oz (200g) block feta cheese
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil , or to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano , plus extra to garnish
- sea salt , to taste
Instructions
- Prep your vegetables by giving them a good rinse.
- Slice your tomatoes into chunky irregular wedges. Slice any smaller tomatoes, if using, in half. Place the tomatoes in a salad bowl.
- Slice the onion into thin half moon slices – I like using a mandolin for this but of course a knife will work just as well.
- Top the green pepper and discard the seeds and white membranes. Slice into rounds.
- Cut the seeds our of the cucumber (unless it is super crisp!) and then slice into half moons or rounds.
- Add all the vegetables and olives to your salad bowl and sprinkle liberally with sea salt. Drizzle generously with olive oil, add the red wine vinegar and then gently toss everything together. Allow the salad to rest for 15-20 minutes at room temperature so that the tomatoes release some of their juices.
- Add the feta cheese as a block or in two large wedges over the salad and drizzle with extra olive oil and a bit of dried oregano.
- Serve the salad with slices of Horiatiko bread or pita to dip into the salad juices and mop up every delicious drop.
Notes
- Store any leftover salad in the refrigerator for a day or two. The vegetables will lose some of their crispness so I prefer to toss them with some orzo pasta to serve or supplement the leftovers with some freshly cut tomatoes.
- A proper Greek salad is only as good as its ingredients and so it is served during the summer months and into autumn when the ingredients are seasonal and plentiful. If the tomatoes are watery and insipid the salad will be a disappointment.
- Taste the feta cheese before using. If it is very salty you might need to adjust any additional salt in the salad.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
