This Greek salad recipe with feta is a winner! Fresh cucumbers and tomatoes tossed in a simple vinaigrette, sprinkled with lots of feta. It’s so easy and is the perfect last minute side dish for dinner or summer barbecues. Originally published August 21, 2018.
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Yesterday we went back to school shopping. It was a long drawn out torture for everyone involved. After spending 2 hours trying to figure it all out, we were finally in line. It was the end of the day and everyone was DONE, including me. The baby was screaming because I wouldn’t let her finish eating the pretzel she randomly found on the ground when the other kids started begging for the candy that is conveniently situated at their eye level.
Charlotte: Mom, can I have Swedish Fish? No.
Truman: Mom, can we buy Sour Patch Kids? No.
Charlotte: Mom, can I have some gum? NO, and now you’ve lost a privilege because I already answered you.
Other kid: Mom, can I have some candy? NO, OH MY GOSH, YOU ARE ALSO LOSING A PRIVILEGE.
Aaaand that’s when I realized I was yelling at someone else’s kid. I reacted before even turning around. The poor unsuspecting little girl in line behind us was innocently asking her mom for some candy (no doubt for the FIRST time) and the crazy lady in line starts losing it.
I think I will be shopping online from here on out, to spare innocent children everywhere.
The best Greek salad
I love Greek food. Meaty gyros in soft fluffy pita bread. Creamy, garlicky Tzatziki sauce! Flaky, nutty, honey-drenched baklava!! And crunchy, fresh Greek salad. Yes, please.
The best thing about this super flavorful salad is that it’s stupid easy and done in 20 minutes, start to finish. A few simple ingredients get together in a simple, homemade vinaigrette, and suddenly, BAM! You’re lounging on the sunny coast of Mykonos, your hair fluttering in the breeze from the Aegean sea, your gaze resting gently on the sparkling blue water. You know, LIVING THE DREAM.
If you’re like me, you’re not going to Greece any time soon, but you can enjoy amazing Greek flavors. Eat this salad for an escapist lunch alone or take it to a BBQ and salad in style.
Featured Comment
“DELICIOUS!!! I just returned from a vacation in Greece and was excited to try to make some of the delicious foods I ate. This was even BETTER than the salads I had in Greece! I think the fresh dill and fresh mint did the trick! Sooooo good!!!!” – Snu
Best Greek salad ingredients
Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. Jump to the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
- red onion
- tomatoes
- cucumber
- Kalamata olives
- fresh mint
- fresh dill
- feta cheese
- red wine vinegar
- garlic
- sugar
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
How to make Greek salad
Fortunately, after today’s shopping nightmare, I had this Greek salad waiting for me at home. Nothing like savory Greek flavors to drown all your sorrows, right? Or something like that. Whatever, I swear it helped. Anything with this much feta is going to solve problems.
I love how simple this salad is to throw together. It took me about 20 minutes from start to finish. You don’t even need a blender or anything to mix the vinaigrette, just stir it up in a bowl. It´s really like a big chopped salad, which I prefer. Big chunks of fresh veg and cheese, topped with herbs and finished with to-die-for vinaigrette. So good and SOOOO easy.
Soak your onions in water for a bit to reduce dragon breath.
Here’s how I chop my tomatoes. Don’t slice all the way down.
I love fresh herbs. You could do any type that you like. I chose dill and mint.
To make the vinaigrette, make sure you emulsify the oil and vinegar properly by drizzling the oil in slowly while whisking constantly. If you dump it in all at once, it will never come together.
I used crumbled feta to make this salad, but next time I think I’m going to buy a block of feta and chop it into bigger chunks. Doesn’t that sound so good? Never enough feta!!!
Greek salad recipe substitutions and additions
Here are a few ideas to change up this Greek salad recipe to your liking:
- Add some chopped bell peppers for even more crunch.
- Swap out the dill for fresh parsley.
- Use cherry tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes.
- Add a couple teaspoons of Dijon mustard to the dressing.
- Try black or green olives if you prefer them to Kalamata.
- Swap out the feta cheese for marinated fresh mozzarella balls.
- Add tender, crispy pepperoncini peppers for briny flavor.
Best Greek salad recipe FAQ
Greek salad is super healthy. Cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, and fresh herbs like mint and dill are all full of nutrients and low in calories, and the olive oil in this Greek salad dressing is a healthy source of fat. Easy, fast way to get your veggies!
A Greek salad and a Mediterranean salad are the same thing by two different names. A Greek or Mediterranean salad starts with cucumbers, tomatoes, and feta cheese, with other ingredients being optional (such as olives, peppers, dressing, red onions, and so on). No matter what you call it, it’s an easy and healthy side or main (and ideal for when you don’t want to heat up your kitchen).
Cucumbers naturally release liquid once cut. This isn’t a problem, but if you don’t like the cucumber water, you can simply salt and drain the cut cucumbers before mixing them with the other ingredients. The tomatoes will release some liquid as well, and there’s not much you can do about this. If you prefer a less watery salad, I recommend serving it fresh, since the longer it spends in the fridge the more liquid the vegetables will release.
What to serve with Greek cucumber salad
The possibilities are endless. I love Greek salads served alongside grilled or BBQ foods. Here are some other ideas:
- Grilled Chicken Marinade >> an obvious choice
- Honey Balsamic Slow Cooker Pork Ribs >> this salad would pair perfectly with the ribs. You can’t go wrong!
- Chicken Shawarma >> shwarma and salad…probably the perfect pairing
- Ribeye Steak Recipe (Grilled or Pan-Seared) >> so tender and juicy and perfect with the crisp veggies of this salad
- Slow Grilled Mustard Chicken >> the most flavorful, tender, and juicy chicken I’ve ever had
- Greek Turkey Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce from Emily Bites
- Grilled Salmon with Garlic Butter from Will Cook For Smiles
- Grilled Sausage from A Gouda Life
Storing Greek tomato cucumber salad
This salad is best served fresh, or a few hours after it’s made. You can store it in the fridge for 3-5 days, but it will release liquid from the tomatoes and cucumbers as the days go by. Don´t even think about freezing this one. It just won’t work.
More delicious salads to make
- Asian Marinated Cucumber Salad >> this one is one of my most popular recipes
- Green Salad with Feta and Beets (The Fanciest No-Chop Salad Ever) >> who likes chopping? No one that’s who. Make this fancy salad, no knife needed.
- Strawberry Cucumber Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing >> so unique and fun to serve when you have company!
- Loaded Cobb Salad Recipe with Bacon and Chicken >> loaded with so many filling ingredients, you can serve it as the main and no one will mind
- Grilled Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella Salad (Caprese Salad Recipe) >> a summertime favorite.
- Peach Arugula Salad from Ahead of Thyme
- Garden Bean Salad from Food Folks and Fun
- Easy Caesar Salad from Savoring the South
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Best Greek Salad
Ingredients
- 1/4 large red onion, sliced thin
- 4 large tomatoes, chopped
- 1 medium English Cucumber, chopped
- 1 cup kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 1-2 cups feta cheese, crumbled or chopped
For the vinaigrette
- 3 & 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 small cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Make the vinaigrette: In a large bowl, combine red wine vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, sugar, and oregano. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle the olive oil over the mixture so that it emulsifies. Set aside.
- Slice the onions very thin, and place in a small bowl. Cover with cold water and set aside for 10 minutes or so. This will take some of the bite out of the onion. (If you are a hard core raw onion lover, skip this step!)
- Chop the tomatoes into bite size pieces. Place in a colander over the sink to drain.
- Chop the cucumbers and add to the bowl with the vinaigrette. Add the kalamata olives, fresh mint, and fresh dill.
- Pat the onions dry with a paper towel and add to the bowl. Add the tomatoes. Toss it all together gently.
- Top with crumbled or chopped feta (next time I’m chopping a block into chunks!) Add as much as you like. Taste it to see if it needs more salt, pepper, or oregano. Toss gently and serve immediately.
Love this salad! If I don’t have feta, I use queso fresco. The dressing is superb.
I’ve made this salad in advance, but kept the cucumbers and tomatoes separate to avoid the soggy problem you mentioned. About 30 minutes prior to serving, I added them back in and it turned out fine.
mazing – truly a treasure. Try it give your taste buds a party!!
DELICIOUS!!! I just returned from a vacation in Greece and was excited to try to make some of the delicious foods I ate. This was even BETTER than the salads I had in Greece! I think the fresh dill and fresh mint did the trick! Sooooo good!!!!
I made it and it was delicious! Totally recommend it!
I’m so glad it was a hit Alexandra! Thanks for taking the time to review!
Wonderful! So fresh, I served it with Korean wraps.
Ooh, sounds like a lovely meal Diane! So glad you enjoyed it and thanks so much for taking the time to comment!
Excellent! I added romaine lettuce and it was delicious.
Great addition Mary! Romaine is always a good idea for any salad. Thanks for the tip!!
I am absolutely drooling over this one. Yep, gotta make this one this week! Thanks for posting!
Yes, I hope you try it out Jan! You will love it. Thanks so much for commenting, I love hearing that someone else is going to enjoy Greek salad this week! :)