Horiatiki (or Greek village salad) is the original Greek salad, made with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, green bell pepper, sliced onion, kalamata olives, capers, and a slab of real feta cheese sprinkled with oregano, olive oil, and red wine vinegar.
I have several twists on Greek salads in my recipe toolbox: Greek Salad with Avocado, Greek Chickpea Salad, Greek Salad with Chicken, and Greek Potato Salad just to name a few. But, horiatiki salad is the OG Greek salad. Think of it as an unfussy, chunked-up, lettuce-less salad whose only request is to use the freshest ingredients available.
This horiatiki Greek village salad’s variety of fresh textures and flavor is a lesson in healthy eats. Chunky sweet tomatoes, crisp cucumber, green bell pepper, and red onion are tossed together with slabs of real, tangy PDO Greek sheep’s milk feta cheese laid on top. The dressing isn’t even a dressing—just a drizzling of high-quality fruity olive oil and bracing red wine vinegar. The cherry on this Greek salad sundae is a sprinkling of oregano, salt and pepper, and perky capers to create my fave healthy Mediterranean food bites.
What’s In Horiatiki Greek Salad
Horiatiki (or Xoriatiki) is an authentic Greek village salad made popular among Greek farmers as a simple breakfast or lunch. Now, that’s my kind of meal. A bit of a tongue twister AND a tongue pleaser, horiatiki is pronounced: “whore-YA-tee-kee.”
- Tomatoes, such as Campari or cocktail tomatoes, sweet cherry, or fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes
- Cucumbers with thin skin such as English or Persian cucumbers
- Green bell pepper
- Red onion
- Kalamata olives, pitted
- Greek sheep’s milk feta cheese, sold brined in block
- Capers
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil, fruity is always best in salads
- Red wine vinegar
- Dried oregano
How to Make Horiatiki
Choose the best-quality fresh vegetables, olive oil, and vinegar. Simple salads like this can’t hide behind heavy dressings or misfit ingredients. Choose the best quality you can afford for the best taste with minimum effort.
Chop the fresh vegetables about the same size. Salads like this are all about getting more than one flavor in each forkful. Cutting the chopped vegetables consistently in cuts makes this happen.
Choose a high-quality sheep’s milk feta cheese sold as a block in brine. Skip the pre-crumbled feta that’s been coated so it doesn’t stick together. I look for authentic Greek or Bulgarian feta cheese. Slice the feta into triangles for the most authentic feel.
Kalamata olives and capers deliver the tang. Use pitted kalamata olives for ease in eating.
If capers are too salty or red onion too hot for your taste, rinse them in cold water before using them.
Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar, no whisking or mixing required. Add more or less vinegar to your taste then season with a sprinkling of dried oregano, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
What to Serve with Horiatiki
- Grilled Greek Chicken Kebabs
- Saucy Greek Baked Shrimp
- Mediterranean Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Olive Tapenade
- Greek Turkey Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce
- Mediterranean Grilled Pork Chops
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Horiatiki Greek Salad (Traditional Farmer’s Greek Salad)
Ingredients
- ¾ pound tomatoes , such as Campari, cocktail, or cherry tomatoes, cut in bite-size quarters
- 1 English cucumber , or 3-4 Persian cucumbers, , halved lengthwise and cut in ½-inch slices
- 1 medium green bell pepper , cored and seeded then cut in bite-size pieces
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
- ½ cup red onion , thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fruity extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces Greek sheep's milk feta cheese , drained and cut into triangles
- 2 tablespoons capers , drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Place tomatoes with any juice, cucumber, green bell pepper, onion, and olives in a large bowl and toss. Or, arrange the ingredients on a platter and toss lightly. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper then drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. Top with triangles of feta cheese. Sprinkle with dried oregano and top with capers. Drizzle with more olive oil before serving.
Nutrition
More Greek Salad Recipes You’ll Love
- THE BEST Greek Chicken Marinade
- Greek Pasta Salad with Cucumbers and Artichoke Hearts
- Easy Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce
- Whole Wheat Greek Pasta Salad
- Greek-Style Panzanella Bread Salad Recipe
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I make a similar salad but will add capers and kalamata olives as you have. I also like the slab of feta rather than crumbled. One addition I do make is beans for protein. Delicious salad.