This Greek Salad is as delicious and fresh as it is easy to make. With fresh ingredients, some simple chopping, and a little shaking, you’ve got the seriously best tasting salad!
Easy salad recipes make quick and healthy side dishes. Or a great light lunch option. We also love Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad, Cucumber Salad, and Strawberry Walnut Salad. And these delicious salads take less than 15 minutes to make.
This Greek salad is healthy and tastes so fresh and amazing! It’s as easy as chopping up the veggies and tossing in the salad dressing and it’s almost perfect! I slice up a crusty bread loaf to serve with it. The bread makes sure none of the delicious dressing gets wasted.
Make it as a dinner salad on top of a bed of lettuce with grilled chicken. Or use it as a side dish for potlucks! It’s ALWAYS delicious!
Ingredients and Notes
Here is an overview of the ingredients you will need to make this salad.
Salads are one of the most forgiving recipes to make. Some days you may want more or less onion, for example. That’s totally ok! Below are some notes on the ingredients I choose for this salad.
Olives: Pitted kalamata olives are traditionally used since they originate from Greece, but you can try black olives, castelvetrano, or another of your favorite variety.
Tomatoes: Grape or cherry tomatoes work great with this salad. I prefer them over slicing tomatoes since they are firmer and won’t make the salad too runny.
Feta Cheese: Crumbles or cubes work great.
Greek Dressing: I have included a tasty and healthy homemade dressing recipe in the recipe card. It’s zesty and more flavorful than any storebought option! However, I understand not everyone wants to mix up their own dressing. In that case, I would recommend Ken’s Steakhouse Greek Dressing.
Peppers: Pepperoncini peppers are optional, but other peppers like Green, Red or Yellow Bell Pepper add even more color.
Herbs: this recipe is designed around using dried herbs since that’s what most of us have in the kitchen. However, if you want to use fresh use 1 Tablespoon each of fresh thyme and oregano.
Black pepper: fresh ground pepper has much more of a zesty kick that you will need for this recipe.
Oil: This one is very important! I don’t like as much oil in my dressings as most recipes call for. A very light, neutral oil should be used to make your own salad dressing. Look for light tasting olive oil.
Confession time: This dressing took years to figure out since it is based on Ken’s steakhouse Greek Dressing. I’ve tried several from Pinterest and none of them came close. But I finally got it! This dressing is even more zesty but also mild with less oil. It really is the best!
Step by Step Recipe Guide
This Greek salad is amazing for two reasons: a variety of fresh ingredients and a fantastic homemade Greek dressing!
How To Make Greek Salad Dressing
Toss all salad dressing ingredients -olive oil, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, garlic, dry mustard, thyme, oregano, feta crumbs, sugar, salt, and pepper into a small bowl and whisk together thoroughly.
You can use your favorite dressing bottle or a small dish to pour over the salad.
Assemble the salad
After cutting up the veggies to the desired size (pictured below), add to a salad bowl.
Mix the Salad with the Dressing
Pour the salad dressing over the salad. Toss with a large spoon or salad tongs until evenly coated.
Expert Tips for Making This Salad
- I like using grape tomatoes because they are firmer and won’t make the salad too runny as it sits.
- You don’t have to take the seeds out of the cucumber. It’s up to your preference.
- You can use green, red, or yellow bell pepper instead of pepperoncini peppers.
- If making ahead, leave the dressing on the side until just ready to serve to keep the veggies crisp.
- You can make the dressing in advance and allow the flavors to blend. This dressing is also really delicious as a marinade for chicken and lamb!
Looking for more healthy, veggie–packed recipes to try? Take at look at these yummy ideas:
- Mediterranean Orzo Salad
- Spinach Mushroom Quiche
- Chickpea Salad With Vinaigrette
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Winter Fruits Salad
- Mediterranean Salmon Avocado Salad
Frequently asked questions:
Greek salad is great as a side dish or a main course. I generally just serve along side a fresh, crusty loaf of bread. It’s also delicious served up with hearty soups, paninis, or a roasted vegetable pasta.
If you plan to make this recipe in advance, leave the dressing off to the side so the veggies remains crisp.
Adding different proteins such as grilled chicken, shrimp, or tuna makes it a complete meal. To make it a traditional salad, you only need to add romaine lettuce and croutons. You can also add a dash of dried oregano or throw in a few deliciously salty capers to the mix!
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PS. If you make this recipe, leave a COMMENT AND A STAR RATING in the comments section at the bottom and be sure to take a photo and tag it #cravingcreative on Instagram! I appreciate you for taking the time to read about me and my family recipes.
Classic Greek Salad
Ingredients
Chopped Salad
- ½ cup Red Onion thinly sliced
- ¾ cup Kalamata Olives pitted
- 6 Pepperoncini Peppers stems removed and halved lengthwise
- 1 ½ cup Grape Tomatoes sliced in half lengthwise
- 1 ½ cup Cucumber quartered, seeded and sliced into chunks
- 8 oz Feta Cheese crumbled or cubed
- Fresh Black Pepper
Greek Dressing
- ¼ cup Olive Oil Use a light tasting olive oil
- 4 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
- 4 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 clove Garlic pressed or minced
- 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 tablespoon Minced Feta Cheese mince up feta from the salad
- 2 teaspoon Granulated Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Instructions
- Wash and cut all vegetables appropriately and put in a large bowl.
- Toss all salad dressing ingredients -olive oil, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, garlic, dry mustard, thyme, oregano, sugar, feta, salt, and pepper into a small bowl and whisk together thoroughly.
- Pour salad dressing over the top and toss salad ingredients together. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- You can use green bell pepper instead of pepperoncinis if you prefer.
- You don’t have to take the seeds out of the cucumber, but I do it to keep the salad from being too runny.
- If you would like to skip making your own dressing, I recommend Ken’s Steakhouse Greek Dressing. You can also make the dressing in advance to allow the flavors to blend. It makes a great marinade as well.
- Serve with crusty thin sliced bread for a party or side dish. For a dinner salad, serve on top of a bed of romaine lettuce and top with croutons.
- If making ahead, leave the dressing on the side until just ready to serve to keep the veggies crisp.
Quirky Homemaker says
I LOVE Greek Salads! I, like you, love the tanginess. I also love that it’s not as sweet as some other types of salad. Stopping by from the Summer Salads linky party. Hope you’re having a great week!
Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage says
Looks delicious!
Joanne T Ferguson says
I love a good Greek Salad and love your photo Rachel! Look forward to seeing you on Saturday! Pinned and shared!
#ibabloggers
tAMMY says
May I ask why you do not give some amounts that you used for your self? Once one has an idea of the approximate amounts, then one can play with it, but I found some amounts helpful. Thank you.
Rachel says
Thank you for your suggestion Tammy. I did update the post with the relative amounts of ingredients I use per dinner salad using myself as a basis. You are right about playing around with the ingredients. The main reason I didn’t originally put them was because even in my family, I make each person’s salad vastly different to suit their tastes. For instance, my son can eat an entire bowl of olives but my husband won’t touch them, haha. Maybe I expect everyone is this way too, haha. However, the recipe now includes them so I hope that helps.