Horiatiki Salata

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare all the vegetables: cut the cucumber into thick half-moons, the tomatoes into wedges, and slice the red onion thinly. For the best texture, keep the pieces fairly large rather than finely chopped.

   200 g cucumber, cut into thick half-moons250 g ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges40 g red onion, thinly sliced
2. 2

   Place the cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, and Kalamata olives in a shallow bowl or plate. Toss very lightly so the tomatoes keep their shape.

   200 g cucumber, cut into thick half-moons250 g ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges40 g red onion, thinly sliced60 g Kalamata olives
3. 3

   In a small bowl, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, dried oregano, fine sea salt, and black pepper until combined. Taste the dressing before adding all the salt, because feta and olives are already salty.

   30 ml extra-virgin olive oil15 ml lemon juice1 tsp dried oregano1/4 tsp fine sea salt1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
4. 4

   Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss once or twice. Set the feta on top instead of mixing it in completely; this keeps it from breaking up too much and gives the salad a more traditional presentation.

   30 ml extra-virgin olive oil15 ml lemon juice1 tsp dried oregano1/4 tsp fine sea salt1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground120 g feta, cut into large slabs or chunks
5. 5

   Serve immediately, spooning some of the dressing from the bottom of the bowl over the feta. If you like, finish with an extra pinch of oregano just before serving.

Origin & History

Horiatiki Salata, often called village salad, is one of Greece's most recognizable everyday dishes. It comes from a simple rural tradition of combining peak-season vegetables, olives, olive oil, and feta without elaborate preparation. Its emphasis on excellent raw ingredients reflects the broader character of Greek home cooking.