What is a traditional Greek salad made of?

Classic Greek salads (called Horiatiki / Xoriatiki) are very simple and made with cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers, olives, red onion, and feta cheese. Traditional salads typically don't include a separate dressing but are simply drizzled with olive oil and a splash of vinegar. This is pretty traditional, but we're tossing the dressing together to get max flavor on all the veggies.

Do I need to peel the cucumber for Greek salad?

It depends on the cucumber you'll be using. I like to use an English cucumber (also known as a hothouse and similar to Persian cucumbers) so that peeling isn't necessary. If you use a traditional cucumber, I would peel it but leave little strips of green for a nice visual component.

Greek Cucumber Salad (Authentic & Fresh in 15 Minutes)

Name: Greek Salad Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1/4 cup olive oil; 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar; 1 tsp. dijon mustard; 1 tsp. dried oregano; flaky sea salt; freshly cracked black pepper; 1 English cucumber, sliced into half moons; 1 green pepper, diced (about 1 cup); 1 cup diced tomatoes (slicing tomato or 1 pint grape tomatoes); 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion (about 1/4 red onion ); 1 cup kalamata olives; 4 oz. feta cheese, sliced (NOT CRUMBLES)

Description

This authentic Greek salad is fresh, flavorful, and easy! It’s perfect with juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, salty olives, and creamy feta.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Greek Salad Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. dried oregano
flaky sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Salad:

1 English cucumber, sliced into half moons
1 green pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
1 cup diced tomatoes (slicing tomato or 1 pint grape tomatoes)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion (about 1/4 red onion )
1 cup kalamata olives
4 oz. feta cheese, sliced (NOT CRUMBLES)

Instructions

In a medium bowl or small jar, add olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, oregano, salt, and pepper. Whisk (or shake if making in a jar) until smooth and set aside.
Prep salad ingredients. Cut cucumbers into quarters. Dice green peppers and tomatoes. Thinly slice red onion. Dice feta cheese.
In a medium bowl, add cucumbers, green pepper, tomato, onion, olives, and feta. Drizzle with dressing to taste and gently toss ingredients together.
Serve with an extra drizzle of olive oil, flaky salt, and freshly cracked pepper if desired.

Notes

Storage: This salad is best enjoyed fresh since the vegetables release moisture over time. If you need to make it ahead, prep all the vegetables and store them separately, then toss everything together with the dressing right before serving. The dressing itself keeps for up to a week at room temperature.

Ingredients: Use the best tomatoes you can find – in summer, that means ripe garden tomatoes or heirloom varieties, and in winter, stick with Roma or cherry tomatoes, which tend to have better flavor year-round. For the olives, Kalamata are traditional, but you could also use a mix of Greek olives for more variety. I highly recommend using block feta cheese if you can find it! It has much better flavor and texture than crumbles. If you find raw onions to be harsh, soak them in cold water for 5-10 minutes to lessen the bite.

Prep ahead: Make the dressing 1-2 days early and dice the peppers and slice the onions a day ahead. Wait to cut the cucumbers and tomatoes until the day you’re serving since they start releasing moisture quickly. If you soak the onions, do that right before assembling.

Serve with: This pairs beautifully with grilled meats like chicken souvlaki, lamb chops, or Greek meatballs. It’s also perfect alongside pasta dishes, roasted fish, or as part of a mezze platter with hummus and pita.