Greek Salad/Horiatiki

EVENT: FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOP
THEME: #212 SALAD STORIES
RECIPE: GREEK SALAD/HORIATIKI
What is Greek Salad/Horiatiki?
Greek Salad/Horiatiki is a simple refreshing salad with simple ingredients and a dressing. When garden tomatoes ripen a simple Greek Salad or Horiatiki is prepared to enjoy everyday. Also known as Horiatiki Salata, horio means village. So horiatiki means village or peasant salad. Probably the origin of this salad is from the rural areas. It is a popular salad made all over Greece during summer time. Just as the Greek don’t get tired of eating this salad, I too don’t get tired of it. Whenever, I’m able to get feta and baby tomatoes, the first thing I think of is Greek Salad/Horiatiki.
What are Salads?
Salads, what are salads? Salads are a combination of ingredients put together like grains, vegetables, fruits, meats, nuts,seeds. Vegetables and fruits are usually cut into small pieces, grained used are cooked, meats are usually boiled or roasted and nuts and seeds are either added raw or roasted lightly.
When is a Salad served?
A salad is usually enjoyed as a starter, as a light meal or with a main dish. Its the best way to eat your daily required vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. If a salad is consumed as a meal then its necessary to get your protein, carbs and good fat included in it.The more colorful a salad is the more tempting and attractive it is, making it a meal or side dish that even kids would love to have. I know of many adults too who say no to salads.
Salads are my favourite
Personally, I’m a big fan of salads. Give me a bowlful and I’m happy. However, the ingredients especially the fruits and vegetables have to be crisp and crunchy. The worst thing one can serve in a salad is wilted vegetables and fruits.My favorite kind of salads are the ones with cheese in them. Words on the menu like mozzarella, feta, cheddar, goat cheese all pop up for me.
Mediterranean Pearl Couscous Salad
FoodieMonday/Bloghop
So no wonder when Narmadha who blogs at Nam’s Corner suggested salads as our next theme I immediately knew the salad I was going to make. You’ve got to check her blog out for some exciting recipes like her Bourbon biscuits and dosa pizza.
Greek Salad/Horiatiki – my choice for the theme
I had a large collection of salad recipes on my blog but what was missing is a Greek Salad. Greek Salad or as its commonly called in Greece Horiatiki Salad, is a basic refreshing combination of fresh, tangy and crispy ingredients. Its a very simple salad to put together and its the yummiest. I hear that the feta cheese we get everywhere outside Greece is not the type they have there. Its suppose to be soft. However, for now the feta I bought will have to do till I get the opportunity to taste the real thing when I go to Greece in April. Yes, another family wedding and its in Greece this time.
Greek Salad Dressing
I also believe in making my own dressing at home. I’ve tried a readymade Greek Salad dressing and I found it too sour. Making the dressing at home hardly takes a few minutes. I love to put the dressing ingredients in a jar, close the lid tight and give it a good shake. Remember close the lid tight. I once didn’t put the lid on properly and in a matter of seconds had dressing all over me and the wall! This time no dressing on me or the wall, just in the salad. So lets check out to make this easy peasy salad.
Ingredients required for Greek Salad/Horiatiki
- Tomatoes – can use normal tomatoes or the baby ones, the choice is yours. Make sure they are fresh and juicy.
- Cucumber – I prefer to use English Cucumber as they are crunchy, not full of seeds and best of all, you don’t need to peel off the skin.
- Bell Pepper – use any colour of your choice. Traditionally Green Pepper or Capsicum is used. However, these days a Greek Salad/ Horiatiki can be served with a mixture of colored pepper.
- Olives – While traditionally Kalamati Olives are the best. However, if not available in your region then use any of your choice.
- Onion – used red, white or yellow. I’ve used red onion.
- Feta – try and source real feta cheese.
- Fresh Herbs – use oregano, dill. I couldn’t resist using fresh mint.
- Salt – for the dressing. I’ve used seas salt. Use any salt of your choice.
- Pepper – black pepper powder.
- Olive oil – for the dressing, use extra virgin olive oil.
- White Wine Vinegar – or any good vinegar. Don’t use a vinegar substitute.
- Dried Oregano – for the dressing.
- Lemon Juice – for the dressing. If you don’t have vinegar or like the flavour of vinegar, replace it with fresh lemon juice.
- Fresh Garlic – just one clove, for the dressing as you don’t want an overpowering garlic taste.
Dietary Tip:
- Gluten Free
- Healthy
Check Out The Video Of A Slightly Different Version Of Greek Salad:

GREEK SALAD/HORIATIKI SALAD
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 medium size cucumber
- ½ sweet pepper any colour of your choice
- 10-15 cherry/plum tomatoes
- 10-15 olives ideally kalamata olives
- 100 g feta approx 1 cup
- 1 medium red onion
- a handful of mint leaves optional
For the Greek Salad Dressing:
- 4 tbsp virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp wine vinegar or any of your choice
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1-2 cloves of garlic minced
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp pepper powder
Instructions
Get the salad ready:
- Wash all the vegetables and pat them dry on a kitchen towel.
- As the skin of the cucumber was tender I didn't peel it. Cut into slices and then either halve or quarter them.
- Cut the pepper into cubes.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves.
- You can leave the olives whole or cut them into halves.
- Cut the onion into thin long slices.
- The feta can be cut into cubes or you can crumble it.
- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
Prepare the Dressing:
- Add all the ingredients into a jar and give it a good shake.
- Greek Salad is ready to be served immediately with the dressing on the side or drizzled over it. Or leave it in the fridge for a while and enjoy it chilled during summer.
Notes
- I used colored pepper as I prefer them over the green ones.
- If you don't get kalamata olives (they taste so different from the green and black ones) then use black ones.
- Use a proper vinegar and not vinegar substitute for your salads.
- Add more lemon juice instead of vinegar.
- I have tried to make the classic version of the Greek Salad. You can add seeds and nuts for variation.
- Use dill instead of oregano.
- I just couldn't resist adding fresh mint leaves. Its entirely optional
Pin for later:
A little request:
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
- tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
- or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962
71 Comments
poonampagar
September 10, 2019 at 8:53 am
I also love cheese in my salads and a colorful Greek salad with homemade salad dressing is a flavorful treat for sure. Loved the choice of salad ingredients here
mayurisjikoni
September 10, 2019 at 5:16 pm
Thank you so much Poonam.
Batter Up With Sujata
September 10, 2019 at 4:08 pm
Greek salad sounds healthy refreshing and super yummy. I can imagine the burst of flavours in the salad. I also love mint leaves in my salad. Lovely share .
mayurisjikoni
September 10, 2019 at 5:14 pm
Thank you so much Sujata.
Renu Agrawal Dongre
September 10, 2019 at 6:52 pm
I love greek salad and have made it a couple of times and thoroughly enjoy it. I love the dressing you have added here and yes you are right, for a salad to be right everything needs to be crisp.
mayurisjikoni
September 10, 2019 at 7:59 pm
Thanks Renu. I hate a salad that has wilted veggies.
The Girl Next Door
September 11, 2019 at 3:55 pm
I love salads with cheese in them, too. This one looks absolutely delicious! I love the dressing you have used here too. 🙂
mayurisjikoni
September 11, 2019 at 6:11 pm
Thanks Priya.
mayurisjikoni
September 11, 2019 at 6:14 pm
Thank you so much Renu, I had wilted veggies.
Ruchisvegkitchen
September 20, 2019 at 3:06 am
Greek salad looks very colourful and tasty. Homemade Greek salad dreSisng is something very appealing. Would love to try soon.. lovely presentation. Tasty , healthy and crunchy start of the meal..
mayurisjikoni
September 21, 2019 at 3:54 pm
Thanks Ruchi. I love making the dressings at home as their are less acidic.
Ruchisvegkitchen
September 21, 2019 at 4:07 pm
Yes homemade is best.
FoodTrails
September 10, 2019 at 10:45 pm
This one of the favourite salads at my place that kids love to have with garlic croutons in it.. your right crispy and crunchy veggies are the stars of any salad with a good light homemade dressing ..lovely pics of salad bowl, making it more tempting!!
mayurisjikoni
September 11, 2019 at 6:12 pm
Thank you so much Swaty. With croutons sounds like a good idea.
Elizabeth O
September 15, 2019 at 4:25 pm
I love this bowl of salad. It looks fresh and delicious. I can’t wait to make this at home.
mayurisjikoni
September 16, 2019 at 8:45 pm
Thanks Elizabeth.
GiGi Eats Celebrities
September 12, 2019 at 8:16 pm
Greek Salad is definitely one of my favorites and that’s because I just love the olives and if there are artichokes in it, those too!
mayurisjikoni
September 16, 2019 at 8:53 pm
Thanks Gigi, not tried it with artichoke.
Kevin Akidi
September 12, 2019 at 9:59 pm
This looks so good and the colors are so vibrant. I like that it is easy to make and takes very little time. I do love a good salad
mayurisjikoni
September 16, 2019 at 8:53 pm
Thank you so much Kevin.
Adriana
September 13, 2019 at 6:12 am
Yumm this looks amazing.. Ill take that with extra croutons 🙂
mayurisjikoni
September 16, 2019 at 8:52 pm
Ummm A Greek Salad with croutons, now that’s an idea.
Valerie Gray (@valmg)
September 13, 2019 at 11:40 pm
My husband is a big salad fan too. He’s really enjoy this one, he loves feta and is a big fan of olives as well.
mayurisjikoni
September 16, 2019 at 8:51 pm
I totally am with him, feta and olives in a salad pair so well.
Czjai Reyes-Ocampo
September 14, 2019 at 3:36 am
I was actually thinking of salad and nachos before coming across your blog post. Now I’m seriously going out to have some. 🙂
mayurisjikoni
September 23, 2019 at 8:09 pm
Thanks, hope you enjoyed your salad.
Celebrate Woman (@DiscoverSelf)
September 14, 2019 at 4:42 am
I love Greek salads as they are always so refreshing, so bursting with yummy and simple ingredients! It’s the sauce, the salad dressing that makes the final touch.
mayurisjikoni
September 16, 2019 at 8:50 pm
Thanks and yes the salad is a burst of flavors.
twinspirational
September 14, 2019 at 6:13 am
This salad would be perfect for our dinner, my friends will really love this, thanks for sharing this recipe..
mayurisjikoni
September 16, 2019 at 8:49 pm
Most welcome and thanks.
Olya Amanova
September 14, 2019 at 11:04 am
I love salads and Greek is my all time favorite. This kind here is the best I’ve tasted so far. Absolutely perfect ingredient set.
mayurisjikoni
September 16, 2019 at 8:48 pm
Thank you so much Olya.
Joanna
September 14, 2019 at 11:52 am
I love Greek salad and I usually make it quite often, to accompany meat dishes I cook, instead of potatoes. I absolutely love feta cheese. 🙂
mudpiefridays
September 14, 2019 at 5:24 pm
Wow, I love this recipe it is so delicious and look so easy to prepare. I will def try to make this for the whole family.
mayurisjikoni
September 16, 2019 at 8:48 pm
Thank you so much and yes its so easy to make.
Preethi Prasad
September 15, 2019 at 8:02 am
I love greek salad with Feta cheese. Your memory trip made me nostalgic as it reminded of my Greece trip last year.Most memorable trip of mine. Loved your version of greek salad with fresh homemade dressing sounds fantastic.
mayurisjikoni
September 16, 2019 at 8:47 pm
Thanks Preethi, as I mentioned, Greece is on our travel plan next year.
Vasusvegkitchen
September 15, 2019 at 3:02 pm
Greek salad looks super delicious and healthy. I never tried and tasted cheese in salad, love to taste this salad. All the ingredients used in dressing made the salad very yummy 😋. Also I want to try your Avacado tomato and Feta salad 😍.
mayurisjikoni
September 16, 2019 at 8:46 pm
Thanks Aruna, as I said I love cheese in my salads. Hope you’ll be able to try the recipes you like. I got the feta cheese from Big Basket.
Kiwi
September 16, 2019 at 7:05 am
I love this salad. It looks so clean and the dressing is something I want to make really soon!
mayurisjikoni
September 16, 2019 at 8:45 pm
Thank you so much Kiwi.
Archana
September 21, 2019 at 11:20 am
We seem be of the same kind. Both of us like salads will be happy with a bowl of it. Greek salad is our current favorite salad I will love to make the vinnagrate in a bottle. Thanks for reminding me to close the lid tightly.
mayurisjikoni
September 21, 2019 at 3:51 pm
Thanks Archana, I love the salad as its filling and so refreshing.
Lata Lala
September 21, 2019 at 6:16 pm
This colourful, vibrant and delicious looking salad is so inviting. I loved the homemade dressing which makes it more flavourful.
I am a big salad lover. Thanks for reminding me to make it soon.
mayurisjikoni
September 23, 2019 at 8:08 pm
Thanks Lata. Hope you love it when you make it.
Sandhya
September 23, 2019 at 8:03 pm
Your Greek salad is so tempting. I am crazy about Feta cheese and i like your combination of veggies and especially the yummy dressing!
mayurisjikoni
September 23, 2019 at 8:04 pm
Thanks Sandhya, I too love feta cheese.
namscorner18
September 23, 2019 at 9:13 pm
Greek salad looks so inviting and tempting with cheese. It is so healthy and fulfilling too
jhumuhere
September 24, 2019 at 8:23 pm
This Greek salad is really attractive and rich with nutrients….each of the ingredients looks so fresh… I love the dressing too
mayurisjikoni
September 25, 2019 at 8:46 pm
Thank you so much Amrita.
Priya Srinivasan
September 24, 2019 at 10:00 pm
i love simple salads like these,just toss and enjoy! Such beautiful colors, feta, kalamata olives and that dressing, i can imagine the taste in my mouth! Brilliant dish!
mayurisjikoni
September 25, 2019 at 8:45 pm
Thanks Priya. Wish I had used kalamata olives but didn’t get any.
Anshu
September 25, 2019 at 2:27 pm
This salad looks so colorful and fresh, Mayuri! And I absolutely agree, vegetables have to be really crunchy to be enjoyed thoroughly. Thanks for the share!
mayurisjikoni
September 25, 2019 at 8:41 pm
Thanks Anshu and you’re welcome.
Jagruti’s Cooking Odyssey
September 25, 2019 at 11:33 pm
Love to enjoy Colourful and crispy salads, especially with cheese like feta and tasty dressing it’s so delicious and almost become a healthy meal.
mayurisjikoni
September 27, 2019 at 1:20 am
Thanks Jagruti and it does make a healthy meal.
Sasmita Sahoo Samanta
September 26, 2019 at 7:53 pm
Greek salad looks much colorful di!!!! Naturally refreshing with italian dressing….actually homemade dressings are always so flavourful 👌
mayurisjikoni
September 27, 2019 at 1:19 am
Thanks Sasmita and you’re right homemade dressing is flavorful.
jayashreetrao
September 27, 2019 at 1:00 pm
The greek salad looks so flavourful. I love salads and this looks amazingly good, ideal for dinner. Nice share.
mayurisjikoni
September 28, 2019 at 6:02 pm
Thank you so much Jayashree, yes its a perfect meal on its own.
Lathiya
September 29, 2019 at 12:13 am
This salad looks fabulous an din right time. As I started to include more salads, I always run out of ideas. This looks delicious.
mayurisjikoni
September 30, 2019 at 2:01 pm
Thanks Lathiya.
Sapna
October 2, 2019 at 6:32 pm
Greek Salad is one of my favorite from the cuisine. Love this simple yet flavorful vinaigrette tossed in the vegetables.
mayurisjikoni
October 5, 2019 at 5:50 pm
Thanks Sapana, I too love this salad.
Maria
March 2, 2021 at 12:03 pm
This beautiful salad is so iconic of everything the Greek cuisine represents – hearty, healthy, generous with abundance of fresh ingredients. It would make a lovely light summer lunch for me.
mayurisjikoni
March 2, 2021 at 6:44 pm
Thanks Maria, as I mentioned any excuse to enjoy feta cheese, so this salad is my favorite.
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mayurisjikoni
August 29, 2021 at 2:28 pm
thank you so much for sharing.
Kalyani
February 10, 2022 at 1:10 am
This Horiatiki has all the goodness of health, nutrition and flavour packed in a single bowl. Delicious !
mayurisjikoni
February 10, 2022 at 6:34 pm
Thank you so much Kalyani.
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