Authentic Greek Salad (Horiatiki) Recipe: No Lettuce, Just Great Oil

An authentic Greek salad, called horiatiki in Greece, has no lettuce, no vinaigrette and no secret. It is ripe tomatoes, cucumber, onion, green pepper, olives, a slab of feta, oregano and olive oil, and everything depends on two things: tomatoes at their best and an oil you would happily eat with a spoon. This Greek salad recipe shows the traditional way, step by step, and why it is nothing like the lettuce-and-dressing version served abroad.

Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: none | Serves: 4 as a side | Origin: Greece

What Makes a Greek Salad Authentic?

Horiatiki means "village" or "country" salad, and that is the idea: whatever is ripe in the garden, chopped roughly, with cheese and oil. A traditional horiatiki has no lettuce, and it is dressed with olive oil alone. Some cooks add a splash of red wine vinegar; we leave it out, because ripe tomatoes already bring the acidity. There is no bottled dressing and no herb mix.

The Slab of Feta

Feta is not crumbled into a Greek salad. It goes on top in one piece, so it stays creamy and the oil pools on it instead of dissolving the cheese into the vegetables. You then break off pieces at the table. Use real Greek feta, which by EU rules is made from sheep's milk or a sheep and goat milk blend.

Greek Salad Ingredients

• 4 ripe tomatoes, about 1½ lb (700 g), cut into wedges
• 1 cucumber, thickly sliced
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 green pepper, cut into rings
• 7 oz (200 g) feta, in one slab
• A handful of Kalamata olives
• Dried Greek oregano
• ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil (see below)
• Flaky sea salt

Optional: a few capers, as they do on the islands.

How to Make Greek Salad

1. Cut the tomatoes in wedges. Cut them into generous wedges and put them in a wide bowl. Small dice release the juice too early.
2. Add the vegetables. Add the cucumber, onion and pepper, and season lightly with sea salt.
3. Top with feta and olives. Lay the slab of feta on top and scatter the olives around it.
4. Season with oregano. Crush dried oregano between your palms over the cheese.
5. Finish with olive oil. Pour the olive oil over everything, unhurriedly, and serve with bread. The juice left at the bottom of the bowl, mixed with the oil, is the best part of the dish.

Which Olive Oil for Greek Salad?

Because there is no vinegar or dressing to hide behind, the olive oil is the dressing. Use a fresh, good extra virgin olive oil, and decide how bold you want the salad to taste:

• Memilon Crete is the oil for a bold, Cretan-style salad. Early-harvest Koroneiki with 610 mg/kg polyphenols in our lab analyses, it is grassy and peppery, with the backbone to stand up to salty feta and sweet tomato.
• Memilon Lesvos is the gentler choice. It is pressed only from the rare Kolovi variety grown around Plomari on the island of Lesvos, and it is golden, light and delicately fragrant, the oil to reach for when you want the vegetables to lead.

Not sure how to choose a good one? Read our guide to spotting a truly great extra virgin olive oil.

Tips for the Best Greek Salad

• Use ripe, in-season tomatoes. This is the one ingredient that cannot be faked.
• Salt just before serving. Salting early draws out the juice and leaves the salad watery.
• Pour more oil than you think. It is the dressing, and it mixes with the tomato juice to make the sauce.
• Serve with good bread. The juice and oil at the bottom of the bowl are meant for dipping.

Greek Salad FAQ

Does a traditional Greek salad have lettuce?

No. Horiatiki has no lettuce. Lettuce versions are common outside Greece, but the village salad is built on tomato, cucumber, onion, pepper, olives and feta.

What is in a Greek salad dressing?

Just olive oil, with oregano and a little salt. Some cooks add a splash of red wine vinegar, but it is not needed when the tomatoes are ripe.

Can I make Greek salad ahead of time?

You can cut the vegetables a few hours ahead and keep them cold. Add the salt, feta, oregano and oil just before serving, or the salad will turn watery.

What goes well with Greek salad?

Grilled fish or meat, crusty bread, a bowl of cool tzatziki, a warm slice of spanakopita, and a Cretan classic like dakos. For dessert, try our lemon olive oil cake.

Dress It With Great Olive Oil

A salad this simple is only as good as its oil. You can find our high polyphenol Greek olive oil from Crete and our rare Kolovi olive oil from Lesvos in our shop, both in light-proof tins with free shipping on every order. Or discover the full range of our Greek extra virgin olive oils.