Horiatiki 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.
FYI: This Is The *Real* Greek Salad
I have several twists on salads in my Greek recipe toolbox, 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 salad’s variety of fresh textures and flavor is a lesson in wholesome 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.
Enjoy! Heidi
My Secrets to Greek Salad Success
- 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.
In 10 Minutes, You Can Have Horiatiki on the Table
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
Assembling this feta-topped salad is quick and easy. Feel free to toss it together in a big serving bowl or arrange it nicely on a serving platter. Either way, it’s best served the Greek way — family-style!
- Combine the veggies. Thin-skinned cukes (like English or Persian) and juicy tomatoes form the base of the salad, with green bell peppers, sharp red onion, and briny Kalamata olives thrown in for flavor.
- 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.
- Finish with feta cheese and capers. Big triangles of feta are the sign of a real Greek salad, while capers add another layer of brininess.
Did you know? 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.”
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.
Greek Horiatiki Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ pound tomatoes , such as Campari, cocktail, or cherry tomatoes, cut in bite-size quarters
- 1 English cucumber , halved lengthwise and cut in ½-inch slices (or 3-4 Persian cucumbers)
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Greek Dishes to Serve with Horiatiki
- Grilled Greek Chicken Kebabs
- Saucy Greek Baked Shrimp
- Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Olive Tapenade
- Greek Turkey Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce
- Mediterranean Grilled Pork Chops
- Easy Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce
More Greek Salad Recipes You’ll Love
- Greek Pasta Salad with Cucumbers and Artichoke Hearts
- Whole Wheat Greek Pasta Salad
- Greek-Style Panzanella Salad
- Greek Watermelon Salad
- Greek Potato Salad
- Greek Chickpea Salad
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Madeleine Faucher
Very easy to make and not expensive, also very good and refreshing
So glad you liked it Madelieine!
Abbye Smith
Delicious! Thank you for sharing
So glad you enjoyed Abbye!
Beth
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.