This traditional Greek salad recipe, which is traditionally called horiatiki salad, is a favorite of mine! This was my go-to when I worked in an authentic Greek restaurant in college. The Greek-native owner showed me how to make Greek salad the real way (spoiler: there’s no lettuce!), and now I’ll show you, too. The Greek salad ingredients are simple and this recipe takes just 10 minutes to make. Serve this salad as a side dish, or add some chicken or fish to turn it into a meal. The Greek salad dressing (from my Easy Keto Cookbook!) even doubles as an easy marinade for poultry. And, you don’t have to be following any special lifestyle to enjoy this – it’s just a classic, traditional Greek salad.
What Is Horiatiki Salad?
Horiatiki salad is a traditional Greek salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, olives, and feta. No lettuce needed, which is always a surprise to many Americans, compared to our salads here in the states. (As for me? I grew up here in the U.S. too, but in my Russian family, we regularly had lettuce-free staples like cucumber radish salad. Highly recommend it if you enjoy salads without greens!) In Greek, horiatiki translates to “village” or “peasant”, which is why this traditional Greek salad is also sometimes called a village salad.
Traditional Greek Salad Ingredients
The perfect Greek salad recipe is incredibly simple! You need just 5 ingredients, plus a dressing:
Cucumbers Tomatoes Red onions Kalamata olives Feta cheese Greek salad dressing
How To Make Greek Salad
One of the reasons this is the best Greek salad is that we’re using high-quality and traditional Greek salad ingredients. The flavors speak for themselves!
Make Greek salad dressing. It takes only a few minutes, and you probably have the ingredients on hand. Learn how to make Greek dressing here.
Chop veggies. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and red onions.
Add feta and dressing. Drizzle dressing over the horiatiki salad, add feta, and toss to coat.
TIP: When to add feta is up to you. I actually added feta sooner in the picture above, but it stays together better if you add it after tossing the veggies with the dressing first.
Is traditional Greek salad keto? Gluten-free? Good for you?
Yes, this horiatiki salad is keto friendly, low carb, gluten-free, and good for you! Each 1 cup serving has just 4g net carbs, and is packed with veggies. If you prefer to cut down on carbs a bit more, omit or reduce the onions. TIP: Want even LESS carbs? I have a similar recipe in my Easy Keto Cookbook, with zucchini added to add bulk and lower carb count.
Can you make this traditional Greek salad recipe dairy-free?
For a dairy-free version of this village style Greek salad, simply omit the cheese. It’s got so much flavor, you won’t miss it.
Which vinegar to use for Greek salad?
My Greek salad dressing recipe uses red wine vinegar. You could swap it out for white wine vinegar as well.
Can you make Greek salad with lettuce?
Sure! A traditional horiatiki salad has to lettuce, but there’s nothing wrong with adding it if you want to. You’ll want to add more dressing to compensate for the added greens.
Greek Horiatiki Storage Instructions
Can Greek salad be made ahead?
You can easily prep the Greek salad ingredients ahead, but because cucumbers let off a lot of moisture, it’s best to stir in the dressing right before serving. In general, it’s best to leave salads un-tossed if you are chopping ingredients ahead of time. Definitely avoid adding the dressing until you are ready to eat.
How long can Greek salad last in the fridge?
Store the Greek salad ingredients in separate containers, or at least undressed in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It might last a day or so if you have leftovers of a fully dressed salad.
What To Serve With Greek Salad
If you like this authentic horiatiki salad recipe, here are some great pairings to go with it:
Crispy Chicken Legs – This easy recipe is totally hands-off, so you can chop your Greek salad while the chicken is roasting. Baked Salmon – The secret ingredient on top locks in moisture. Crock Pot Tuscan Chicken – An easy low carb dinner option that the whole family will love. Sirloin Steak – Made with a flavorful balsamic steak marinade!
Salad Shaker – Make and store this dressing in this handy container! Mandoline Slicer – This tool will help you slice cucumbers evenly and quickly.
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