Greek Village Salad (Horiatiki Salata)
Χωριάτικη σαλάτα Horiatiki salataSay it: hoh-ree-AH-tee-kee sah-LAH-tah
Horiatiki salata is the Greek village salad: a bright, unfussy bowl of ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumber, red onion, and green pepper, crowned with a slab of briny feta and Kalamata olives. It is eaten across Greece in summer, when tomatoes are at their sweetest, often as part of a meze table or alongside grilled fish and bread. Olive oil and dried oregano tie it together, and there is no lettuce—just the essence of the season.
Greek Village Salad (Horiatiki Salata)
Χωριάτικη σαλάτα, Horiatiki salata
Pronounced hoh-ree-AH-tee-kee sah-LAH-tah
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- —
- Total
- 20 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains milk. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Salad
Dressing
Method
Cut the tomatoes into 1-inch (2.5 cm) wedges and place them in a wide serving bowl. Sprinkle with half the sea salt and set aside while you prepare the other vegetables.
Peel the cucumber in stripes if desired, halve it lengthwise, and cut it into 1/2-inch (1 cm) half-moons. Add the cucumber to the bowl.
Thinly slice the red onion and cut the green pepper into thin rings or strips, discarding the stem and seeds. Add both to the bowl along with the Kalamata olives.
In a small bowl or jug, whisk the olive oil, red wine vinegar if using, the remaining sea salt, black pepper, and half the dried oregano until lightly emulsified.
Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss gently until everything is glossy; do not overmix or the tomatoes will break down.
Set the feta on top in one thick slab, or break it into 2–3 large pieces. Sprinkle the remaining oregano over the feta and vegetables.
Let the salad sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes, until the tomatoes release their juices and the feta softens slightly at the edges. Serve with the juices in the bowl.
Regional variants
Some Greek cooks add a few capers or a splash more vinegar; on Crete, toasted barley rusks are sometimes placed underneath to soak up the juices.
Cook's notes
- Use the ripest tomatoes you can find; if they have been refrigerated, let them come to room temperature first for the best flavor.
- Keep the feta in a slab rather than crumbling it finely—it looks traditional and gives creamy bites against the tart vegetables.
- Dress the salad just before serving; a long soak makes the cucumber and onion soft and watery.
Serve with
Serve as part of a meze spread with grilled fish, roast lamb, crusty bread, and cold white wine or ouzo.
Make ahead and storage
Best assembled just before serving; the vegetables can be cut up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerated, but dress and add the feta at the last minute.
