Everyone should have a Village Greek Salad recipe in their arsenal of tricks. Greek salad is a classic, and if you can make it and make it well, you’ll be pleasing guests for years to come. I eat a lot of Mediterranean food and Greek food is a favorite. You can eat this salad as a main salad or as a side salad with some of my favorite Greek recipes like my grilled baby lamb chops with rosemary & thyme with roast garlic aioli or my lamb meatball souvlaki.
This delicious traditional Greek salad (also known as a horiatiki or horiatiki salata) is easy to make and is also a healthy choice. It is packed with veggies, light feta cheese, healthy olives and olive oil, and plenty of yummy herbs. The salad originated in Plaka, a historic neighborhood in Athens in the 60s. Rumor has it that it was created as a way to charge tourists more for a salad which was regulated by Government pricing. By adding extra ingredients like feta and olives, they could raise their prices. Whatever the origin of Greek salad, it is here to stay.
Greek village salad is easy to make and just bursts with color and flavor. To get started on this recipe, let’s make the very simple Greek salad dressing.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, add all the ingredients and whisk. Store in a jar with a lid and shake vigorously before serving. If I’m making the salad right away, I just put this to the side. If I’m making the dressing in advance, I store it in the fridge. Note, the oil will solidify in the cold, so bring it back to room temperature before shaking and pouring on the salad.
Next, prepare your veggies. I used Campari tomatoes, but any good quality tomato will work. Just cut the tomatoes into wedges. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the cucumber and slice it into thick slices. I leave the seeds, but you can cut the cucumber lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and cut them into half-moons too. Your choice.
I slice the red onion into thin slices and then cut those in half forming half-moons. For the bell pepper, remove the stem and seeds and cut the pepper into large squares. I prefer red, yellow or orange bell peppers. I find them sweeter, but you can use green peppers if you prefer. I prefer olives with no pits (you don’t won’t to surprise your guests with pits…an easy way to crack a tooth.) I use low-fat Feta, but feel free to use full fat. I use crumbled cheese but many people like large cut squares of feta in the salad. You decide.
Add all your veggies, the olives and cheese, and the chopped dill and oregano to a large bowl. Toss everything. Right before serving, add the dressing and toss again.
I use about two tablespoons of dressing per serving, but feel free to use more if you like. You will have extra dressing for future salads.
If you like this recipe, please leave a comment below. Looking for other salad recipes? Try some of my favorites.
Healthy Creamy Chicken Caeser Salad for Two
Raspberry and Lemon Salad with Crispy Chicken Croutons
Village Greek Salad
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 Campari Tomatoes cut in quarters
- 1 Cucumber, peeled and sliced
- 1 Red, yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and cut in large squares
- ¼ Red Onion, cut into slices and then into half moons
- ½ Cup Feta cheese, crumbled or cubed
- 12 Kalamata Olives, pitted
- 1 Tsp. Fresh Dill, chopped
- 1 Tsp. Fresh Oregano, chopped
- ¼ Cup Greek salad dressing (recipe below)
GREEK SALAD DRESSING
- ¼ Cup Olive oil
- ¼ Red wine vinegar
- 1/8 Tsp. Granulated garlic
- ½ Tsp. Dried oregano
- ¼ Tsp. Dijon mustard
- ¼ Tsp. Kosher salt
- 5 Grinds fresh black pepper
Instructions
- Make your salad dressing by adding all the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until combined. Pour into a small jar with a lid and keep in the fridge until ready to use. The oil will solidify in the refrigerator, so let it come back to room temperature before adding to the salad.
- Next, prepare your vegetables and cut. Add to a large bowl. Add the olives, feta cheese and fresh dill and oregano. Toss gently to combine.
- Add the salad dressing right before serving and toss again. Enjoy.
