Greek Village Salad

Escape to Greece with my healthy, vegetable packed Greek village Salad mixing fresh vegetables, creamy feta cheese, kalamata olives and pepperoncinis. The light Greek style dressing is the perfect finishing touch to this fresh salad. Serve this alongside your favorite grilled meats or add protein like chicken or shrimp over this salad.

Why You’ll Love This Greek Village Salad Recipe

You probably know my love for mediterranean recipes by now!

Mike and I traveled to Greece a few years ago and this Greek Village Salad, also known as horiatiki salad, was by far our favorite salad we had on our trip. The Greek people have a philosophy of hospitality and they value sharing meals with those they love. This type of family-style eating is a way that their culture connects to each other. A Greek Village Salad is often passed around at a family style meal.

There is just something so good about the crispy, fresh vegetables like juicy tomatoes and crispy cucumbers mixed with the creamy feta cheese and salty olives and pepperonicins. The light Greek dressing is the perfect finishing touch.

The dressing for this traditional Greek village salad is simple to make and works on just about any salad. Feel free to make a double batch of the dressing and store it in the refrigerator for other salads. I always use extra virgin olive oil as it has that grassy, nutty, fresh taste that pairs really well with fresh lemon juice, dried oregano and fresh parsley.

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Salad:

• Cucumber: I like to use english cucumbers for this recipe as I find they are crisp cucumbers that work well in salads but you can feel free to use a regular cucumber.
• Tomatoes: I use 4 large ripe vine ripe tomatoes and cut them into wedges. If you have cherry tomatoes on hand you can use those instead.
• Red Onion: A thinly sliced red onion adds a milder onion flavor to the salad, you could also use shallots which also have a milder flavor.
• Bell Pepper: I’ve opted to use green peppers in this traditional recipe, but you can swap this for any color bell pepper. I often will see red bell pepper which has a nice sweet flavor.
• Olives: I use kalamata olives as they have the best flavor. You can sub in your favorite olives, like green olives.
• Feta: I like to use the feta in brine from Trader Joes, but if you can’t find that you can use crumbled feta from the store. When looking at labels try to find a greek feta cheese as those are the best flavor and texture in my opinion. Nothing beats a salty feta cheese in a Greek salad!
• Pepperoncinis: I like to add pepperoncinis to the salad to add tang and a little mild chili heat. You can buy them whole or also buy the sliced ones.

For the Salad Dressing:

• Lemon: For the best flavor I use fresh lemon juice in this recipe. If you are in a pinch a bottled, store-bought lemon juice works!
• Oil: When it comes to salad dressings I always opt for Extra Virgin Olive Oil as it has the best deep nutty flavor. Try to find a high quality olive oil if you can!
• Vinegar: I have used red wine vinegar in this recipe, but you could swap in white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar.
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic cloves are the best in this dressing but garlic powder could also work.
• Herbs: I use dried oregano or greek oregano and fresh parsley to flavor the salad dressing.
• Seasoning: I season the salad dressing to taste with sea salt and black pepper.

For exact ingredient amounts and instructions, see the full recipe card below. 

Recipe Variations

This recipe is versatile and easy to adapt if needed:

• Dairy-Free: leave out the feta cheese, or swap it for goat cheese.
• Nuts & Seeds: Add some crunch and texture with a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts, almonds, sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
• Olives: I’ve used kalamata olives but you can use any variety or color of olive in this recipe, or try a mix of olives.
• Fresh Herbs: For an extra burst of fresh herb flavor, scatter over some freshly chopped parsley, fresh dill or fresh mint, just before serving.
• Pulses: Chickpeas or white beans would be a nice addition to this salad and add some protein.
• Meat: Add some grilled chicken, lamb, pork or beef to the salad.
• Seafood: Try adding some pan fried shrimps, seared tuna steak or salmon, or even canned tuna.

Storage Tips

Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Stir through the salad to redistribute the dressing before serving

Serving Tips

You can enjoy this delicious salad as a main salad serving, with a side of crusty bread.

• It also makes a great side salad with a variety of main dishes, including soups and stewed dishes. Try this traditional Greek salad with my Moroccan Carrot Red Lentil Soup, Mediterranean Turkey Meatballs, or Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder Roast.
• It also works really well with grilled meat and seafood, try it with my Lemon Salmon Kabobs, Greek Marinated Chicken with Tzatziki Sauce, or my Greek Marinated Chicken Kabobs with Lemon.

Recipe FAQs

More Greek Salad Recipes

If you like fresh Greek style salads try one of these delicious recipes:

• Spiralized Greek Salad
• Greek Quinoa Salad
• Greek Orzo Pasta Salad 
• Grilled Chicken Greek Salad
• Greek Chickpea Salad