Greek Salad Done Right: The Art of Simplicity
Crisp veggies, creamy feta, olives, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil — discover the authentic Greek salad and the art of true simplicity.
A horiatiki — a village salad — has no lettuce and no vinaigrette. It is vegetables, cheese, oregano and oil. Everything depends on the tomatoes being ripe and the oil being good.
The slab of feta
Feta is never crumbled into a Greek salad. It goes on top in one piece, so it stays creamy and so the oil pools on it rather than dissolving it into the vegetables.
Ingredients
- 4 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 1 cucumber, thickly sliced
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 green pepper, in rings
- 200 g feta, in one slab
- Kalamata olives
- Dried oregano
- 4 tbsp Memilon Crete extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
Method
- Cut the tomatoes into generous wedges — small dice releases the juice too early — and put them in a wide bowl.
- Add the cucumber, onion and pepper, and season lightly with sea salt.
- Lay the slab of feta on top and scatter the olives around it.
- Crush dried oregano between your palms over the cheese.
- Pour the olive oil over everything, unhurriedly, and serve with bread — the juice at the bottom of the bowl is the point of the dish.
No vinegar, no lettuce, no dressing. Ripe tomatoes and good oil do the work.
Pour generously
Crete Koroneiki has the backbone a horiatiki needs — and the juice left in the bowl is the best part.
