Name: Greek Salad (Horiatiki)
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 4 large ripe tomatoes (about 700g), cut into rough wedges; 1 large English cucumber (about 350g), halved lengthwise and sliced into thick half-moons; 1 medium green bell pepper, cored and sliced into thin rings; 1 small red onion, peeled and sliced into thin rounds; 200g authentic Greek feta cheese (PDO), cut into one large thick slab or 4 individual slabs; 16 Kalamata olives, unpitted; 1 tsp dried Greek oregano (rigani), plus more for serving; 6 tbsp extra-virgin Greek olive oil; 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt; 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Greek Salad (Horiatiki)

Born from the sun-scorched villages of rural Greece, horiatiki is the true peasant salad of the Greek countryside, eaten as a meal in itself alongside crusty bread. Unlike its westernized versions, authentic horiatiki contains no lettuce — only peak-season vegetables, briny Kalamata olives, and a thick slab of Dodecanese-style feta laid proudly on top.

Prep

15 minutes

Cook

0 minutes

Total

15 minutes

Serves

Jump to recipe

Ingredients

Units

Instructions

1
Cut the tomatoes into large, rustic wedges — aim for 6 to 8 pieces per tomato. Place them in a wide, shallow serving bowl or platter.
2
Slice the cucumber into thick half-moon pieces, approximately 1.5cm thick. Add them to the bowl with the tomatoes.
3
Slice the green bell pepper into thin rings, removing all seeds and pith, and scatter them over the tomatoes and cucumber.
4
Separate the red onion slices into individual rings with your fingers and distribute them evenly over the vegetables.
5
Scatter the 16 Kalamata olives throughout the salad, distributing them evenly.
6
Drizzle the 6 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil directly over all the vegetables, followed by the 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar.
7
Season with the 1/2 teaspoon of flaky sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, distributing evenly.
8
Place the slab or slabs of feta cheese on top of the salad — do not crumble it. This is traditional and allows guests to break off pieces themselves.
9
Crumble the 1 teaspoon of dried Greek oregano between your fingers directly over the feta and the salad to release its oils and fragrance.

Greek Salad (Horiatiki)

Ingredients

Instructions

More Greek recipes

Pastitsio

Traditional Gyro Meat

Saganaki (Pan-Seared Greek Cheese Appetizer)

Greek Chicken Souvlaki