Home > Salads > Greek Salad Greek Salad January 14, 2020 | 3 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Greek Salad brims with juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, sharp red onions, tangy feta cheese, crunchy bell pepper, and salty olives. It’s dressed in a homemade Greek-inspired dressing that is loaded with flavor! Pair this easy Greek Salad with one of our favorite main courses: this Greek chicken or these Greek meatballs! Greek Salad First things first: the recipe I’m sharing today is not truly authentic Greek Salad. While I’ve never been to Greece, I’ve heard from friends that true Greek Salad is typically seasoned with salt and oregano and then dressed with just olive oil (or sometimes olive oil and red wine vinegar). The feta is served in a block on top and sometimes capers make it into the mix. And while I’m sure I’ll be totally converted to authentic Greek salads if I ever get a chance to visit Greece, the recipe I’m sharing today is slightly different. It has a full-blown (but Greek-inspired) dressing on top and the feta is cubed. For years I’ve made Ina’s famous Greek salad and it’s one of my family’s favorites. As I’ve made it over the years, I’ve tweaked it to become the recipe I’m sharing today. I crave this salad all the time and luckily, my family loves it just as much. What’s in Greek Salad? While it might seem strange to have a salad without lettuce, that’s exactly how a Greek salad is made. Trust me, though, it’s delicious! Instead of lettuce, large chunks of veggies star in this salad: Tomatoes: Any small to medium ripe tomatoes are great in this salad. If you’re able to find farm-fresh ripe tomatoes, they really amp up the flavor. Cucumber: I highly recommend English cucumber or a few small Persian cucumbers; they have a very crisp texture and great flavor. Red onion: Slice the onion very thinly for this salad. If you’re sensitive to raw onion flavor, soak the sliced onions in ice water with a pinch of salt for about 10 minutes before draining and adding to the salad. Green bell pepper: Again, thinly sliced; you could also use a red, orange, or yellow bell pepper if you’d like. Feta cheese: A large chunk of feta sits on top of a traditional Greek salad, but I prefer it crumbled or cut into small cubes and dispersed throughout the salad (I think it’s easier to eat this way). Kalamata olives: Typically served whole, I’ll often half or thinly slice the olives for the kiddos. Slicing the olives also ensures a more even dispersion in the salad. Optional: We love adding diced avocado to this salad. And while there is traditionally no lettuce, you can always add some in if you’d like. What kind of cheese goes in Greek Salad? As mentioned above, Greek Salad features feta cheese. If you have the choice between buying a block or crumbled feta at your grocery store, always stick with the block. The containers of crumbled feta typically have a powdered cellulose which causes the feta to be harder and taste a bit drier. (It also results in a shorter shelf life.) Here are some more tips for navigating supermarket feta cheese. What is Greek salad dressing made of? For this Greek salad, we combine the ingredients listed below in a mason jar and shake to combine — it’s easy and quick! Olive oil Lemon juice freshly squeezed Honey Dijon mustard don’t use regular yellow mustard! Minced garlic Oregano dried (not fresh) Salt and pepper Red wine vinegar A quick note on this dressing: You probably won’t use all of the dressing for your Greek Salad. I like making a slightly bigger batch in case people like tons of dressing (I’m one of those people) or so I can have leftovers. Leftover dressing will keep for up to a week in the fridge and is great on raw veggies, roasted veggies, or other salads. If you don’t love tons of dressing on your salads or you don’t want any leftover dressing, you can halve the recipe. Calories in Greek Salad There are 184 calories in a side dish of this Greek salad. Is Greek Salad healthy? I would categorize this salad as a healthy side dish or meal*. The veggies are low-calorie and loaded with good nutrients. The dressing also has good-for-you ingredients and healthy fats and natural sugar. *While I have my background in Exercise and Wellness (B.S.), all the content in this post is for informational purposes only. Please consult a doctor or dietician for any specific dietary needs/questions. More favorite salad recipes Olive Garden Salad with an Italian vinaigrette Italian Salad with an herb vinaigrette Quinoa Salad with a lemon vinaigrette Panzanella Salad with a balsamic vinaigrette Cucumber Salad with avocado! FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Greek Salad 5 from 3 votes - Review this recipe Greek Salad is made with juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, sharp red onions, tangy feta cheese, crunchy bell pepper, and salty olives. It's dressed in a homemade Greek-inspired dressing that is loaded with flavor! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Greek Salad 5 from 3 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Greek Salad is made with juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, sharp red onions, tangy feta cheese, crunchy bell pepper, and salty olives. It's dressed in a homemade Greek-inspired dressing that is loaded with flavor! Course Salad Cuisine Greek Keyword greek salad Prep Time 20 minutes Total Time 20 minutes Servings 6 as a side Calories 184kcal Author Chelsea Lords IngredientsSalad▢ 3 cups ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges (~3 medium tomatoes) Note 1▢ 2 and 1/2 cups Persian or English cucumbers sliced into half moons (~4 Persian cucumbers)▢ 1 cup red onion, very thinly sliced (~1 small red onion) Note 2▢ 1 and 1/4 cup green pepper thinly sliced (~1 small green pepper)▢ 1 and 1/4 cup feta cheese, cut into 1/2 inch blocks (~7-8 ounces)▢ 1/2 cup Kalamata olivesDressing▢ 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil▢ 1 and 1/2 tablespoons EACH: fresh squeezed lemon juice, honey, and Dijon mustard▢ 3/4 teaspoon minced garlic▢ 1 and 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano▢ 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar▢ Salt and pepperUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsDRESSING: (See Note 3) Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a mason jar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Shake thoroughly to combine (make sure no honey/Dijon is stuck on the bottom and use a spoon to stir it up and then shake again if needed). Store in the fridge until ready to dress. The longer it sits, the better flavor (10-15 minutes is great!). VEGGIE PREP: Cut each tomato into 6 wedges,and then cut each wedge into 2-3 pieces. Slice the cucumbers in half then into half moons, discarding the thin ends. Cut the red onion in half and then slice thinly. Cut the bell pepper into thin, short strips. Cut the feta into 1/2-inch blocks. Drain the olives and remove pits if needed. If desired, halve them.SALAD: Very gently toss all the veggies, olives, and feta together in a large bowl. Give the dressing a good shake and then drizzle on the salad to desired preference (you likely won't use it all unless you're a huge dressing fan). Leftovers don't sit well; this salad is best eaten the same day it's made. Recipe NotesNote 1: If tomatoes aren't in season, I'd recommend using cherry tomatoes; they tend to be sweeter. Halve them or keep them whole. Note 2: If you don't like the bite of raw red onion, place the sliced onions in a bowl of ice water with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes. This will soften the sharpness of the onion. Make sure to thoroughly drain and dry before adding to the salad. Note 3: The dressing is likely more than you'll need on the salad (unless you really like dressing like I do). Leftover dressing will stay good for up to a week in the fridge and is great on raw veggies, roasted veggies, or other salads. If you don't love lots of dressing on your salads or you don't want any leftover dressing, you can halve the recipe. Nutrition FactsServing: 6servings as a side | Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.4g | Protein: 4.5g | Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 22.3mg | Sodium: 315.6mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 3.7g We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
great greek salad, thank you, love your super sized dressing serving too, especially with thsoe ingredients, there’s nothing bad in them so why not? Reply
Greek chicken, pitas, hummus, and tzaki sauce, and quinoa along with this salad and it was better than all the Greek places we eat at. Thank you as always Chelsea. Reply
