Greek Salad
Enjoy a deliciously refreshing Greek salad from one of the healthiest cuisines, Mediterranean. Tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives, and feta cheese tossed in a simple dressing with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice are purely exquisite. Even better, it comes together in about ten minutes.
Dieting is NOT my thing. I figure if we do our best to eat real food and lots of veggies, we’re good to go. Besides cooking at home being my happy place, it also makes me feel good to serve my loved ones recipes I can be proud of.
And this salad is such a light yet satisfying side to heavier meals, especially lamb and potatoes. The acidity from the tomatoes, crunch from cucumbers, and umami-loaded olives and feta cheese are balanced by the simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing.
Why a Greek Salad Is So Good
No lettuce here! We’re taking advantage of savory summer produce fresh from the garden (or the farmer’s market). Good-quality extra virgin olive oil is a must in this recipe because it’s one of the star flavors. Creamy feta complements crispy cukes, briny Kalamata olives, juicy tomatoes, and olive oil, all for a soul-satisfying side (or vegetarian main dish). A squeeze of lemon or a splash of white wine vinegar is the crowning touch.
How to Make Greek Salad
- Make the dressing and set it aside.
- Arrange tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, kalamata olives, and feta cheese in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss to combine, and serve immediately.
Recipe Tweaks
- Replace the lemon juice with white wine vinegar for a dressing that will last longer in the fridge than fresh lemon juice.
- Add a little honey if you’d like to balance the tartness of the lemon juice.
- Add sliced roasted red peppers to the salad mix for more flavor.
Make Ahead and Storage
For making ahead, I chop everything except the tomatoes and keep the salad in a Tupperware for a day or two. I replace the lemon juice with wine vinegar in the dressing and keep it in a salad dressing jar for up to a week. Then, when ready to serve, chop or halve the tomatoes, add them to the salad, and toss with the dressing.
Leftover salad will last 2-3 days in the fridge. My sister likes taking it out of the fridge 30 minutes before eating so it warms up a little.
What Pairs With Greek Salad
For a healthy Mediterranean dinner, serve this salad with chicken gyros or grilled lamb and spanakopita. Pita bread is a satisfying side, and baklava is a decadent finale you won’t regret.
More Easy, Healthy Salad Recipes You’ll Love
- Salmon Salad
- Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
- Tuna and White Bean Salad
- Black Eyed Pea Salad
- Apple Pecan Salad
This blog post was originally published in July 2020 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Greek Salad
Ingredients
The Dressing
- 1 tablespoon (15g) minced garlic
- 4 tablespoons (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons (12g) oregano
- 1 teaspoon (7-8g) honey
- ½ teaspoon (2-3g) Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon (4g) fresh parsley or mint
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
The Salad
- ½ cup (70g) cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- ½ cup (65g) sliced cucumbers (see notes)
- ½ cup (60g) thinly sliced red onions
- ½ cup (70g) pitted Kalamata olives, halved
- ½ cup (130g) feta cheese, cut into small blocks
Instructions
- Whisk the garlic, olive oil, vinegar, oregano, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, parsley, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside until ready to serve. You can make this the day ahead and keep it in the fridge.
- Place tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, Kalamata olives, and feta cheese in a large bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the salad, toss to combine, and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Tips & Notes:
- English and Persian cucumbers work best for this salad, but regular and pickling cukes also work fine.
- Many of the Greek salads I’ve tried in restaurants use whole Kalamata olives with the pit. Feel free to do that as well. I’m just afraid someone will break a tooth.
- If using larger tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes, chop them into bite-sized pieces.
- I tweaked the dressing ingredients to those my family likes more. The original dressing was 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 2-3 tablespoons chopped mint.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a guesstimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
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Anyway, I could go on and on about your page/recipes (and I do to all my friends/fam). Thank you for sharing your gift that’s given me the confidence and pleasure to create memorable moments with my family <3 you are a gift from god!! Haha
P.s. – would looove to see more marinades! 😀 maybe steak tip marinade??
Also, another thing I wanted to compliment is how I love that you suggest pairings on the same page as the recipes. And you suggest more than one option with the links. Makes everything so organized and easy. Great work!
Wow! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback and compliment 🙂
Riquísima ensalada Imma; Eso, que sería de el mediterráneo sin aceitunas, tomates y hiervas. Que bien lo has dicho. Has estado en Grecia, país maravilloso y como están los griegos ja ja ja ja .Besitos
Another fantastic recipe from Imma! Of course made with the Greek Chicken from same site. Brings back great memories from our trip to Greece last year.
I love Greek salad. I will try this version very soon.