Chunky tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, Kalamata olives and a slab of feta — the definitive Mediterranean salad.
Greek salad (horiatiki, meaning 'village salad') is one of the world's great salads — and one of the most misunderstood outside Greece. The authentic version contains no lettuce: it is a robust, chunky assembly of ripe tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, green peppers, and Kalamata olives, crowned with a thick slab (not crumbled) of barrel-aged feta, drizzled with excellent olive oil, and scattered with dried Greek oregano. No dressing, no vinegar — just olive oil, the vegetables' own juices, and the brine from the olives and feta. The key to horiatiki is the quality of the tomatoes — they must be fully ripe, flavourful, and sweet. The feta should be Greek PDO feta, made from sheep and goat milk, with a crumbly, slightly grainy texture and a creamy, tangy flavour that is entirely unlike mass-produced white cheese called 'feta.' The olive oil must be Greek extra-virgin, fruity and peppery. Greek salad is served as a starter or side dish throughout Greece, eaten with crusty bread to soak up the pooled juices and olive oil at the bottom of the bowl. It is the definitive expression of Greek summer produce.
Serves 4
Arrange tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and green pepper in a wide shallow bowl or platter.
Scatter Kalamata olives over the vegetables.
Place the whole slab of feta on top — do not crumble it. In Greece, the feta slab is a point of pride.
A whole slab of feta is the traditional presentation. Crumbled feta is acceptable at home but lacks the visual drama.
Drizzle generously with olive oil. Scatter oregano over everything, especially on the feta. Add flaky salt and black pepper. No other dressing is needed.
Everything you need to plan your week — free
Cook this hands-free
Get AI meal plans, step-by-step cooking mode, and your saved recipes in the free Bento app.
The vegetables should be at room temperature, not cold from the fridge — the flavour is dramatically better.
Use only proper Greek feta (PDO) — it is protected by EU law and is made from sheep and goat milk.
Good olive oil is the dressing. Don't use bland supermarket olive oil here.
Add capers for a tangier, more complex version.
Include sliced avocado for a modern, creamier interpretation.
Dress and eat immediately. Undressed vegetables and feta keep separately for 2 days.
Horiatiki (village salad) has been eaten in Greece since ancient times in various forms, with olives, cheese and vegetables forming the backbone of Greek peasant diet for millennia. The specific combination of tomatoes, cucumbers, feta and Kalamata olives solidified into the classic horiatiki in the 20th century as tourism made Greek cuisine internationally famous. Greek feta has been produced in Greece since at least 1494, mentioned in travellers' accounts of the period.
Traditional Greek village salad (horiatiki) never contains lettuce — it is a robust assembly of sturdy vegetables that stand up to the olive oil dressing without wilting. The 'Greek salad' with iceberg lettuce found at international restaurants is a westernised version. In Greece, lettuce appears in a separate salad called 'maroulosalata,' which is a simple romaine and dill salad.
No — assemble it just before serving. The tomatoes and cucumber release water as soon as they're cut and salted, which dilutes the olive oil and waters down the flavour. You can chop the vegetables and portion the feta a couple of hours ahead, but only dress and combine everything right at the table.
Any good-quality brined black olive works — look for wrinkled, oil-cured or naturally fermented varieties rather than the mild canned black olives sold for pizza, which taste flat by comparison. Niçoise or Gaeta olives are close substitutes in both texture and briny intensity.
Per serving (250g / 8.8 oz) · 4 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes
Everything you need to plan your week — free
Have feedback or need help?
We read every email and reply within 1–2 business days.
© 2026 MyCookingCalendar. All rights reserved.
