This easy Greek salad recipe is our new favorite summer side dish! Just 7 ingredients + a simple Greek salad dressing make it refreshing & delicious.
I love a good green salad – mixed greens, romaine, and kale are some of my favorite starting points for fresh, healthy meals. But summer is a time when all vegetables are at their peak. Sweet, juicy tomatoes, snappy bell peppers, and crisp cucumbers abound. This Greek salad recipe showcases these veggies, without any greens to get in the way.
And the best past? Because the vegetables are in their prime, this Greek salad recipe is flavorful and refreshing with just a few ingredients. You only need 7 ingredients + an easy homemade Greek salad dressing to make it! It’s been a hit at our family gatherings over the last few weeks – my mom even added it to her regular recipe rotation. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Greek Salad Ingredients
A traditional Greek salad consists of sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, green bell pepper, red onion, olives, and feta cheese. This classic combination is delicious, so I stick to it, just adding a handful of mint leaves for a fresh finishing touch.
My olives of choice are Kalamata olives. Commonly used in Greek food, their salty, briny flavor is delectable alongside the feta and crisp veggies. Instead of slicing large tomatoes, I use cherry tomatoes because they release less water into the salad than larger tomatoes would. I also seed my cucumber to avoid making my salad watery.
A great salad will have a yummy jumble of veggies, olives, and cheese in each bite, so be sure to cut your ingredients into similar-sized pieces. I like to buy pitted Kalamata olives and leave them whole, and I chop the feta into 1/2-inch cubes instead of crumbling it. I aim for 1-inch squares for the bell pepper, cut the cucumber into thin half-moons, and simply halve the cherry tomatoes.
My Greek Salad Dressing
I toss the veggies, olives, and feta cheese in an easy homemade Greek salad dressing. With just 5 ingredients + salt and pepper, it’s super simple to whisk together, and it gives this easy Greek salad recipe a bright, zingy flavor. It’s a simple mix of olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, and dried oregano.
In addition to using them in the dressing, I like to sprinkle my salad with generous pinches of oregano and black pepper for a fresh, peppery garnish.
Greek Salad Serving Suggestions
Because this salad doesn’t have any tender greens, it’s a good one to make ahead for gatherings. If I’m prepping it ahead, I like to save a few fresh mint leaves to add right before serving. It’s also an excellent dinner side. Enjoy it with a summer pizza like this one or this one, pesto pasta, roasted vegetable pasta, or a big veggie lasagna.
If you want to vary this salad recipe, try using use a mix of red, green, and yellow bell peppers, adding some fresh oregano or parsley, or stirring in cooked or roasted chickpeas to make it a full meal. To make it vegan, skip the cheese and add 3/4 cup cooked chickpeas and 1 tablespoon capers in its place.
If you love this Greek salad recipe…
Try my easy pasta salad, broccoli salad, potato salad, or watermelon salad next, or see this post for more of my best summer salad recipes!
Greek Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano, more for sprinkling
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
- 1 English cucumber, cut lengthwise, seeded, and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 5 ounces feta cheese, cut into ½ inch cubes*
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ⅓ cup pitted Kalamata olives
- ⅓ cup fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, mustard, salt, and several grinds of pepper.
- On a large platter, arrange the cucumber, green pepper, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, red onions, and olives. Drizzle with the dressing and very gently toss. Sprinkle with a few generous pinches of oregano and top with the mint leaves. Season to taste and serve.
Notes
Great ratio of vegetables and feta. Reduced the oil by half due to personal preference and the dressing was very tasty.
Hi Karel, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Very very delicious dressing and salad 😊
Really delicious. I served this with Greek chicken. Definitely complimented the meal.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
So easy and absolutely delicious! The dressing really makes all the difference. I had extra that I used on a salad topped with veggies and chicken nuggets and crumbled bacon, which was also fantastic!
I’m so glad you loved it!
My all-time favorite Greek salad just the way it is!
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it!
This Greek salad looks so refreshing! Hopefully I’ll find some time to make it this Labor Day weekend.
We really enjoyed this salad. I had Greek seasoning which helped that I didn’t have any mint on hand. Subbed with some Arugula, so not totally in the spirit of Greek, but it cleaned out the fridge, and it was delicious!
I made the dressing as directed, but it seems like a lot. Any suggestions on how much of it I should use? And when to add? Ahead of time or immediately before serving. Or doesn’t it matter.
Can I sub with white wine vinegar instead
Hi Corrina, yes! White wine vinegar works here.
Great recipe, easily veganized by using vegan feta and turned into a more nutricious meal by adding couscous or another grain or pasta!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Yum! Love this with grilled chicken or shrimp.
Hi Kelly, so glad you love the salad!
Absolutely wonderful! Had this tonight and my husband & I loved everything about it. Thank you so much for sharing this super great recipe! Will be making this frequently.
Hi Jennie, I’m so glad you both loved it!
Delicious – just what I was looking for. thanks for sharing this recipe. Very rewarding to pick from the garden and whip up this tasty salad. Takes me back to high school when my greek boyfriend’s mom prepared a salad while we chatted in her kitchen. OPA !!To summer bounty!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Where can I find the nutritional information for your recipes? I can’t find it anywhere
Hi Rebecca, I’m sorry, we don’t post nutrition info but you can plug the ingredients into a site like my fitness pal.
This was the perfect side dish salad, and so easy to make, too! I used a good brand of vegan feta to avoid dairy, and served it with some marinated grilled shrimp to fit our pescatarian diet. Delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Made it per recipe but added some super thin sliced steak that I then cut into small cubes after seasoning with garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper o mimic gyro meat. So yummy.
Can you make this and dress it ahead of time. How long will it last dressed?
Hi Alison, you can – it would last a few days in the fridge. I would leave off the mint until you’re ready to serve.
We made as per the recipe and it was perfect.
Delicious!!!
I added the chickpeas so its a great lunch for me and the whole family over it!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I’ll give this a try with some sliced grilled chicken on top… as per my wife’s request.
Thanks for the recipe!