It is a straightforward salad built around fresh ingredients rather than a complicated dressing. Green and Kalamata olives add briny flavour, feta contributes a creamy, salty contrast, and thinly sliced red onion brings a little bite.
Because the ingredient list is short, preparation matters. Halve the tomatoes, slice the cucumber and onion, cube the feta and chop the parsley before combining everything gently. Finish with oregano, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
This Mediterranean salad works well as a fresh side dish or as part of a larger meal, especially when you want something crisp, colourful and quick to assemble.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fresh, colourful ingredients: Tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, parsley and olives make this salad bright and inviting.
- Plenty of Mediterranean flavour: Feta, olives, oregano, olive oil and lemon create a familiar savoury combination.
- Simple preparation: Most of the work is just slicing, chopping and combining the ingredients.
- No complicated dressing: Extra-virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice provide a simple finish.
- Good balance of textures: Crisp cucumber contrasts with juicy tomatoes, creamy feta and firm olives.
- Easy to serve: This salad fits naturally alongside many lunch or dinner dishes.
- Seasoned to taste: Salt and freshly cracked black pepper let you adjust the final seasoning before serving.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 large cucumber, sliced
- 7 oz (200 g) feta cheese, cubed
- 1/2 cup green & Kalamata olives
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Ingredient Notes
Cherry Tomatoes
Halving the cherry tomatoes makes them easy to combine with the other ingredients and allows their juices to mingle with the olive oil and lemon.
Cucumber
A large sliced cucumber provides the crisp, refreshing texture that balances the richer feta and olives.
Feta Cheese
The recipe uses 7 ounces, or 200 grams, of feta cut into cubes. Add it gently so the pieces retain some shape rather than breaking down completely.
Green and Kalamata Olives
Using a combination of green and Kalamata olives adds briny flavour and a mix of colours to the salad.
Red Onion
Slice the red onion thinly so it distributes throughout the salad without overwhelming each bite.
Oregano
Dried oregano is a key seasoning here. One teaspoon is enough to add herbal flavour throughout the salad.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and Lemon Juice
Three tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice form the simple dressing for the vegetables, feta and olives.
Equipment
- Large salad bowl
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large spoon or salad servers
How to Make Classic Mediterranean Greek Salad
1. Prepare the Vegetables
Halve the cherry tomatoes, slice the cucumber, thinly slice the red onion and chop the fresh parsley.
2. Combine the Main Ingredients
Add the tomatoes, cucumber, green and Kalamata olives, red onion and parsley to a large salad bowl.
3. Add the Feta
Add the cubed feta cheese to the bowl, handling it gently so the cubes remain mostly intact.
4. Season the Salad
Sprinkle the dried oregano over the salad. Drizzle with the extra-virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice, then season with salt to taste and freshly cracked black pepper.
5. Toss Gently and Serve
Gently toss the salad just until the ingredients are evenly combined and lightly coated with the olive oil and lemon juice. Serve once seasoned to your liking.
Tips for the Best Results
- Use evenly sized pieces: Cutting the cucumber, tomatoes and feta into manageable pieces makes the salad easier to serve and eat.
- Slice the onion thinly: Thin slices distribute the onion flavour more evenly throughout the salad.
- Add the feta gently: Avoid vigorous mixing if you want the feta cubes to keep their shape.
- Use fresh lemon juice: The recipe specifically calls for fresh lemon juice, which provides acidity to balance the olive oil.
- Season at the end: Because feta and olives already contribute salty flavour, add additional salt gradually and taste before adding more.
- Toss lightly: A gentle toss is enough to coat the ingredients without crushing the tomatoes or feta.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Adding too much salt before tasting: Feta and olives already provide saltiness, so season gradually.
- Cutting the onion too thick: Thin slices are easier to distribute throughout the salad.
- Overmixing the feta: Vigorous tossing can break the feta cubes into small pieces.
- Forgetting the oregano: Dried oregano is an important part of the salad’s seasoning.
- Using the wrong dressing proportions: Keep the recipe’s balance of 3 tablespoons olive oil to 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
Substitutions and Variations
The original ingredient list specifically calls for cherry tomatoes, cucumber, feta, green and Kalamata olives, red onion, parsley and oregano. Keeping those ingredients as written gives you the intended combination of flavours and textures.
The olive component already allows some natural variety because the recipe uses both green and Kalamata olives. You can adjust the balance between the two within the stated 1/2 cup total according to what you have available.
Any additional vegetables, herbs or dressings would change the original recipe, so they are best treated as optional personal variations rather than part of this version.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Greek salad as a fresh side dish with grilled chicken, fish, roasted meats or warm bread. It can also be included as part of a larger Mediterranean-style spread.
These serving ideas are optional and are not part of the original ingredient list.
Storage and Reheating
Specific storage instructions were not included with the original recipe, so this article does not assign a storage duration that was not supplied. This salad is served cold or at room temperature and does not require reheating as part of the original preparation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in this Classic Mediterranean Greek Salad?
It contains cherry tomatoes, cucumber, feta, green and Kalamata olives, red onion, parsley, oregano, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
How much feta do I need?
Use 7 ounces, or 200 grams, of feta cheese cut into cubes.
What olives should I use?
The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of green and Kalamata olives.
What kind of cucumber is used?
The ingredient list specifies 1 large cucumber, sliced.
What dressing goes on Greek salad?
For this recipe, the salad is dressed simply with 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, along with oregano, salt and black pepper.
How much oregano should I add?
Use 1 teaspoon of dried oregano.
Should I cube or crumble the feta?
The recipe specifically calls for cubed feta cheese.
Should the red onion be sliced thinly?
Yes. Thinly slice half of a red onion before adding it to the salad.
Do I need to cook anything?
No cooking step is included in the ingredient list. This is a fresh salad assembled from prepared vegetables, feta, olives and seasonings.
Can I add more salt?
Salt is added to taste. Since feta and olives already provide salty flavour, taste the salad before adding additional salt.
Recipe Card: Classic Mediterranean Greek Salad
Recipe Name: Classic Mediterranean Greek Salad
Description: A fresh Mediterranean salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, feta, green and Kalamata olives, red onion, parsley and oregano dressed with extra-virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice.
Method: No-Cook Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 large cucumber, sliced
- 7 oz (200 g) feta cheese, cubed
- 1/2 cup green & Kalamata olives
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Halve the cherry tomatoes, slice the cucumber, thinly slice the red onion and chop the fresh parsley.
- Add the tomatoes, cucumber, green and Kalamata olives, red onion and parsley to a large salad bowl.
- Add the cubed feta cheese gently.
- Sprinkle with dried oregano, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice, and season with salt to taste and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Toss gently until evenly combined and serve.
Recipe Notes
- Slice the red onion thinly so it distributes evenly throughout the salad.
- Add salt gradually because both feta and olives contribute salty flavour.
- Toss gently to help the feta cubes and tomatoes retain their shape.
- Use the stated 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice for the simple dressing.
Storage and Reheating
Specific storage instructions were not supplied with the original recipe. No reheating step is required for this fresh salad.
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