Is there another dish that screams GREEK ISLANDS more than Greek Salad? Visions of seaside tavernas, fresh seafood, and cold beer are the natural accompaniments to this dish, so here is our recipe for Greek Horiatiki salad for you to recreate in your slice of paradise.
This dish is one of the most popular Greek dishes and is found in cafes, restaurants and in kitchens all over the world.
In Greece, it is known as Horiatiki a word derived from ‘horiatikos’ or village dwellers. It is a dish that people from all towns and villages were usually able to put together with simple, local ingredients found all over the country.
Tomatoes of course are a staple found across the Mediterranean as are onions. Feta cheese is everywhere in Greece and is often produced by the family goat or sheep. Olives and Olive Oil are often from the family’s or village’s olive grove.
There are many variations, however. Peppers ( Capsicum) are common as is cucumber, but not mandatory. Capers are also common as is the use of dill and oregano for seasoning.
Purists would never include lettuce but today it is quite common especially if other ingredients are scarce and in some places, like Crete, they often include flatbread or a dry rusk, similar to their Dakos Salad.
At the end of the day, many Greek cooks would mostly use what was to hand. Some of the best versions of Greek Horiatiki Salad we have had consisted of nothing other than tomatoes, oil, and a slab of Feta cheese, and it was divine.
The quality of the ingredients is key and in Greece, they are usually always first-rate.

Horiatiki ( Greek Salad )
Probably the best known Greek dish of all. Loved across the globe and full of goodness.
Ingredients
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1 small cucumber
- 250gms Feta cheese
- 1 small red onion
- 100gms Kalamata Olives
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp baby capers
- 1 stalk mint
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
Chop tomatoes and cucumber in chunks.
Slice onion thinly
Drain or pit olives
Toss these ingredients in a salad bowl
Place slab of cheese on top
To make dressing: mix oil and oregano
Pour dressing over salad ingredient and throw on capers and herds
Finish with a crack of pepper and a heavy pinch of salt
Notes
There are variations of this salad all over Greece and it often has to do with what's on hand at the time.
Some people add capsicum/peppers, others use local Goat's cheese (Mizithra), some don't add capers, etc....
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 82Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 126mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 2g
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