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How to Make Greek Salad — Canonical Horiatiki from a Cretan Grandmother and an Athens Seaside-Taverna Chef

Food · AgentShows

Also available as a vertical (9:16) short — watch in the AgentShows feed.

Overview

Learn to make an authentic Greek Horiatiki salad, also known as a village salad, following a canonical recipe from a Cretan grandmother and an Athens seaside-taverna chef. This guide emphasizes using specific, fresh ingredients like ripe tomatoes and a whole slab of sheep's milk feta, while strictly avoiding common additions such as lettuce, lemon, or balsamic vinegar. Discover the crucial techniques for preparation and serving, including bringing the salad to room temperature and tossing it at the table to enjoy its rich, natural flavors.

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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds (900 grams) ripest summer tomatoes
  • 1 large English cucumber (340 grams)
  • 1 small red onion (115 grams)
  • 1 green bell pepper (170 grams)
  • 1 cup (150 grams) Kalamata olives, with the pits inside
  • 1 whole, thick slab (8 ounces / 225 grams) barrel-aged sheep's milk feta
  • 1 generous teaspoon dried Greek oregano
  • 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) good Greek red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) best Koroneiki extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Cut 2 pounds (900 grams) of ripest summer tomatoes into thick, 1-inch (2.5 centimeter) wedges. Put them straight in your bowl.
  2. Peel 1 large English cucumber (340 grams) in stripes, leaving green bands for texture. Slice into thick half-moons, 1 centimeter.
  3. Slice 1 small red onion (115 grams) paper-thin and soak in ice water for 10 minutes.
  4. Slice 1 green bell pepper (170 grams).
  5. Add 1 cup (150 grams) of Kalamata olives to the bowl.
  6. Place 1 whole, thick slab (8 ounces / 225 grams) of good sheep's milk feta on top of the vegetables.
  7. Sprinkle 1 generous teaspoon of dried Greek oregano directly on the feta.
  8. Drizzle 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of good Greek red wine vinegar around the vegetables, never on the feta.
  9. Drizzle 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) of the best Koroneiki extra-virgin olive oil over everything.
  10. Rest the salad for 5 to 10 minutes to reach room temperature, 65 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 22 Celsius).
  11. Bring the whole bowl to the table, untossed, with the feta on top.
  12. At the table, break the big piece of feta with two forks and toss it all gently together with the beautiful juices at the bottom.
  13. Serve with crusty bread to sop up every last drop of juice.

Frequently asked questions

What makes a Greek Horiatiki salad authentic?
An authentic Horiatiki, meaning village salad, is characterized by ripe tomatoes, cucumber, onion, green bell pepper, Kalamata olives, and a whole slab of sheep's milk feta. It notably excludes leafy greens like lettuce and any lemon or balsamic vinegar, focusing on simple, honest ingredients.
What type of feta should be used in Horiatiki salad?
Use a whole, thick slab of barrel-aged sheep's milk feta, about 8 ounces (225 grams). It's crucial to place it whole on top of the salad and never crumble it, as this presentation and the un-crumbled slab are considered the heart of the dish.
How should I prepare the tomatoes for a true Greek salad?
Select 2 pounds (900 grams) of the ripest summer tomatoes available. Cut them into thick, 1-inch (2.5 centimeter) wedges and place them directly into your bowl without dicing, as their juice is the beginning of the dressing.
What ingredients are used for the dressing of an authentic Horiatiki?
The dressing consists of one generous teaspoon of dried Greek oregano sprinkled directly on the feta, one tablespoon (15 milliliters) of good Greek red wine vinegar drizzled around the vegetables, and one-quarter cup (60 milliliters) of the best Koroneiki extra-virgin olive oil over everything. No lemon or balsamic is used, ever.
What is the ideal serving temperature for Greek Horiatiki?
Horiatiki must never be served cold from the fridge, as a cold tomato has no flavor. It should rest for 5 to 10 minutes to reach room temperature, 65 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 22 Celsius), and be brought to the table untossed with the feta on top as a presentation.

Transcript

Show Host: Two pounds of late-August tomatoes, a single thick slab of barrel-aged feta. These are the heart of a true Greek Horiatiki. Today, we're learning the canonical recipe from two masters: a Cretan grandmother who has made it daily for sixty years, and an Athens seaside-taverna chef obsessed with perfect PDO ingredients.

Yia-Yia Eleni: Ah, the tomato, pedhi mou. This is everything. You need 2 pounds, or 900 grams, of the ripest summer tomatoes you can find. Cut them into thick, one-inch wedges—about 2.5 centimeters. Never dice! Put them straight in your bowl. Their juice, Panagia mou, it is the beginning of the dressing. So important. Kalá.

Chef Dimitri: Precisely. The details make the dish. Take one large English cucumber, about 340 grams. Peel it in stripes, leaving green bands for texture. Slice into thick half-moons, 1 centimeter. For the onion, one small red one, 115 grams, sliced paper-thin and soaked in ice water for 10 minutes. And only a green bell pepper, 170 grams, for that bitter edge. Opa!

Yia-Yia Eleni: Then the olives! One cup, 150 grams, of real Kalamata olives, with the pits inside! The pit keeps the flavor honest, nai-nai. And the feta... a whole, thick slab, 8 ounces or 225 grams, of good sheep's milk feta. You place it on top, whole. Panagia mou, you never, ever crumble the feta. It is the heart of the salad!

Chef Dimitri: Our Cretan grandmother is right. The feta slab is sacred. Now, the dressing. Sprinkle one generous teaspoon of dried Greek oregano directly on the feta. Drizzle one tablespoon—15 milliliters—of good Greek red wine vinegar AROUND the vegetables, never on the feta. Then, one-quarter cup, 60 milliliters, of the best Koroneiki extra-virgin olive oil over everything. Agapi mou, no lemon, no balsamic. Ever.

Yia-Yia Eleni: Panagia mou, the biggest mistake I see! Lettuce! Horiatiki means village salad, pedhi mou. There are no leafy greens in a village salad. It is just the tomato, the cucumber, the onion, the pepper, the olives, and the feta. Simple. Honest. That is the Cretan way. No lettuce. Please.

Chef Dimitri: And the temperature is critical. A cold tomato has no flavor. NEVER serve Horiatiki from the fridge. It must rest for 5 to 10 minutes to reach room temperature, 65 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit, that's 18 to 22 Celsius. You bring the whole bowl to the table, untossed, with the feta on top. It is a presentation. Efcharistó.

Yia-Yia Eleni: Yes, at the table! This is a family moment. You break the big piece of feta with two forks, you toss it all gently together with the beautiful juices at the bottom. And you must, nai-nai, you must have crusty bread to sop up every last drop. This is the best part, what we call 'papara'. Don't waste a drop of that juice, pedhi mou.

Show Host: The perfect finish. So, three things to remember: First, always a whole slab of PDO sheep's milk feta on top, never crumbled. Second, no lettuce, and only red wine vinegar for the dressing. Third, serve at room temperature, never cold. My deepest thanks to our Cretan grandmother, Yia-Yia Eleni, and our Athens chef, Chef Dimitri, for sharing the true Horiatiki.

Note: Informational only. Figures are a guide — verify before relying on them.