Description
This Greek salad recipe is so easy and delicious we eat it all year long, not just in the summer months! With just 8 ingredients (one of which is a 'secret flavor bomb' add-on) plus a simple homemade Greek dressing, this healthy protein-packed salad ticks off all the right boxes and only takes 15 minutes to make. Watch the how to make greek salad video below!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Salad Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (60g)
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (30g)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed (15g)
- 1 garlic clove, grated on Microplane (or finely minced)
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano (leaves from about 4 sprigs) (optional but recommended)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (3g)
- 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard (1.5g)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (1g), or more to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
For the Salad
- 3 medium garden-fresh cucumbers, coarsely chopped (about 13 ounces) (375g) (sub Persian cucumbers or 1 seeded English cucumber)
- 1 large vine-ripened tomato, coarsely chopped (about 11 ounces) (300g) (sub 2 large Roma tomatoes or 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes)
- 6 ounces feta cheese, cubed or crumbled(200g)
- 1/2 cup cured Kalamata olives (85g)
- 1/2 cup green Italian Cerignola(85g) (sub Kalamata olives)
- 1/4 cup red onions, sliced paper thin (15g)
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (7g)
- 1 tablespoon grated Grana Padano cheese (10g) (sub Parmesan or Parmigiano cheese)
Instructions
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Make the dressing: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the extra virgin oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, dried and fresh oregano, mustard, salt, and pepper.
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Assemble the salad: Add the cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and olives to a large mixing bowl and 4 tablespoons of the dressing (or more as desired) and gently toss to combine. Add the feta cheese and mint and gently toss to combine (adding the feta last like this keeps the cheese from totally falling apart as you combine the ingredients). Add the salad to a serving platter, sprinkle with a sprig of fresh oregano or extra mint, and Enjoy!
Notes
- Greek salad can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days
- Do not leave this salad unrefrigerated for longer than 2 hours ( if the ambient temperature is below 90°F/32°C). If the temperature is above 90°F/32°C don't leave Greek salad out for more than 1 hour.
- My favorite way to meal prep this salad in advance and keep it 100% crispy and never soggy: Add all of the chopped veggies, diced feta cheese, olives, and herbs each in their own separate mounds to an airtight container, and place it in the refrigerator up to 1 day in advance. The ingredients will touch each other, but they shouldn't be tossed together because this helps them stay crisp and keeps the salad components from becoming watery before you're ready to toss and eat. If you're taking the salad somewhere, bring the salad dressing in a small jar, and just before time to serve it, drizzle the dressing over the top of the ingredients and toss everything together.
- 2 ways to remove some of the sharpness from raw onion: First, slice them paper-thin which means less pungent flavor attacking your taste buds all at once. When they're thin like this, they interact and melt into the Greek salad dressing which drastically reduces the sharpness. The second thing you can do is soak the sliced onions in cool water for 30 minutes before adding them to the salad. Just be sure to pat them completely dry before adding them. I never have to soak them in water as long as I slice them paper thin, but do what you need to.
- Do not freeze Greek salad! If you do, the cucumbers become soggy, wet, and translucent (no matter how crunchy and crisp they were to start) and inedible. The tomatoes become mushy, the onions become slimy, and mint and fresh oregano become black. The olives and feta are about the only thing in a Greek salad that can be frozen and thawed and retain a similar texture.
- Make it a vegan Greek salad by substituting vegan feta cheese, or omitting the feta altogether and adding chickpeas or tofu.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salads
- Method: Mix & Stir
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups
