In this easy Greek Salad recipe, crisp fresh vegetables, ripe tomatoes, kalamata olives and feta cheese are tossed in the best homemade Greek salad dressing. It’s a beautiful, vibrant side dish that goes with so many meals!
The first time I made this Greek salad was about four years ago, and to say it has become a go-to salad in my house is quite an understatement! If you love this recipe, I think you’ll also enjoy my Cucumber Tomato Salad and Greek Pasta Salad!
Why You’ll Love this Greek Salad Recipe
Many times the salad is the afterthought of a meal, but this Greek salad steals the show. So much so that I often decide to make this salad first, then plan the rest of our meal around it! Even better is the fact that it’s made with just a handful of ingredients and it comes together super fast.
I just love the combination of flavors and textures in this Greek salad: crisp cucumber and green pepper, sweet juicy tomatoes, sliced red onion, tangy feta cheese and fruity kalamata olives. We chop everything into bite-size pieces so that you can get a delicious mix of flavors in every bite. Tossed with my easy homemade Greek Salad Dressing, this salad really is something special. The bold, vibrant colors and flavors will have everyone going back for seconds!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Greek Salad Dressing: For the dressing you’ll need olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, fresh garlic, dried oregano, salt and pepper. It takes just five minutes to mix up and is so much better than store-bought!
- Cucumber: Cucumber makes this salad so refreshing. If you use a regular garden/grocery store cucumber, you may want to halve it lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. I’ll admit I usually leave the seeds in as I don’t mind them. You may also wish to remove the skin using a vegetable peeler. I like to use English or Persian cucumbers, which are less bitter and have thin skin that does not need to be removed.
- Bell Pepper: Green bell peppers are traditional in Greek salad, but you can use red, yellow or orange if that’s what you have on hand.
- Red Onion: Red onion adds a nice sharp bite to the salad. Slice the onion thinly so that the flavor isn’t overpowering.
- Tomatoes: I like to use cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes here because they hold their shape well and don’t release too many juices into the salad. You can also slice up regular whole tomatoes.
- Kalamata Olives: The briny, slightly fruity flavor of kalamata olives pairs especially well with the feta cheese and homemade dressing. You can substitute black olives if desired.
- Feta Cheese: Salty, tangy feta cheese is a must in a Greek salad!
Find the printable recipe with ingredient amounts below.
What Kind of Feta is Best?
I highly recommend buying a block of feta cheese and cutting it into cubes yourself, rather than purchasing crumbled feta. The texture and flavor is so much better when you start with a block of feta and it really makes a difference in a recipe such as this where the feta is a primary ingredient.
Pro Tip
Soak sliced red onions in ice water for 5 minutes, then pat dry. This mellows their sharpness when you’re adding them raw to salads, pasta salads, etc.
How to Make a Greek Salad
Plus, my best tips for making it!
Make the dressing. Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or jar.
Chop the vegetables into pieces that are approximately the same size: slice the cucumber into half rounds and cut the green pepper into 3/4-inch pieces. Thinly slice the onion and halve the cherry tomatoes and olives. Cut the feta cheese into 1/2-inch cubes. Place all of the salad ingredients into a large bowl.
Add salad dressing. Drizzle on 1/4 cup of the dressing and toss gently to mix. Add more dressing as needed. I find it’s best to start with less dressing because you can always add more. Season the salad to taste with salt and pepper.
This salad is best served the day it is made, but leftovers can be stored for 1-2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you have leftover dressing, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. It’s delicious drizzled over an everyday green salad.
Ways to Serve this Greek Salad
I love to serve this Greek salad as a side dish, alongside Chicken Souvlaki, Greek Turkey Burgers, Grilled Pork Chops or Greek Chicken.
- You can also make this Greek salad a meal by adding Air Fryer Chicken Breast, Grilled Chicken, Grilled Salmon or chickpeas for protein.
- It makes a wonderful Greek quinoa salad with quinoa mixed in.
- While not traditional, if you want to add more greens into your meal you can serve this salad over a bed of chopped romaine lettuce.
- We love this salad served with Pita Bread and Hummus or Tzatziki for a delicious Mediterranean meal!
More Favorite Salad Recipes
Try one of these salad recipes next!
Made this recipe? I’d truly appreciate if you leave a comment and star rating below! Your review will help others who want to try this recipe. Thank you! 💛
Easy Greek Salad
Ingredients
Greek Salad Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Salad
- 1 English cucumber, sliced into ¼-inch thick half rounds
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into ¾-inch pieces
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- ⅔ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
- 4 ounces block feta cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- Place the cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, tomatoes, olives and feta in a large bowl. Drizzle on dressing, starting with ¼ cup. Toss and add more dressing as needed. Season salad with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Serve.
Notes
- Storage: This salad is best served the day it is made, but leftovers can be stored for 1-2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Feta: I highly recommend buying a block of feta cheese and cutting it into cubes yourself, rather than purchasing crumbled feta. The texture and flavor is so much better when you start with a block of feta and it really makes a difference in a recipe such as this where the feta is a primary ingredient.
- Pro Tip: Soak sliced red onions in ice water for 5 minutes, then pat dry. This mellows their sharpness when you’re adding them raw to salads, pasta salads, etc.
I originally shared this recipe in July 2021. Post updated July 2025.
Looking forward to making this salad as I love just about anything Greek, but I think it would be nice to mention purchasing the olives, etc, can somtimes become quite expensive. If one looks in the deli department of most grocery stores in the US, you can find an olive bar where you can purchase a mixture of the olives and cheese quite reasonably for a salad,
This salad is wonderful. I ate the whole thing
This is a classic Greek salad except in Greece, there IS no salad dressing on this salad. They pour olive oil across the top, sprinkle a bit of sea salt and oregano, and let the juices from all the ingredients create the salad dressing. Juices from the tomatoes provide the acidic flavor we know and love from salad dressing. There’s no right or wrong, of course, but I wanted to explain the way it’s usually done in Greece.
This salad looks yummy. What would a suitable alternative to cucumber be?
Cucumber is a key ingredient in this salad, but you can substitute another vegetable that you enjoy.
Um, this is DELICIOUS! Perfect blending of flavors and so nice with this recording breaking hot weather we are having! Serving it with grilled Greek chicken, tzatziki, and naan. ❤️
I’m so glad you enjoyed this salad! It’s one of my favorites. Your whole meal sounds amazing. Such a great combination!