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Traditional Greek Salad

A traditional Greek salad, known as horiatiki, is a celebration of summer's finest produce at its absolute peak. Unlike many American-style salads drowning in lettuce and heavy dressings, an authentic Greek salad is beautifully simple — chunky cuts of ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, red onion rings, bell peppers, briny Kalamata olives, and a generous slab of creamy feta cheese, all dressed with nothing more than excellent olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Every ingredient shines on its own merit.

This salad is as much about the quality of your ingredients as it is about technique. When tomatoes are at their peak ripeness, bursting with sweet juice; when cucumbers are cool and crunchy; when the olive oil is peppery and fragrant — that is when a Greek salad transcends from a simple side dish into something truly sublime. It pairs perfectly with grilled meats, crusty bread, or stands beautifully on its own as a light, refreshing meal.

Ingredients

• 4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into large wedges
• 1 English cucumber, halved and thickly sliced
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced into rings
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into rings or chunks
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives
• 7 oz block feta cheese (one large piece, not crumbled)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh lemon wedges for serving

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare vegetables: Cut the tomatoes into large, rustic wedges. Slice the cucumber into thick half-moons. Cut the red onion into thin rings and separate them. Slice the bell pepper into rings or large chunks. The key is keeping everything in large, chunky pieces — this is a rustic salad, not a finely chopped one.
2. Assemble: Arrange the tomatoes, cucumbers, onion rings, and bell pepper on a large serving platter or shallow bowl. Scatter the Kalamata olives over the top.
3. Add the feta: Place the entire block of feta cheese right in the center of the salad. In traditional Greek preparation, feta is served as one large piece that diners break apart themselves — it is never pre-crumbled.
4. Dress the salad: Drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar generously over everything. Sprinkle with dried oregano, a good pinch of flaky sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Serve: Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side and plenty of warm, crusty bread to soak up the delicious juices at the bottom of the platter.

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