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Salads · Greek

Greek Salad

Ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumber and pepper, olives, and a slab of feta on top. No lettuce, no fuss.

Hands-on
25 min
Hands-off
30 min
Total
55 min
Makes
4 main-course servings (6 to 8 as a side)
Serves
4

No cooking. The tomatoes drain in salt for 30 minutes; soak the onion and cut everything else while they drain. Total = 25 min active + 30 min draining.

  • easy
  • vegetarian
  • gluten-free
  • no-cook
  • summer
  • quick
  • mediterranean

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Greek Salad
Amount
Units

Ingredients

You need: chopping board · sharp knife · colander set over a large bowl · 2 small bowls · whisk or fork · serving platter

Contains: milk

Method

  1. Rinse the vegetables

    Rinse the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper and onion under cold running water; scrub the cucumber. Pat everything dry. Plain water is all you need: no soap or produce wash.

    Otto tried this firstOtto reaches for the washing-up liquid. Soap isn't meant for produce, so water only.

  2. Salt and drain the tomatoes

    Cut the 794 g (1 3/4 lb) tomatoes into 1 cm (1/2 in) wedges and halve each wedge crosswise. Toss them with 1/2 tsp salt in a colander set over a large bowl and leave them to drain for 30 minutes.

  3. Soak the onion

    While the tomatoes drain, put the sliced 1/2 red onion in a small bowl, cover it with ice water and leave it for 15 minutes to tame its bite.

  4. Mix the dressing base

    In another small bowl, whisk 30 ml (2 tbsp) red wine vinegar with 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp pepper and the remaining 3/4 tsp salt.

  5. Combine

    Pour away the juice the tomatoes gave off and put the tomatoes back in the bowl. Drain the onion and add it, then add the vinegar mixture, the cucumber, the bell pepper, 240 ml (1 cup) olives and 2 tbsp capers. Toss to combine.

  6. Dress

    Drizzle with 60 ml (1/4 cup) of the olive oil and toss gently. Taste, then add salt and pepper only if it needs it.

    Otto tried this firstOtto salts it again before tasting. Between the feta, olives and capers it is already salty, so taste first.

  7. Top with feta and serve

    Tip the salad onto a platter and lay the 227 g (8 oz) feta triangles on top. Sprinkle the feta with a little extra oregano, drizzle it with the last 1 tbsp oil and serve straight away, with bread if you like.

Swaps

  • Instead of green bell pepper: jarred roasted red peppers, about 170 g (6 oz), cut into strips Sweeter and softer than raw green pepper.
  • Instead of feta in a block: about 140 g (5 oz) crumbled feta Scatter it over the top just before serving instead of laying slices on.

Make ahead, store & reheat

Make ahead
Best assembled right before serving. Cut the cucumber and pepper and mix the dressing while the tomatoes drain.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours (1 hour on a day above 32°C / 90°F). We don't give a keeping time for the dressed salad; eat it the day you make it.

If something goes wrong

  • Watery salad Why: The tomatoes weren't salted and drained.
    Give them the full 30 minutes in the colander and pour away the juice before mixing.
  • Raw onion is too sharp Why: The onion went in straight from the board.
    Slice it thinly and soak it in ice water for 15 minutes, then drain.
  • Too salty Why: It was salted before tasting.
    Taste after dressing and season only if needed. Add more tomato and cucumber to balance it.

Good to know

  • There's no lettuce in this style of Greek salad. It's all about the tomatoes, so use big, ripe, in-season ones.
  • Dried oregano is gentler than fresh here and doesn't overpower the vegetables.
  • Serve it with crusty bread for a light meal: the oil and juices at the bottom are the best part.

Safety

  • Sharp knife work: keep your fingertips curled under while slicing. Kids can rinse vegetables and toss the salad, while an adult does the cutting.
  • Use pitted olives. Stray stones can break a tooth or choke a small child, so check them as you add them.
  • Feta is made with milk. Some feta uses animal rennet, so check the label if you cook for vegetarians. The salad is gluten-free only without the bread.
  • Cut tomatoes and cucumber shouldn't sit out for more than 2 hours (1 hour above 32°C / 90°F).