An authentic Greek salad, known in Greece as Horiatiki, is the ultimate no-cook summer side. It makes a great light meal when it's hot or a perfect dish to serve at a barbecue. Unlike many versions, authentic Greek salads do not use lettuce. Instead, they rely on chunky, juicy vegetables, high-quality olive oil, and a slab of feta cheese right on top. Packed with crisp, hydrating vegetables and a sharp, vinegary punch, it cuts through rich or heavy main dishes beautifully.
Ingredients for the Perfect Greek Salad
The secret to a spectacular Greek salad isn't cooking technique—it's using ripe, quality ingredients. You will need: 3 large ripe vine tomatoes, roughly cut into bite-sized wedges; 1 large cucumber, deseeded and cut into thick half-moon slices; 1 green pepper, deseeded, halved lengthways and thinly sliced; half a medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced into rings; a handful of Kalamata olives (whole with pits is traditional, but pitted olives work well); 1 block of feta cheese (avoid pre-crumbled tubs, they dry out); and dried oregano, crucial for that authentic aroma.
The Simple Dressing
No need to emulsify a complicated dressing in a separate bowl. Authentic Greek salads are dressed right in the serving dish. For the dressing, use 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (use the good stuff), 1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar, and a pinch of sea salt (go easy, as feta and olives are already salty).
Method: How to Assemble the Salad
First, prep and combine the vegetables: Place your chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and green peppers into a large, shallow bowl. Add the Kalamata olives. Next, dress and toss gently: Drizzle the red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil directly over the vegetables. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and a light dust of dried oregano. Toss everything together so the vegetables are evenly coated. Finally, add the crown: Place the whole block (or large thick slices) of feta cheese right on top of the tossed vegetables. Drizzle a tiny bit more olive oil over the block of feta, and hit the cheese with a generous pinch of dried oregano.
How to Serve
Leave the feta block whole on top when you bring it to the table. Guests can break off chunks of cheese with their forks as they scoop out the salad, letting the creamy feta mix naturally with the tomato juices and olive oil at the bottom of their plates. Enjoy with some crusty bread to mop up the juices.
More Summer Salad Ideas
For other no-cook summer options, try Mary Berry's 10-minute summer salad that's perfect for hot evenings, or a classic potato salad with a couple of twists. If you're having a BBQ, consider Tom Parker Bowles's tips for mastering the perfect chicken kebab or ditch burgers and bangers for chefs' flavour-packed BBQ favourites.
