Recipes Salads Vegetable Salads Greek Salad Greek Salad 5.0 (1) Add your rating & review Cool and crunchy, this Greek salad with crispy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, briny olives, and creamy feta cheese is the perfect summer meal. By Grace Parisi Grace Parisi Grace Parisi a former senior test kitchen editor for Food & Wine, where she wrote several successful monthly columns: Food & Wine Handbook, Tasting & Testing, Flavor of the Month, Power Pantry, and Chefs Recipes Made Easy. Parisi has also been published in McCall’s, Redbook, and The New York Times, has written five hit cookbooks, and has appeared numerous times on national television. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 22, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Total Time: 10 mins Servings: 6 Greek salad dates back to 19th century Greece. Taking advantage of the bounty of tomatoes and cucumbers, this salad has since captivated people all over the world. With just a handful of ingredients, it’s quick and effortless to assemble. It’s crunchy and refreshing, with tangy feta and a pop of acid to bring it all together. Matt Taylor-Gross Frequently asked questions What is in a Greek salad? Also called horiatiki, which translates to village or peasant salad, Greek salad has everything you want in a crisp, cooling plate. It includes chopped Kirby cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, briny olives, and creamy feta cheese. How to make Greek salad Greek salad could not be easier to prepare. First, make the herby vinaigrette with olive oil, lemon juice, and red wine vinegar. Tear the romaine hearts into small pieces and chop the cucumbers and tomatoes. Assemble the salad in a large bowl with the crumbled feta cheese, then toss it with the vinaigrette. Feel free to customize this salad to your palate – you can try adding pickled onion, bell pepper, or caperberries. Or, you can choose to skip the romaine if you prefer. Meant to be eaten when tomatoes and cucumbers are at their peak, this salad is a perfect side dish for any summer gathering. And if you want to turn it into a main course, simply add some grilled chicken, salmon, or steak to the plate. What are Kirby cucumbers? Kirby cucumbers are a variety that is small — about six inches long. They are often used for pickling. Kirby cucumbers have a firm texture that makes them especially crisp. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen In this recipe, we use Gaeta olives instead of kalamata olives, but feel free to use your favorites. We added some romaine lettuce to for even more crisp textures. Fresh herbs like mint and oregano add earthy notes. The bright lemony vinaigrette balances out all the cool flavors. You can make the vinaigrette three or four days in advance of using; just store it in the refrigerator. Ingredients 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 3 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons chopped oregano 1 tablespoon chopped mint Salt and freshly ground pepper 4 romaine hearts, torn into 1-inch pieces 6 Kirby cucumbers, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick 6 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges 1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 1/2 cups) 1 cup Gaeta olives, pitted (6 ounces) Directions Make the dressing: Combine olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, and mint in a small bowl and whisk until blended. Season with salt and pepper. Combine romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, and olives in a large bowl. Toss salad with dressing and serve. Originally appeared: December 1998 Rate It Print