🥗

greeksalad

Authentic Greek Village Salad (Horiatiki)

Name: Authentic Greek Village Salad (Horiatiki)
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: greek
Ingredients: 4 large ripe tomatoes (ideally on-the-vine, cut into wedges); 1 large cucumber (preferably Mediterranean, halved and sliced); 1 medium red onion (thinly sliced into rings); 1 green bell pepper (thinly sliced into rings); 150 g Kalamata olives (with stones for authenticity); 200 g block feta cheese (preferably Greek PDO); 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil (Greek if possible); 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; 2 tsp dried Greek oregano; 0.5 tsp fine sea salt (or to taste); freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

Tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, green pepper, olives and a slab of feta — Greece's national salad, no lettuce in sight.

Prep

15 min

Cook

0 min

Servings

Difficulty

Easy

★★★★★

4.9(3,284 ratings)

#greek#salad#vegetarian#summer#no-cook#mediterranean#healthy#gluten-free

Share:Pinterest X WhatsApp Facebook

About This Recipe

Authentic Greek salad — horiatiki ('village' in Greek) — has no lettuce. The dish is built on chunks of perfectly ripe tomato, cucumber, red onion, green pepper, Kalamata olives, with a single slab of feta on top, dressed only with olive oil, dried oregano, salt and a splash of red wine vinegar. This is one of the world's great no-cook summer salads — the entire dish depends on the quality of the tomatoes, the olive oil, and the feta.

Ingredients

Serves 4

4 largeripe tomatoes(ideally on-the-vine, cut into wedges)
1 largecucumber(preferably Mediterranean, halved and sliced)
1 mediumred onion(thinly sliced into rings)
1green bell pepper(thinly sliced into rings)
150 gKalamata olives(with stones for authenticity)
200 gblock feta cheese(preferably Greek PDO)
60 mlextra-virgin olive oil(Greek if possible)
1 tbspred wine vinegar
2 tspdried Greek oregano
0.5 tspfine sea salt(or to taste)
freshly cracked black pepper(to taste)

Instructions

1
Prep the vegetables
Cut the tomatoes into thick wedges (8 per tomato) — DON'T dice; chunky is the Greek way. Halve the cucumber lengthwise and slice into 1cm half-moons. Slice the red onion and green pepper into rings.
2
Soak the onion (optional)
If the onion is sharp, soak the slices in ice water for 5 minutes, then drain. This softens the bite.
3
Combine in a wide bowl
In a wide shallow bowl or platter, combine tomato, cucumber, onion and green pepper. Scatter olives over the top.
4
Top with the slab of feta
Place the WHOLE BLOCK of feta on top — not crumbled. Crumbling is non-Greek; the slab is the visual signature of horiatiki.
5
Dress simply
Drizzle generously with olive oil. Splash with red wine vinegar. Sprinkle abundantly with dried oregano, salt and pepper.
6
Serve immediately
Bring to the table whole. Each diner breaks off feta with their fork as they eat. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the tomato juices and oil mixed with feta brine that pools at the bottom.

Pro Tips

→
Tomatoes are 90% of this dish — use the best you can find.
→
The slab of feta is non-negotiable — crumbling is American/British, not Greek.
→
Real Greek PDO feta tastes dramatically different from supermarket 'feta-style' cheese.

Variations

•
With Capers: scatter 2 tbsp drained capers over the top.
•
With Anchovies: lay 6 anchovy fillets across the feta — Greek tavernas sometimes do this.
•
Without Pepper: green pepper is divisive; some omit. Both versions are authentic.

Storage

Best eaten immediately. Components keep separately for 1 day.

History & Origin

Horiatiki ('village salad') has been the daily summer dish of Greek tavernas and home tables for generations. The 'Greek salad with lettuce' served in many international restaurants is an Anglicised invention; in Greece, lettuce is for separate salads (maroulosalata).

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is there no lettuce?

Authentic horiatiki simply doesn't contain lettuce. The 'Greek salad' served abroad with lettuce, vinaigrette and crumbled feta is a Western adaptation. In Greece, lettuce is reserved for maroulosalata (lettuce salad) — a separate dish entirely.

Why a slab of feta, not crumbled?

The slab is the visual signature of horiatiki — the way it's served at every Greek taverna. Each diner breaks off their portion. Crumbling is an American/British convention that lets feta dissolve into the dressing; the slab keeps its character.

What's PDO feta?

PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) feta is the only feta legally recognised in the EU — made in specific Greek regions from sheep and goat milk using traditional methods. Supermarket 'feta' often contains cow milk or is produced industrially and tastes noticeably different (less tangy, less crumbly).

How do I keep tomatoes from turning the salad watery?

Salt the tomatoes lightly and let drain in a colander for 5 minutes before assembling. Or simply accept the juice — it mixes with olive oil and feta brine to create a sauce you mop up with bread (a Greek practice called 'papara').

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (380g) · 4 servings total

Calories285kcal

Protein9g

Carbohydrates14g

Fat22g

Fiber4g

Protein9g

Carbs14g

Fat22g

Time Summary

Prep time15 min

Cook time0 min

Total time15 min

Have Questions?

Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.

Chat with AI Chef →

More Greek Recipes

🫕

Traditional Greek Moussaka

135 min · Hard

🥙

Greek Souvlaki with Tzatziki

40 min · Easy

🥗

Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)

75 min · Medium

🥒

Greek Tzatziki – Thick Yogurt with Cucumber, Garlic and Dill

15 min · Easy

Community

Join the conversation

About This Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4

4 largeripe tomatoes(ideally on-the-vine, cut into wedges)

1 largecucumber(preferably Mediterranean, halved and sliced)

1 mediumred onion(thinly sliced into rings)

1green bell pepper(thinly sliced into rings)

150 gKalamata olives(with stones for authenticity)

200 gblock feta cheese(preferably Greek PDO)

60 mlextra-virgin olive oil(Greek if possible)

1 tbspred wine vinegar

2 tspdried Greek oregano

0.5 tspfine sea salt(or to taste)

freshly cracked black pepper(to taste)

Instructions

Prep the vegetables

Cut the tomatoes into thick wedges (8 per tomato) — DON'T dice; chunky is the Greek way. Halve the cucumber lengthwise and slice into 1cm half-moons. Slice the red onion and green pepper into rings.

Soak the onion (optional)

If the onion is sharp, soak the slices in ice water for 5 minutes, then drain. This softens the bite.

Combine in a wide bowl

In a wide shallow bowl or platter, combine tomato, cucumber, onion and green pepper. Scatter olives over the top.

Top with the slab of feta

Place the WHOLE BLOCK of feta on top — not crumbled. Crumbling is non-Greek; the slab is the visual signature of horiatiki.

Dress simply

Drizzle generously with olive oil. Splash with red wine vinegar. Sprinkle abundantly with dried oregano, salt and pepper.

Serve immediately

Bring to the table whole. Each diner breaks off feta with their fork as they eat. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the tomato juices and oil mixed with feta brine that pools at the bottom.