Greek · Healthy · Side dish

Horiatiki Greek Salad

A real horiatiki has no lettuce in it: just tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, onion, olives and a slab of feta, dressed with oregano and good olive oil. The simplicity is the point.

15 min total Serves 4 servings Easy
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Horiatiki Greek Salad

Photograph credit: Greek Salad at Pizza a Fetta by roland · CC0 1.0 · Flickr

Salting the tomatoes and cucumber ten minutes ahead draws out water that then combines with the olive oil into a dressing — which is why a proper Greek salad needs no vinegar or added liquid. The feta goes on in a whole slab rather than crumbled because it stays creamy rather than dissolving into the juices.

Horiatiki Greek Salad, in preparation
Horiatiki Greek Salad, in preparation

Photograph credit: Greek Salad Feta Cheese, Red · CC0 1.0 · Rawpixel

How to Make Horiatiki Greek Salad

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  1. Put the tomato wedges and cucumber in a wide bowl, sprinkle with half the salt, and leave for 10 minutes to draw out their juices.

  2. Soak the sliced onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften its bite, then drain and dry.

  3. Add the pepper rings, onion and olives to the bowl and toss gently with the tomato juices.

  4. Pour over the olive oil and the vinegar if using, and toss once more.

  5. Transfer to a serving platter and lay the slab of feta on top — do not crumble it.

  6. Crush the dried oregano between your palms over the feta, then finish with the remaining salt, black pepper and a final drizzle of olive oil.

  7. Serve at room temperature with bread to mop the juices, which are the best part.

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Worth Getting Right

  • Greek dried oregano on the branch is far more aromatic than the powdery supermarket kind.
  • Use only real Greek feta made from sheep's milk — cow's milk versions are chalky and bland.
  • Never refrigerate the finished salad. Room temperature is essential to the flavour.

Pairs Well With

A cold Assyrtiko or a glass of ouzo with water · Serve with grilled fish, souvlaki or just bread · Follow with fresh watermelon

Keeping and Reheating

Assemble to order. The dressed vegetables keep 1 day but the texture softens; use leftovers as a bruschetta topping.

Nutrition per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

414Calories
10gProtein
17gCarbs
34gFat
5gFibre
8gSugar
1680mgSodium

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Compiled by Turab

Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.

First published ; last changed .