Quick & Easy Greek Salad

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This easy Greek salad recipe includes all the ingredients you’d expect in a traditional Greek salad. Fresh crisp vegetables are combined with crumbled feta and balsamic vinaigrette to make the most refreshing summer salad.

My Easy Greek Salad in a bowl.

I’ve become a bit of a salad-a-holic lately, especially where my favorite Greek salad is concerned. As in, if I had friends I actually saw on a regular basis and they knew how many leafy greens I was ingesting, I’m sure someone would stage an intervention. Fortunately, I don’t have a social life and with only like, two friends who I see maybe once or twice a year, my vices are allowed to run amuck unchecked. This also explains why my skin may be turning green shortly.

Today, I am showing you my quick and easy Greek salad recipe. Truly, I eat this two or three (or four or five) times a week. It’s the perfect salad to meal prep for the week ahead. Sometimes it is lunch, sometimes it is supper, sometimes it is a snack, and I’m not gonna lie, sometimes it is breakfast. If you are wanting this for dinner serve this as a side with Greek chicken and potatoes, salmon patties, lemon parmesan chicken, pork chops, or roast chicken and you will have the perfect meal.

The ingredients are what you’d expect to find in an authentic Greek salad: leafy greens, cucumber, tomato, red onion, basil, and feta cheese. We simply toss all of the ingredients together and I drizzle a balsamic vinaigrette over the top. The combination of the tart onion and dressing, crisp cucumber, juicy tomato, and feta cheese is a match made in heaven.

Keep scrolling for suggestions on how to make this salad work for you. You can add veggies, subtract veggies, or switch up the salad dressing. The choice is all yours.

Easy Greek salad ingredients

Recipe Ingredients

  • Dark leafy greens
  • Cucumber slices
  • Sliced red onion
  • Feta cheese
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • Tomato wedges
  • Balsamic vinaigrette

Helpful Kitchen Tools

How to Make My Easy Greek Salad Recipe

My Easy Greek Salad

To make the salad, I tear up the basil leaves and mix them with my greens first.

Then I toss these together with all of my fresh vegetables (that are already prepped and sliced 😉).

Once they’re all nicely combined, it’s time to sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese on top.

I have experimented with all sorts of dressings and I find the best for my taste is simply balsamic vinaigrette.

The final touch is a drizzle of that vinaigrette.

Isn’t that a gorgeous salad?

Yeah. Now I’ve got to go eat this. I highly suggest you make your own and join me!

Storage

  • The undressed salad will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • You can’t freeze fresh salad.

Recipe Variations

Here are some variations to make this Greek salad recipe work for you:

  • Use baby spinach leaves or romaine lettuce instead of dark greens.
  • Use cherry tomatoes instead of Roma tomatoes.
  • Add a handful of chopped and pitted Kalamata olives or black olives.
  • Swap the balsamic for a Greek vinaigrette. Combine a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice (or red wine vinegar) and 2 teaspoons of dried oregano.
  • Do as Jamie Oliver does (see below), and swap the basil for other fresh herbs like fresh dill or fresh mint leaves.
  • Add chopped green bell peppers.
  • Add salt and black pepper to taste.
  • Serve it with cut blocks of feta cheese instead of crumbled.

Recipe Notes

  • For the cheese, I find that it’s usually cheaper to buy a block of it and crumble it myself. It crumbles easily so I just hold it over my salad and break it up with my hands.
  • This is such an easy salad recipe to double or triple. Use the meal prep tips below.

Recipe FAQs

Can you meal prep this salad recipe?

Absolutely! This salad is a great lunch idea to make ahead of time for meal prep. Personally, on the weekend I chop everything up and put all of the ingredients in separate containers in my fridge so I can throw this together in a flash.

To store my lettuce for the week, I put it in a large zipper seal plastic bag along with a paper towel. This absorbs excess moisture and keeps your lettuce fresh for at least two or three times longer than normal.

What is a traditional Greek salad made of?

Horiatiki or traditional Greek salad is made with vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion chopped into large chunks. It also includes a block of feta cheese and a homemade Greek salad dressing made with Greek oregano and olive oil.

How does Jamie Oliver make Greek salad?

Here’s Jamie Oliver’s salad recipe. But it includes tomato, red onion, cucumber, green bell pepper, fresh dill, fresh mint, black olives, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, feta cheese, and dried oregano.

Does Greek salad contain lettuce?

A traditional Greek salad doesn’t typically contain lettuce. However, American-style Greek salads regularly include lettuce or some sort of leafy green.

What ingredients are in Greek dressing?

Greek dressing is basically a Greek vinaigrette made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, and dried oregano. 

What do you serve with Greek salad?

There are so many ways to serve this salad:

You may also like these sensational salad recipes:

Greek Cucumber Salad

Tomato, Onion, and Cucumber Salad

Italian Cucumber Salad

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad With Roasted Vegetables

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Caprese Salad With Chicken and Avocado

Easy Greek Salad

This easy Greek salad recipe includes fresh crisp vegetables combined with crumbled feta and balsamic vinaigrette to make the most refreshing summer salad.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Greek
Keyword: greek, salad
Servings: 4
Calories: 265kcal

Ingredients

  • dark greens of your choice
  • chopped red onion
  • cucumber slices
  • fresh tomato slices
  • crumbled feta cheese
  • fresh basil leaves
  • balsamic vinaigrette

Instructions

  • Tear the basil leaves and add to the greens along with all the other vegetables.
    dark greens of your choice, chopped red onion, cucumber slices, fresh tomato slices, fresh basil leaves
  • Toss ingredients to combine.
  • Sprinkle salad with crumbled feta cheese and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette.
    crumbled feta cheese, balsamic vinaigrette

Nutrition

Calories: 265kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

“Two things to remember in life: Take care of your thoughts when you’re alone and take care of your words when you’re with people.”

~Anonymous

Submitted by Janet Taylor

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53 Comments

  1. Thank you Christy for the papertowel reminder in storing the salad. I had forgotten and have been throwing away salad. Your salad looks great and I will be trying it soon. I look forward every day to what you have to say and what recipe you will give us.

  2. My goto salad is very simple and full of green and crunchy things.

    The salad base is usually, but subject to change… baby spinach, kale, romaine, shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, chopped fresh broccoli and cauliflower, cucumbers and snap peas. Then there is mushrooms, black olives, blue cheese or feta crumbles, green onions, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, spiced walnuts and radishes. Sometimes I add fresh corn and pickled okra.

    Your dressing can be what ever you love. I am very partial to a homemade blue cheese or buttermilk ranch. But I love a good vinaigrette. I have been known to make a red onion and balsamic one but recipes usually have too much sugar in it. We all know though that in the event of a recipe fail there is always adaptation.

    Oh and being a southern girl… There just might be some bacon in that salad. Some slices of Cajun grilled chicken work really well too.

    By the time you get it all mixed up its a huge salad. But boy is it yummy. 🙂

  3. My very first time using store-bought feta cheese ~ which I love. I am making this salad right away. I would really like some tips about how to keep, what to do etc. with feta cheese. I assume I leave it in the ‘water’? I’m anxious to see if it really ‘crumbles’, like you said. 🙂 Thanks. LOVE your recipes, Christy! <3

  4. I love salads and your Greek salad looks amazing. I would only add croutons to it. =^..^=

    I grew up on salads made of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, chopped hard-boiled eggs, green peppers, shredded cheese, sliced olives, or whatever combination of ingredients Mom had on hand, along with her homemade oil & vinegar dressing (about 3/4 Crisco oil, 1/4 vinegar, LOTS of sugar, and Italian spices). My 5 siblings and I usually make one of “Mom’s Salads” when we get together for a meal.

  5. I really like Broccoli Salad. Its simple to make and popular at potlucks too! It has broccoli, cauliflower, shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled cooked bacon, & onion. The sauce has sour cream, mayonnaise, sugar, & salt. It is so delicious! I easily make a small batch or a larger batch without much fuss. If I make it the day before I serve it, I go ahead and cook my bacon but I don’t add it till right before serving. This keeps the bacon crispy instead of soggy. I’m looking forward to trying your Greek Salad very soon!

  6. So happy to see the quote I submitted! I have this printed and hanging in my office. I read it everyday. I’m in Franklin, TN so we’re practically neighbors!

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