Greek Salad Recipes
Browse authentic Greek salad recipes from Greece
Search Greek Recipes by Category: Mezedes · Dips & Spreads · Salads · Soups · Main Courses · Desserts
About Greek Salads
Greek salads are built on a simple idea: a few excellent ingredients, left to speak for themselves. The most famous is horiatiki, the village salad of ripe tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, green pepper, and Kalamata olives, crowned with a thick slab of feta rather than crumbles and dressed with nothing more than olive oil and dried oregano. It's never tossed at the table, and the pool of juices left at the bottom is meant to be mopped up with bread. From Crete comes dakos, a barley rusk softened with grated tomato and topped with creamy mizithra cheese, capers, and olives. When summer tomatoes are out of season, Greeks turn to lahanosalata, a crisp shredded cabbage salad brightened with lemon and oil that keeps the table fresh through the winter months. Rooted in the seasons and in the quality of Greek olive oil, these salads sit at the center of almost every Greek meal, alongside grilled meats, seafood, and shared meze.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are traditional Greek salads?
Traditional Greek salads are made with fresh vegetables, herbs, cheese, olives, legumes, or greens, often dressed simply with Greek olive oil and vinegar or lemon.
What are the most popular Greek salads?
Popular Greek salads include horiatiki, dakos, horta, maroulosalata, and various regional salads made with seasonal ingredients. Some lesser-known regional salads are also worth discovering, such as mermizeli, a traditional salad from Kalymnos.
What is in a traditional Greek salad?
A traditional Greek salad, known in Greece as horiatiki, typically contains tomatoes, cucumber, onion, green pepper, olives, capers, olive oil, and oregano. The ingredients can vary by region. While feta is common throughout Greece, in parts of the Cyclades the salad may be served with xinomizithra instead, along with other local variations.
Does authentic Greek salad have lettuce?
Traditional horiatiki does not contain lettuce. Other Greek salads, such as maroulosalata, use lettuce as a main ingredient.
What dressing is used on Greek salad?
Traditional Greek salad is typically dressed with extra virgin olive oil, oregano, and sometimes red wine vinegar rather than a prepared bottled dressing.
How do I make an authentic Greek salad at home?
An authentic Greek salad can be made with ripe tomatoes, cucumber, onion, green pepper, olives, capers, cheese, olive oil, and oregano. Browse our Greek salad recipes for traditional recipes and step-by-step instructions.
What do you eat with Greek salad?
Greek salad can be served alongside grilled meat, fish, seafood, potatoes, bread, and other Greek dishes, or enjoyed on its own as a light meal.
