Greek Salad Recipe

There is nothing better on a summer weeknight than a delicious and quick salad recipe. This Greek salad is one of the easiest recipes I can share. It has only a handful of ingredients and can be on the table in just 15  minutes. 

The Greek salad dressing is simple and flavorful. I whip it up in a mason jar for an easy to serve and easy to save salad dressing.

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you’ll need for this delicious Greek salad and Greek salad dressing.

For the Greek Salad

• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
• ½ of a small red onion
• 1 English cucumber
• ⅓ cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1 green pepper
• 6 oz. feta cheese

For the Greek Salad Dressing

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced 
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon Black pepper

How to Keep Greek Salad from Getting Watery

Cucumbers have a lot of moisture. Even English, or seedless, cucumbers carry a lot of moisture in their centers, so I suggest removing the center flesh even when using seedless cucumbers.

To remove the fleshy center of cucumbers, just cut it in half the long way and use a spoon to scrape out the wet centers. I don’t use a lot of force because you only want to remove the pulpy center and not any of the crispy cucumber itself.

Removing the moisture from the cucumber ensures that your salad ingredients stay crisp and vibrant and that your dressing doesn’t get watered down.

Instructions

Follow these 6 simple steps to have a fresh Greek salad on your dinner table in no time!

Step 1 – Wash and Dry the Produce

Since the main ingredients in this Greek salad are fresh vegetables, you want to make sure to wash and dry them thoroughly. 

Sand or dirt in the vegetables will ruin this salad completely. And adding them before they’ve dried can make the salad watery and the dressing diluted. Take the time to wash and dry each vegetable before chopping.

Step 2 – Prepare the Vegetables and Feta

Now it’s time to chop your clean veggies! Remove any seeds from the cucumber and dice them into half-moons, about ½ inch thick. Remove the seeds from the green pepper and cut them to a similar size.

Halve the cherry tomatoes and thinly slice the red onion. Keep the kalamata olives whole, or slice them in half if that is your preference. The key here is to keep things larger and not dice anything.

If your feta is in a large block, cut it into 1-inch chunks. 

Step 3 – Make the Greek Salad Dressing

Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and minced garlic into a mason jar. Cover and shake to combine.

This is a traditional and simple Greek dressing recipe and it will keep in the fridge for up to one week.

Step 4 – Assemble the Salad and Enjoy!

Add all of your vegetables to a large bowl and top with the salty chunks of feta. Finish with a healthy drizzle of the Greek salad dressing and serve!

Cookware Used

Here are the tools I find most helpful when making Greek salad and Greek salad dressing.

Extra Large Bowl: To make sure all of your vegetables are evenly coated in the Greek salad dressing, I recommend using a bowl even larger than you think you’ll need. You want enough room to toss everything to coat. The bigger the bowl the better!

Mason Jar: Nothing beats a mason jar for making dressings. I love that you can toss everything in, seal the lid, and shake everything to combine. Plus, if you make extra, just put the lid on and refrigerate!

Greek Salad Tips

• Don’t add lettuce to this salad. It’s meant to highlight fresh, flavorful vegetables without a lot of filler.
• Go light on the olive oil. Adding too much can overpower the vegetables and also make this Greek salad heavy and less healthy.
• Season well with salt and don’t be afraid to add more dried oregano. I add a teaspoon to the dressing, but garnishing with another healthy pinch is encouraged.
• Use pitted kalamata olives rather than pitting them yourself.
• Keep your feta in big chunks. This is a traditional way to make this salad, and it requires less work!

Can You Make Greek Salad Ahead?

Since this salad is lettuce-free, you can make it ahead without worrying about the lettuce wilting. 

If you know you’re going to be serving this in the future, you can chop all of the ingredients 1 to 2 days ahead of time. Add the Greek salad dressing about 30 minutes prior to serving to allow the flavors to come out.

If you have leftovers of the salad after it’s been dressed, you can store them in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the fridge. 

Delicious Greek Salad Variations

If you love the flavor of Greek salad, but want to add a twist to make it your own, try these ideas.

Greek Pasta Salad

To make this salad into a shareable picnic side, try turning it into a pasta salad. Prepare the classic Greek salad above, but add about ½ pound of pasta cooked according to package instructions before adding the dressing. 

I love using orzo or rotini. But cavatappi and penne are also delicious in this recipe. 

Keep in mind you can keep this healthy by using whole wheat or even chickpea pasta. 

Greek Salad Pizza

My extended family always (and I mean always) orders a Greek salad with their pizza at restaurants. Make this even simpler by creating a Greek salad pizza!

Use store-bought or homemade pizza dough and cook it as directed. Top it with garlic-infused olive oil and a pinch of salt. Add the feta cheese, kalamata olives, green pepper, and red onion, and bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on your crust instructions.

Once your pizza comes out of the oven, top it with cucumber, tomatoes, a little extra feta, and a drizzle of Greek salad dressing. 

Greek Tabbouleh Salad

This is a summer favorite. Similar to the Greek pasta salad, the traditional Greek salad recipe is the base of this dish. Just create the Greek salad recipe as directed above, but add 2 cups of cooked quinoa for a filling but healthy meal.

Now, It’s Your Turn!

For a light and healthy salad option, I hope you give this Greek salad a try. The six ingredients pair perfectly with the easy and flavorful homemade Greek salad dressing.

Rough chop your veggies, give your dressing a good shake in a mason jar, and you’ll have a traditional Greek salad on your table in less than 15 minutes!

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