You might think you know how to make a Greek salad, but do you really? A proper ‘horiatiki salata’ (or Greek village salad) means no lettuce, no chopped up feta, and no fancy dressings. Just toss together ripe tomatoes, cucumber, onion and green peppers, black Kalamata olives, dried oregano and plenty of extra virgin olive oil. Then place a big slice of Greek feta cheese on top.

A horiatiki salad is such a simple, nutritious and delicious light meal or side, but it’s also a show-stopper if you get it absolutely right!

What’s a horiatiki salata?

Horiatiki salata (pronounced hori-AT-iki sal-AT-a) literally means village salad in Greek. It’s also occasionally called a peasant salad, but of course it’s best known simply as a Greek salad!

A traditional horiatiki salad is a very simple but also extraordinarily delicious classic Greek dish – virtually a national dish of Greece!

It makes a perfect side dish to serve with many types of mains. But it can even be served on its own for lunch with fresh bread (called horiatiko psomi in Greece!) on the side. It literally can be a meal in itself.

And here’s the thing. I lived in Greece for years and ate hundreds of Greek salads both at restaurants and elsewhere and the recipe just doesn’t vary that much.

I certainly don’t recall eating Greek salads with lettuce in them!

So what’s in a traditional horiatiki salad? Ripe and juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber and green peppers, tangy red onion, salty Kalamata olives, Greek oregano, extra virgin olive oil, and a big slice of creamy feta cheese on top.

It’s honestly the perfect combination of flavors. It’s a huge party for your tastebuds, and that’s why it tastes so good!

If there’s one Greek dish you should learn how to make, it’s an authentic Greek salad. It’s colorful, filling, quick and easy to make with simple ingredients, and super healthy. It’s equally as perfect to go with a midweek meal for your family or to serve at your next dinner party as a show-stopping side!

Did you know? There isn’t just one kind of classic Greek salad. There’s another cool Greek salad that DOES include lettuce. It’s called a maroulosalata, or Greek lettuce salad. Give that a try too!

Ingredients

The great news is that a traditional Greek village salad is super easy to make at home wherever in the world you are. Here’s what you need.

Tomatoes: Any tomatoes will work. However, I usually look for the ripest, biggest, reddest, juiciest tomatoes I can find. You’ll want plenty of tomatoes in your salad – so 4 to 5. If it isn’t the season for beefsteak tomatoes, vine-ripened tomatoes can also be a good choice.

Cucumber: I usually grab a long, thin English cucumber since they don’t have many seeds and the skin isn’t bitter or tough. I usually use half to two thirds of it, depending on the size. Smaller Lebanese cucumbers can be another good choice. I usually leave the skin on for ease, but if it’s tough or bitter you can peel it.

Green peppers: Whether you know them as bell peppers, capsicum or just green peppers, 1 entire green pepper adds bright green color, crunch and even a bit of design to your salad (see below for tips on how to cut them!).

Onion: Red onion has a milder taste, but white onion works, too (just add less). I usually slice around an eighth to a quarter of an onion into thin rounds, but you can add more to taste if you like.

Kalamata olives: The olives don’t strictly speaking have to be Kalamata olives, but try to choose a big, black variety. You’ll need about a cup.

For a more authentic Greek salad experience, stone-in olives are best.

Dried oregano: You’ll want to toss plenty of this through the chopped salad ingredients and a little more over the top of the salad after you’ve added the feta (not essential but looks great!).

Can you use fresh oregano instead? Absolutely! Simply replace each teaspoon of dried oregano with a tablespoon of chopped fresh Greek oregano. It’ll be delicious!

Extra-virgin olive oil: Since this is the only ‘dressing’ you’ll add to your horiatiki salata, and you’ll use a whole quarter cup, use the best quality that you can. No olive oil blends and no substituting with another type of oil!

Feta cheese: A big slice! For one large Greek salad, I usually get a big 150 to 200 gram slice from the deli counter at my local supermarket. I’ve experimented with many types of feta, and always come back to an authentic Greek brand. Dodoni is widely available and a good quality option. You can even sometimes buy this in a big tub of brine.

In case you’re still wondering… no lettuce! Although to be fair, a Greek salad can occasionally (very occasionally) have a few green leaves tossed through it, such as rocket/arugula. Try this if you like! 😉

Top tip: Use the best, freshest ingredients possible. I make horiatiki salads all year round, but they’re especially delicious in the summer months when the tomatoes, cucumber and green peppers are in season.

How to make it

This is what I think is the easiest way to make an authentic Greek salad that’s perfect every time!

Step 1: Very roughly chop the tomatoes. Just slice every which way. No need to be neat or methodical about it at all. The first time I saw tomatoes chopped this way was in Greece. It was literally a life-changing moment!

Step 2: Slice the cucumber into thick slices. I usually chop each slice into two. Throw them into a large salad bowl. I often underestimate just how large the bowl needs to be!

Step 3: Slice the onion and pepper into nice thin ’rounds’. Add most of the sliced onion, sliced peppers, olives, oregano and olive oil. Toss really well.

Reserve a few of the nice green pepper and onion ’rounds’ to place on the top of the salad. I usually add a few reserved olives on the top, as well.

Step 4: Lastly, simply lay the big slice of feta cheese on top. Sprinkle over a bit more oregano and the last drizzle of olive oil.

Step 5: Take the Greek ‘salata’ to the table and break up the cheese before everyone serves themselves. This is a fun traditional way to serve it!

How do I make Greek salad dressing?

Erm, you don’t. The good quality olive oil you drizzle over the salad generously combines with the juices from the other salad ingredients to make the perfect tasty and easy dressing. No other salad dressing necessary!

Another reason this delicious Greek salad is so easy to make.

Some traditional village salad recipes include a splash of red wine vinegar (white wine vinegar is OK too). By all means try this if you like!

How to serve it

Probably my favorite way to eat this traditional Greek village salad is by itself for lunch with some 2-minute toast with olive oil and salt or pita bread (or air fried pita chips – why not?!) on the side.

Alternatively, if you have a little extra time, it’s well worth making this homemade Greek bread!

But there are also endless main meals that it goes well with. (Hint: they don’t have to be Greek!)

For example:

• Burgers (Any kind, but do try these crispy chicken burgers!)

• Pizza (How about a 10-minute air fryer naan pizza?)

• Any grilled, BBQ’d or roasted meat (Try these favorite oven or air fryer baked chicken thighs.)

• Quiche (My picks? A top-rated crustless quiche or this classic quiche lorraine by Mary Berry)

• Pasta (Try a Greek salad with this creamy chorizo pasta.)

But of course, there are certain Greek main dishes that I would never dream of serving without a horiatiki salata on the side!

These are:

• A classic Greek moussaka (this is an easy version that you really must try soon!) or an authentic pastitsio or Greek baked pasta.

• Pork or chicken souvlaki (try my super easy and tasty oven chicken skewers or Greek chicken gyro pita!).

• This amazingly tasty and simple Greek lemon chicken and potatoes dinner (I will literally not allow you to make this without a horiatiki salad to go with it!).

• Any time you serve these incredible (and incredibly popular) Greek roast potatoes.

• This very easy Greek spinach and feta filo pie (vegetarian option!)

• One pan bifteki (Greek burgers and potatoes). These air fryer Greek chicken meatballs (keftedes) go extremely well with this salad, too.

• This delicious, healthy and very easy Greek baked fish.

Oh, and any time you make this ‘best salad in the world’ (I am NOT exaggerating), do make a bowl of this easy tzatziki as well. It only takes 10 minutes, and you won’t regret it. These two are a match made in heaven!

For more ideas, see this list of 50 best easy side dish ideas for a Greek salad, from meat to pasta, appetizers, dips and more!

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