Greek salad is a dish favoured by many. But how many actually get it right? I'll show you how easy it is to create this classic Greek dish.
If there were ever a Greek dish which summed up "the Greek experience" – it would definitely have to be horiatiki salata.
This is a humble dish. (It translates as a village salad). It's simple to prepare and relies on the freshest summer produce to do it justice. Although it is simple, I have seen many versions which claim to be the "real deal" but aren't.
Don't mess with the classics
Now don't get me wrong. I'm all for "playing with your food". Add whatever you like to your salads… But if you set out to recreate this classic Greek dish, please do it a favour and don't add lettuce!!! My father will refuse to eat in restaurants that don't reproduce a real horiatiki salata! People get funny when it comes to this dish!
Related: See my Greek Lettuce Salad for further inspiration.
When Dodoni Feta approached me here in Australia, to work with them on some recipes, I was beside myself.
Here was a brand that I had grown up with all my early life in inner suburban Melbourne.
All the Greeks knew the Dodoni brand, and I can guarantee you, it was in most Greek households along with a Kelvinator fridge!
It was almost legendary!
Just like this Greek salad.
I thought it would only be fitting to start off this working relationship with a classic dish.
Keep your Greek salad simple
And like I explained earlier, it's about simplicity. All you need is tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, Kalamata olives, onions and Dodoni Feta Cheese.
And let's not forget how I rave about simplicity in Greek cooking. From "patates sto fourno" to "kotosoupa "…you don't need a lot to make your dishes tasty.
Dress your Greek salad with some golden Greek olive oil, a little red wine vinegar and finish it off with some dried Greek oregano. You may notice that the cheese is quite a large chunk. That's ok. The more cheese, the better the salad!
But you know me! I couldn't help myself.
I made a "variation" on this classic dish, keeping the original ingredients but presenting them on toasted bread.
It makes a great light lunch and works well as a starter at a bbq or dinner. Think of these morsels as "Greek-style bruschettas" …whatever, that means!
I'm happy to present to you this Greek salad today. And I look forward to sharing some other creative recipes using Dodoni cheeses.
Cheers!
Classic Greek Salad
Ingredients
- 4 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 1 green capsicum, sliced thinly
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- ½ red onion, sliced
- 6 Kalamata olives
- 200 g feta cheese
FOR THE DRESSING:
- 60 ml olive oil, extra virgin
- 30 ml red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon oregano, Greek
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Combine the tomatoes, capsicum, cucumber and onions on a plate or bowl.
- Scatter the olives around the ingredients.
- Top with Dodoni feta cheese
- Sprinkle the dried Greek oregano over the whole salad.
- Whisk the olive oil, vinegar and salt and pour over the salad and serve immediately.
Notes
- The amount of ingredients is a guide. If you're only making for 2 people, adjust accordingly.
- To make the bruschettas, dice one tomato, ¼ cucumber, 1-2 capsicum rings, 3-4 sliced onions, 3-4 Kalamata olives and 50g of Dodoni feta cheese.
- Combine these ingredients in a bowl, drizzle with a good amount of olive oil, add a few "splashes" of red wine vinegar and a pinch of oregano and salt.
Scoop onto toasted bread and serve immediately.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Souvlaki For the Soul
Bernice AKA Betty Bake
Your photos are gorgeous
The Fidgety Foodie
It also drives me crazy when I see lettuce in horiatiki! If it ain't broke don't fix it ☺️
john | heneedsfood
Just as I remember eating it in Greece - with a slab of feta weighing it all down. Yum!
Tori Cooper
What a way to bring on the feta! This salad is calling my name with its beauty and deliciousness!
supal {chevrons & éclairs}
Greek salad is my absolute favorite! Sweet and salty and tangy all in one. I love the idea of a bruschetta too... thank you so much for breaking it down for us 🙂 x
Millie | Add A Little
Yum! One of my favourite simple, fresh salads!
AmandaChewTown
Love the big slab of feta on top - Looks wonderful.
KimNB
I see a lot of "authentic" recipes for the dressing also based on lemon juice or a mix of lemon and red wine vinegar. I believe Greek food uses lots of lemon but does it traditionally show up in the dressing?
Remon_Kewl
Nope, as Peter writes here only vinegar is used.
Merryn Galluccio
Simple is best and your father is perfectly right, it if isn't done properly then it is not alright. I love your plates, the Greek Salad looks delightful on top 😀
Simon @ the heart of food
Ah, it has a proper name other than just "Greek". Have loved the salad and Dodoni feta since I was even a kid. Nice 🙂
Sara (Belly Rumbles)
How could you not love an awesome Greek salad, done the right way, with a massive block of feta sitting on top.
Remon_Kewl
There is a form of your bruschetta already here, ntakos from Crete. It uses barley paximadi as the base, and a lot cretan mizithra, which is sweeter than regular, instead of feta.
Xandrios
Your bruschetta is actually very close to an existing, and awesome, recipe: Dakos! Generally without peppers and cucumber, but over the top delicious.