Greek Salad — with Feta, Olives and No Lettuce
Yvonne Ammann VegetarianTomatoes in rough chunks, cucumber in thick half-moons, green pepper in rings, red onion in fine rings, Kalamata olives. Toss with olive oil, salt and oregano, and lay the feta on top as a whole slab. The original has no vinegar and no lettuce — the tomatoes supply the acidity.
The Greek salad you get in Greece has little to do with the canteen version: no iceberg lettuce, no vinegar, no cubed feta. Just tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives, olive oil, oregano — and a whole slab of feta on top that everyone crushes themselves. In summer with Swiss tomatoes it is a complete supper with bread, in 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- 600 g Tomatoes (ripe)
- 1 piece Cucumber
- 1 piece Bell pepper (green)
- 1 piece Onion (red)
- 100 g Kalamata olives
- 200 g Feta (in one piece)
- 4 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 tsp Oregano (dried)
- ½ tsp Salt
- Pepper
- 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar (optional)
Method
- 1
Cut the vegetables
Tomatoes into rough wedges, cucumber halved lengthways and cut into thick half-moons, pepper into rings, onion into fine rings. Rough is right — it is a village salad.
- 2
Tame the onion
Soak the onion rings in cold water for 5 minutes and drain. They stay crisp but lose the harshness.
- 3
Toss
Toss the vegetables, onion and olives in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper and half the oregano. If you want acidity, add the vinegar — in Greece the guest does that themselves.
- 4
Feta on top
Lay the feta on the salad as a whole slab, sprinkle with the remaining oregano and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with bread — for the juices at the bottom.
Tips
- The salad stands or falls on the tomatoes. In summer, Swiss tomatoes, ripe and at room temperature — never from the fridge. In winter, better make a different salad.
- Real sheep's-milk feta is creamier and saltier than cow's-milk 'salad cheese'. At Migros and Coop look for 'Feta PDO' — it is worth it.
- As a main with grilled chicken or pita bread. The juice that collects at the bottom is the best part of the whole salad, mopped up with bread.
What can I substitute?
Balkan white cheese is milder and cheaper. Mozzarella turns it into something else — good, but not Greek.
Olives with stones always have more flavour than pitted. Green olives work too but are atypical.
Many children dislike raw pepper. Without it, nothing essential is missing.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
Does lettuce belong in Greek salad?
No. The Greek 'horiatiki' — village salad — is only tomatoes, cucumber, onion, pepper, olives and feta. Lettuce is an invention of restaurants outside Greece to fill the plate.
Why is the feta not cubed?
Because it is served as a slab on top with oregano and oil and everyone crushes their own. That way it stays creamy and does not mix with the tomato juice. Cubed is fine — just not traditional.
Can I prepare Greek salad ahead?
Cut the vegetables yes, toss no. Salted and oiled, the tomatoes and cucumber water down within an hour. Everything prepared in bowls, then assembled just before eating.
How much does Greek salad cost per person?
In summer about 3 CHF per person with Swiss vegetables and real feta — as a complete supper with bread. The feta is the biggest item.
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