Greek Salad Recipe (Easy, Make-Ahead +Video)

This Greek salad recipe is so easy and delicious that we eat it all year long, not just in summer! It takes just 15 minutes and 8 ingredients (including one secret flavor booster), plus a simple homemade Greek dressing.

We eat some kind of salad with almost every meal, from a simple side dressed with lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and salt to a hearty grain salad or my Mediterranean shrimp pasta salad. But when we want a salad that's a whole meal (and vegetarian), we dive into a huge bowl of this Greek salad.

It's just as good as a side, never heats up the kitchen because it needs no stove, and it makes an excellent Greek chicken salad or Greek Halloumi Cheese salad too (recipe coming soon).

Why You'll Love This Greek Salad Recipe

• Ready in 15 minutes: Just chop, toss, and dress.
• Healthy and fresh: Crisp raw vegetables, cured olives, and a simple homemade lemon and herb olive oil dressing, with nothing processed.
• Vegetarian but filling: It's hearty enough to eat as a main meal on its own.
• Endlessly versatile: Add grilled chicken, shrimp, pork gyro meat, or any protein you like. It also makes an excellent Greek chicken salad.
• Side or main: Serve a small bowl next to gyros or grilled meats, or a big bowl as dinner.
• Just 8 ingredients: Simple pantry and produce staples, plus one secret flavor booster.

Greek Salad Ingredients

Classic or traditional Greek salad includes cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, green bell pepper, olives, and feta cheese tossed in Greek salad dressing. For this recipe, I've opted to use the following ingredients, and I've included easy substitutions for you as well:

• Vine-ripened tomatoes: (sub sweet grape or cherry tomatoes, especially if you're making this salad in the fall and winter months) 
• Garden-fresh cucumbers: (sub Persian cucumbers, which have much less water than other varieties, or an English cucumber with the middle scooped out).
• Cured black Kalamata olives with pits: (sub pitted black Kalamata olives, which are much easier to eat, but usually have less flavor than oil-cured olives). Kalamata olives are often used in Greek recipes and pair really well with the feta and complement the Greek dressing.
• Green Italian Cerignola olives with pits: (sub an equal amount of pitted black olives if desired) Cerignola olives are very large, super meaty olives we like to add for their delicious briny flavor and visual appeal.
• Red onions: (sub thinly sliced shallots) I like to slice the onions paper-thin so they melt into the rest of the salad, rendering them less sharp when you bite into them.
• PDO Greek feta cheese: (sub a fake non-Greek feta cheese if that's all you can find). I use 100% real feta cheese made in Greece because it's delicious. Real feta has a Protected Designation of Origin (aka DOP) that requires it to be made in a specific (traditional) way with only traditional ingredients (goat and sheeps milk). So when you buy a DOP feta, you're getting a premium product that tastes better and makes a better Greek salad. I like to cut cubes of feta as opposed to crumbling it, so everyone can see what they're eating.
• Fresh mint: (If you're not a fan of mint, simply leave it out)
• Secret Greek Salad Ingredient: (Grated Grana Padano Cheese) Grated cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano, American Parmesan, and Grana Padano add so much extra flavor to homemade salad recipes. And a little goes a long way (I've only added 1 tablespoon in this recipe). While this is not a traditional Greek salad ingredient, it's a SUPER delicious add-on that I highly recommend!
• Homemade Easy Greek salad dressing: (sub your favorite bottled Greek dressing). This zesty dressing is SO easy and is ready in 5 minutes flat! I use a combination of both fresh oregano (from my window box garden) and dried oregano for an even better overall flavor.

*Want to make a vegan Greek salad? Omit the feta cheese and add vegan feta cheese or substitute the feta with firm tofu or chickpeas.

Greek Salad Dressing (Ingredients)

My easy Greek salad dressing uses 7 basic pantry ingredients (plus salt and pepper): extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, freshly squeezed lemon juice (to brighten it up), Dijon mustard, garlic, dried oregano, and fresh oregano for even more flavor.

If you don't have fresh oregano on hand, just leave it out! This healthy salad dressing will still taste amazing!

NOTE: I use about 4 tablespoons (60g) of salad dressing for this entire salad, but you can use up to 5 tablespoons (75g) or more if desired.

How to Make Greek Salad Step-by-Step

This is probably one of the easiest salads you'll ever make. All it requires is chopping a few vegetables and whisking up a quick Greek vinaigrette. 

Step 1. Make the Greek salad dressing. Add all of the ingredients except the EVOO to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly add the EVOO in a slow, steady stream while whisking constantly until the mixture is emulsified; set aside.

Step 2. Chop the Vegetables and combine everything. Chop the cucumbers, tomatoes, and feta in similar chunky sizes and slice the red onions paper-thin. Add olives, Grana Padano (if using), and any fresh herbs if desired. Then drizzle on the homemade Greek dressing and toss everything to fully coat. I like to use a large mixing bowl, which makes it easier to toss everything together.

Get the full recipe instructions and watch the video in the recipe card. 

What to Serve With Greek Salad

I love serving Greek salad alongside my crispy pork gyros and a big bowl of homemade tzatziki sauce, or with simple grilled proteins and warm, fluffy bread to soak up all the juices. Here are a few of my favorites:

Greek Salad Variations

This Greek salad is easy to turn into a full meal. Top it with grilled halloumi for a vegetarian main, or add sliced turkey breast and a sprinkle of hemp hearts for extra protein. The salad and dressing stay the same, and only the topping changes.

Greek Salad With Lettuce

If you're trying to get more greens into your diet, you can use this Greek salad as a salad topper or condiment for other lettuce greens.

Simply add your favorite greens (like Romaine, spring green mix, baby spinach, kale, arugula, or even iceberg lettuce) to a bowl, and top each portion with ½ to 1 cup of this Greek salad. Toss everything together and add more salad dressing or a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and enjoy!

More Easy Mediterranean Recipes

Try these easy recipes if you love light and refreshing dishes as much as we do!

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Food Safety

• Keep it cold: Keep Greek salad at or below 40°F/4°C in the fridge, a cooler, or a container set on ice.
• 2-hour rule: Don't leave it out for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour when it's above 90°F/32°C.
• Picnics and BBQs: Keep the cooler out of direct sunlight, and open and close the lid quickly so it stays cold.
• Leftovers: Move leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate them right away.
• Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Keep Clear of the Danger Zone