The Most Amazing Greek Salad

29 March 2024

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This 15-minute Greek salad features traditional ingredients: tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, olives, red onions, and feta cheese, tossed with the classic homemade Greek dressing. You won’t be able to stop eating this healthy Mediterranean salad – it’s that good! It keeps well refrigerated – great for making ahead and sharing with the crowd at Summer parties, picnics, potlucks, and family gatherings.

Greek salad

This quick and easy Summer salad features staples of Mediterranean cuisine: tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, olives, feta cheese, lemon, olive oil, and fresh herbs. It’s a versatile recipe that you can serve as a side salad, side dish, or a light meatless meal. You can even turn it into a complete, more substantial meal by adding your favorite protein (such as grilled meats, seafood, rotisserie chicken, chicken kebabs and so many other options!). The Greek salad certainly deserves a spot in your recipe rotation! And, if you love Greek cuisine as much as I do, be sure to check out these very popular recipes: chicken and lemon rice with chickpeas and tomatoes and family-favorite Greek shrimp orzo.

Why you’ll love it

Can be made ahead – perfect for meal prep! As a traditional Greek salad, this recipe features only tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, and feta cheese. When combined in a salad, these ingredients keep well refrigerated and taste even better the next day as they get marinated with the dressing and release juices!
No leafy greens which means that the Greek salad can be refrigerated for up to 4 days without anything wilting!
A crowdpleaser. Everyone will love the freshness of this Summer recipe. Share it with your family and friends at Summer barbecue parties, picnics, potlucks, and holiday events!
A great side salad. Pair it with any main course, especially grilled meats, chicken, seafood, and pasta.

The ingredients

Tomatoes. I used grape (or cherry) tomatoes in two colors. They make a beautiful presentation, but you can use regular tomatoes, too.
Cucumber. Use two medium cucumbers or one large one.
Bell pepper. I used red bell pepper just because it adds such a pop of color! I recommend using red, yellow, or orange bell peppers.
Olives. Use pitted black, green, or kalamata olives. I used a combo of black and green olives, again for a pop of color!
Feta cheese has a soft texture and briny flavor. You can buy a fresh block of cheese or crumbled Feta – either works!
Red onion provides a zesty bite and even more vibrancy to this colorful salad.

Classic Greek salad dressing

The salad dressing is made from scratch with just a few simple ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. You can also use dried Italian seasoning, or Herbs from Provance instead of oregano. Combine all dressing ingredients in a small mason jar and whisk with the fork. Or, close it with the lid, and shake vigorously to emulsify.

How to make Greek salad

This Summer salad only takes 15 minutes to make. You can serve it immediately or refrigerate it for up to 4 days. Below is the overview. The detailed recipe (with amounts) is at the bottom of this post (on the recipe card).

Make salad dressing in a medium bowl by whisking together extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
Prepare the veggies. Add diced tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, olives, and crumbled Feta to the large mixing bowl.
Assembly. Add dressing to the large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Protein ideas

It’s easy to turn a Greek salad into a complete meal. Just add your favorite grilled meats (chicken and steak) or seafood (salmon or shrimp). There are also many ways to elevate this recipe to a more substantial Mediterranean meal. Here are some ideas:

Add prosciutto or bacon. You can briefly crispy up the prosciutto in the preheated oven at 350 F for about 10 minutes.
Add leftover chicken, including rotisserie chicken.
Add seafood, such as sauteed or grilled shrimp, scallops, salmon, lemon cod, or any other fish to turn Greek salad into a quick and easy weeknight dinner!
Add chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) for a meatless protein addition.

Variations and substitutions

Veggies. What can you add in addition to the traditional Greek ingredients? My favorites are asparagus, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, marinated artichokes, and zucchini.
Add leafy greens, such as spinach, arugula, or butter lettuce.
Cheese. This recipe uses feta cheese. You can also add small Mozzarella balls (pearls), sliced Mozzarella, or cubed Parmesan. Or, add grated Parmesan.
Salad Dressing. Make a dressing from scratch or use your favorite store-bought Greek dressing.
Don’t like red onions? Try chopped green onions.
Lime or lemon will work great. Freshly squeezed juice is always the best!

Delicious add-ins

Add pasta. Smaller pasta works great, such as orzo or couscous. But you can add any pasta you like, including spaghetti, linguine, angel hair, farfalle, penne, or rigatoni.
Add pine nuts as a topping. I like to toast pine nuts briefly (and carefully!) in the oven for an even richer flavor.
Add capers instead of olives, or add them in addition.
Add other toppings, such as fresh herbs (basil, thyme, or oregano), chopped green onions, or chopped chives.

Recipe tips and recommedations

Bite-sized ingredients. Cut, slice, or dice all salad ingredients into bite-sized pieces (not too big and not too small).
Use cherry or grape tomatoes and slice each one in half. I like to use tomatoes of both yellow and red color. Regular tomatoes work too, but cherry tomatoes make a better presentation and usually hold up better in a salad, especially if you make it ahead.
Add pitted olives and slice them into smaller pieces. Olives tend to have a strong, pronounced flavor, so cutting them into smaller bites really helps mellow that strong flavor.
Add a mixture of kalamata, black, and green olives. Adding different olives adds more flavor and color to the Greek salad!

Storage Tips

Fridge. Store the leftover salad refrigerated in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Make-ahead tip: If you plan on refrigerating the salad for a day or two, don’t add the dressing. Add the dressing right before serving.

Mediterranean main dishes to go with Greek salad

What goes well with Greek salad for dinner? Grilled meats, such as chicken, beef, pork, lamb, and salmon. You can also serve it with your favorite pizza, pasta, or even lightly charred pita bread. And, if you want specific Mediterranean dinner recommendations, here are some ideas:

Other refreshing Summer salads