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 +Â 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.Â
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*
- â…“ cup thinly sliced red onion
- â…“ cup pitted Kalamata olives
- â…“ 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
Absolutely amazing 5 star plus , i google recipe every day and have never left a review but you deserve it. I used roma tomatoes because i already had them and substituted with rice wine vinegar.
Better than a Greek Restaurant.
Just a skewer of chicken and this will be perfect!
I honestly think I could eat this salad every day of my life!!!! Made this for family dinner last night and ate the rest for breakfast this morning after my 1 hour walk in the heat. This is the type of recipe that will be served on repeat in our home. Thank you!!!!
Hi Kristin, I’m so glad you loved the recipe!
Such a refreshing salad. My favorite recipe!!!
Hi Dara, aww I’m so glad you love it!
Awesome salad!
Easy to make and everyone enjoys.
I substitute zucchini for my husband (who doesn’t tolerate cucumber well) and it is just as yummy as the original recipe!
Hi Sherry, what a fun twist! So glad you love the salad.
I’ve made this salad quite a few times and it’s always perfect. Thanks for the recipe.
Gorgeous dressing, light and tasty salad.
Really good recipe
Loved this salad. It was wasy to make. I served it on a bed of greens. It was so pretty. It was perfect with baked salmon.
Hi Mary, I’m so glad you loved it!
Fantastic as is I didn’t change s thing WOW soooo good! Thank you!
Hi Sean, I’m so glad you loved the salad!
Think I could use fresh oregano in place of mint? It’s all I have growing 🙂
Hi Beth, you could! I’d add a little less since I find it to have a stronger flavor.
I liked the recipe, but added a touch more salt and a touch of honey to sweeten it up a bit as I thought it was tart. Thank you for a great recipe.
Does it taste good without the mint?
Hi Samantha, Feel free to skip the mint if you’re not a fan, or add some fresh basil or parsley instead.
Made it. Loved it. No pictures because it’s gone.
I’m so glad you loved it, Paula!
Love these! Question though- how come mine always bubble up and then stay hollow in the middle? they come out so misshapen and flat every time.
This was delicious! I substituted the green bell peppers for red ones and I added in cooked spiral pasta the following day so that the veg soaked up the flavor. Perfect!
I’m so glad you loved it!
I added quinoa, but pasta is a great idea! I’ll definitely try that next time
This is a great recipe. I add a squeeze of lemon juice to the dressing, and some fresh parsley mixed into the salad, on top of the listed ingredients. Since I tend to use Roma tomatoes more (heartier flavor), I dice up two when I am out of the cherry/plum tomatoes. Turns out great each time.
At sound so good to me I love Greek salad All in one time in my mouth it down in my stomach
Hi Nicki,
I’m taking this as a side dish to a friends house, everyone is bringing a side dish.
Do you think your serving suggestion of four people will work?
Thanks
The best greek salad I have made / tasted. The dressing is what makes it. Fantastic!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Great salad! Made it to go with souvlaki chicken. Will definitely make it again.
Hi, I’m so glad you loved it!
Delish!! Fiancé wouldn’t stop eating it! Made it to add to a rice/chicken bowl. Excellent addition.
Hi Tina, so glad you both loved the salad!
Very tasty ? I’ll be making this one again !
Hi Mariel, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!