Lunch · Greek

Greek Salad (Horiatiki)

The classic Greek village salad of ripe tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, red onion, olives and a slab of feta, dressed with olive oil and oregano.

Prep
15 min
Total
15 min
Makes
4 servings
Level
Easy
VegetarianGluten Free
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Greek salad with a slab of feta on tomatoes, cucumber and red onion

Horiatiki means village salad. There is no lettuce. It depends entirely on ripe tomatoes, good olive oil and a block of feta laid on top rather than crumbled in.

Salt the tomatoes a few minutes before serving so they release some juice, which mixes with the oil to make the dressing.

Recipe card

Greek Salad (Horiatiki)

4 servings

Ingredients

Equipment

  • Large shallow serving bowl

Instructions

  1. Put the tomatoes in the serving bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Let them stand for 5 minutes.

  2. Add the cucumber, pepper, onion and olives and toss gently.

  3. Drizzle with the vinegar and olive oil and toss again.

  4. Lay the feta on top as a single slab, sprinkle everything with oregano, and serve with bread to soak up the juices.

Times are estimates. Status: Awaiting kitchen test (what this means).

Nutrition is not listed. We publish nutrition only after calculating it from a recognised food-composition database.

Gluten-free: none of the ingredients as written contain gluten. If you need to avoid gluten strictly, check the labels on packaged ingredients for gluten or cross-contact warnings.

Tips for success

  • If raw onion is too sharp for you, soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes and drain well.

Substitutions

Green bell pepper
Leave it out, or use a few thin rings of mild banana pepper.

Storage and make-ahead

Fridge

Best eaten the day it is made. Leftovers keep 1 day in the fridge, but the tomatoes soften.

Freezer

Do not freeze.

Reheating

Serve at room temperature; take it out of the fridge 20 minutes ahead.

Make ahead

Chop the cucumber, pepper and onion up to 4 hours ahead. Cut and salt the tomatoes just before serving.

Questions and troubleshooting

Should I peel the cucumber?

It is up to you. Many Greek cooks peel it in stripes, leaving some skin for colour and crunch.