This healthy Greek salad with avocado and an easy-to-makeย Greek salad dressingย is just the right recipe for simple no-cooking eats all year long.
In This Post
Standard-staple recipes in and out of the kitchen are what I crave. You know, the simple stuff. Recipes that let the best saladย ingredientsย shine. This Greek salad with avocado is exactly what the doctor ordered. Itโs fresh, crunchy, tangy, and above all, delicious. It has the basicย flavorsย of a traditional Greek salad (Horiatiki salad) but with that extra somethinโ somethinโ to make your Mediterranean heart happy and healthy.
What Is Greek Salad Made Of
This saladโand any good-for-you dietโis all about balance. Andย tomatoes. Andย cucumber. Andย kalamata olives. It has all the usualย ingredientsย of a traditional Greek salad but with the healthy-for-you-fats from creamy avocado tossed in. Avvvvvooooocado. I know, I think adding it in is brilliant too. I talk a lot aboutย the healthy benefits of the Mediterranean Diet way of eatingย and have loads of recipe ideas that follow its formula. But few are as elementary as this one.
Hereโs what youโll need to make this easy Greek salad:
- tomatoes
- cucumberย (I like using seedlessย cucumbersย for this recipe)
- red onion
- kalamata olives
- Italian flat-leaf parsley
- avocado
- my simple Greek dressing withย dried oregano
How to Make Greek Salad
- To add a little visual appeal, peel theย cucumbersย withย this palm held vegetable peeler, leaving part of the peel so their greenness shined through.
- I use medium-sizeย tomatoesย like Campari or cocktailย tomatoesย so I donโt end up with a lot of watery seeds.ย Cherry tomatoesย cut in half work great too.
- Thinly slice yourย red onionย to keep theย flavorย in check. Or, useย my favorite handheld mandolineย to do the job.
- Kalamata olivesย have a special tang that is less briney than regular black olives. I look for olives that have already been pitted, then cut in half so I get more olive bites in each forkful.
- Flat-leaf parsley adds a bit of brightness to this salad. If youโre a fan of curly parsley, sure, go ahead and use it instead.
- When it comes toย feta cheese, I always buy my feta in a block. Pre-crumbled feta canย tasteย chalky. I prefer to break it apart myself so I can get big, delicious, salty chunks.
- When it comes to adding the avocado, add it a the very end after combining the otherย ingredients. I look for a firm avocado so it doesnโt get all mushed up when tossed, and I usually coat the avocado with a bit of the dressing before adding it to the rest of theย ingredients.
Greek Salad Recipe Dressing
- Because I use it so much,ย my favoriteย Greek salad dressingย recipeย has its own post you may want to bookmark now. For the sake of keeping things simple to find, Iโm sharing it here for this recipe too.
- For thisย Greek salad dressing, I encourage you toย tasteย test and add a little more of this or that to suit your desires. I prefer a pretty vinegar-y dressing because I think it really accents the fresh veggies with a little puckery tartย taste.
- When tossing the dressing with the salad, first add about ยพ of the dressing, thenย tossย to coat.ย Tasteย the salad the add more dressing to your liking.
- The saladโs veggies will release their juices as the dressing absorbs, so depending on how long this salad sits out (like at a BBQ) the more juice there will be. But if you plan on eating the salad right away, using all of the dressing at once is fine.
Can You Make Greek Salad Ahead of Time
Because theย ingredientsย are sturdy, Greek salad is great for making ahead of time before serving. It alsoย tastesย good the longer theย flavorsย mingle, and is perfect for eating throughout the week since this Greek salad will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.
What to Serve With Greek Salad
- Easy Chicken Gyros With Tzatziki Sauce
- Grilled Halibut with Tomato Avocado Salsa
- Easy Greek Chicken Kebabs
- Pork Souvlaki With Lemon Rice
- Greek Turkey Burgers With Tzatziki Sauce
- Mediterranean Grilled Balsamic Chicken With Olive Tapenade
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo andย tag me on Instagramย with #foodiecrusheats.
Greek Salad with Avocado
Ingredients
- 2 English cucumbers , peeled in stripes and cut into ยฝ inch slices
- 1 ยฝ pounds medium tomatoes , (I use cocktail tomatoes), stemmed and quartered
- ยผ small red onion , thinly sliced
- 1 ยฝ cups kalamata olives , pitted and halved
- ยผ cup Italian flat leaf parsley , chopped
- 2 avocados , pitted and cut into chunks
- 1 cup feta cheese , broken into large chunks
- ยฝ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ยฝ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic , peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large serving bowl, combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives and parsley. Place the avocado in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a small canning jar, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, sugar and salt and pepper. Top with the lid and shake well until blended and emulsified. Season with more sugar and salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour 1 tablespoon of the dressing on the sliced avocado and gently mix to coat. Pour the rest of the dressing on the cucumber mixture and toss to coat. Add the avocado to the salad and top with chunks of feta cheese, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
More Fresh and Easy Salad Recipe Ideas
- Greek Salad with Chicken
- How to Make the Best Potato Salad
- Asian Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe
- Avocado Caprese Salad
- BLT Pasta Salad with Avocado
- Classic Shrimp Macaroni Salad Recipe
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Mare
This salad is full of flavor and very satisfying! I loved it, itโs going to be my go to salad from now on. :o)
Heidi
Happy to hear you enjoyed!
Jim
Can I adjust the serving numbers on your recipes in order to make a smaller amount? Thank you
Hayley
Hi Jim, you can definitely cut this recipe in half if you don’t want it to make as much. We hope you enjoy!
Pam Small
This my favorite salad now! I love the dressing with all the vegetables. Iโve substituted garlic stuffed green olives if I don’t have Kalamata, also flavored feta.
Heidi
I’m glad you enjoy it!
Diana Lawrence
I made this salad to go with the Best Greek Chicken Marinade recipe and it complemented the chicken beautifully. My husband and I both loved the freshness and brightness of the vegetables in the dressing and the addition of avocado is genius! A+!
victoria
made this for a block party and people loved it. the salad dressing is hands down the best dressing iโve ever made. people wanted to drink it from the bowl. i should have followed the directions and reserved some of the dressing, because the juices from the veggies released just like the website said… but that was my fault, and still, no regrets. iโm keeping this recipe forever.
Heidi
So glad you and the rest of the block enjoyed it Victoria. And you’re right, the dressing is a keeper. Thanks!
Cassie
Wow, the salad looks very tasty. I will definitely try on this weekend.
Peter @ South Indian Restaurants
Wow, the salad looks very tasty. Nice photos btw.
Mona T
I love this recipe! I actually substituted the avocado for cucumber since I am making it for someone that is allergic to cucumber. The dressing is so flavorful; this recipe will definitely be my go-to for Greek salad! Thanks!!
Mariatte
Loved this salad. I found 1 TB of oregano to be over powering in the dressing and had to spoon some out after it was already mixed.
heidi
Oh, I LOVE the oregano taste, but if you’re not as big a fan, good idea to use less.
Amber
Just made this for lunch and it was amazing! Left out the avocado since those are hard to find (ripe anyways) where I live. Added some quinoa to make it more filling and it turned out great! Thank you :)
heidi
Thank you Amber!
Debbie
To get the bitterness out of a cucumber, you need to milk it. You cut off about 1-1 1/2 inch off the end, and rub the cut edges together in circular motion. A white goo should seep from the skin. Do this to both ends, until you get no more goo. Rinse off and you’re good to go. Great recipe BTW :)
Rosa
SO. GOOD.
I replaced some of the red wine vinegar with balsamic. Be still my heart <3
katrina monarco
Very tasty! My very first view of heidi and I will be back! I like your style. Check more yummy taste from https://www.yolenis.eu/13894/greek_salad
Suzi Cruzen
Whoops, forgot to add: for more of a main dish, or for veggie people, I’ve added garbanzos to this to make it hardier. Great combination!
Suzi Cruzen
This is such a lovely salad, and so versatile. You can add, subtract, or tweak and it’s always good. Made just as is, it’s a winner. We like some fresh squeezed lemon right on top at serving. Thanks Heidi!!
Becky
I’m a sucker for Greek salads and this one looks perfect. Plus most of these ingredients are in season so I’m going to just go ahead and call it seasonal and add it to my round up! Thanks for being awesome!
Jenny
Oregano…fresh or dried?
heidi
I used dried oregano, it has more concentrated flavor.
Angie
This looks REALLY yummy!! How do you think leftovers of this dish would do? I’m looking to maybe use it for lunch a few times during the week as well.
Becky
Im all about Greek salads all summer long or really any chopped salad but Greek is my favorite! You really don’t need lettuce for a good salad and sometimes it’s better without it.
Olivia - Primavera Kitchen
Iโve never added avocado to my greek salad!! I have to try it ;-)
Phi @ The Sweetphi Blog
hahahaha, Dr. SummerHasArrived totally made me laugh, I liked it, didn’t think you’d hit writers block :) My writers block is not as creative, it’s like ‘I made this, it was good, here is the recipe’ lol. This salad looks super yummy :)
Linda
I tend to like most all of Jodi Piccoult books.
Patti
I always follow the Doctor’s orders. This beautiful, scrumptious, salad looks like the cure I’m searching for.
ami@naivecookcooks
I love greek salads!I like the addition of avocados!
Kathy @ Olives & Garlic
A refreshing salad, my all time favorite. Actaully anything with avocados is my all time favorite. Gorgeous photos Heidi, as always.
Farah @ The Cooking Jar
Lovely combination of fresh veggies and fruits. Is it bad I like the sugar being there to balance out the tartness?
Becky @ Fun Fresh Feast
This looks great! Greek Salad and avocados are two of my favorite things — why haven’t I been combining them?!
Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps
I actually just got back from Greece, and of course ordered many Greek salads, and almost NONE of them came with Kalamata olives. Can you believe that?! I was horrified! Of course, that’s one of my favorite parts. Love this simple, classic and RIGHT version. :)
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
Perfect summer salad, I could live off of this!
Sandy | Reluctant Entertainer
I love this salad. It for sure says “summer is here!!!!!”
Norma | allspice and nutmeg
I love the avocado here. Greek salad is my favorite now I have to have it with avocado.
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl
Love the avocado and sugar addition – two ingredients I never add to Greek salads. Genius!!
Kelli @ The Corner Kitchen
How on earth have I never thought to add avocado to Greek salad? I mean, I add it to nearly everything else. Anyway, this Greek salad is amazing and I can’t wait to dig into it for lunch today!
Christine from Cook the Story
LOVE the flavors of this salad. It’s gorgeous, too!
Elisabeth
That’s all great, but I cannot find anywhere on this site the number of servings for this recipe. Looks huge and trying to bring it down to 4 servings, but not without knowing more. I have never seen a recipe that did not suggest the number of servings.
Louisa [Living Lou]
I’ve started adding avocado to my greek salad, too! I’m sure my Greek grandfather would be disgusted – haha! I consider myself a somewhat of a Greek salad aficionado and I’m definitely on the side of a more vinegary dressing as that’s the kind of dressing I’ve typically had in Greece, and it does such a wonderful job of highlighting the veggies.
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
Totally into sticking avocado into my Greek salad! Yum!
Kathryn
Everything’s better with avocado.
Millie l Add A Little
Looks lovely and refreshing and I love adding avocado to everything!! Makes it creamy and so yummy!
http://youtube.com/addalittlefood