Easy Greek Salad

This easy breezy salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta cheese is ready for a summer picnic.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated June 07, 2023
Elise Bauer
Easy Greek Salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, bell peppers, olives, and feta cheese

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

This Greek salad is a favorite of my father's to make during the summer.

We usually have plenty of tomatoes and cucumbers growing in the garden, and all you have to do is toss in some red onions, olives, bell pepper, feta cheese, a few herbs, and some olive oil and vinegar and you have beautiful, cooling, fresh, Greek salad.

All the best ingredients and flavors of Greek cuisine, all in one easy summer salad!

What to Serve With Greek Salad

You can serve this salad as a side for just about any of your summer favorites, like grilled chicken or grilled fish. It's terrific with pita bread that has been brushed with olive oil and toasted or grilled.

Easy Greek Salad tossed with greek salad dressing in a bowl

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

Make-Ahead Tips

The dressing for this recipe can be made up to three hours ahead and kept at room temperature.

Except for the tomatoes, all the vegetables can also be chopped a few hours ahead of time and kept refrigerated. Tomatoes are much better when fresh and un-refrigerated, so wait to add those until just before serving.

Toss all the vegetables with the salad dressing and sprinkle with cheese when ready to serve.

What's in Greek Salad Dressing?

The ingredients in this salad are so fresh and vibrant that they only need a simple dressing to bring them together. This one uses olive oil (here's our favorite!), lemon juice, garlic, red wine vinegar, oregano, and dill.

This dressing will separate, so if you make it ahead just whisk it together again before dressing your salad. Even better, make it in a jam jar and just give the jar a few shakes before pouring it over the top.

No Lettuce? No Problem!

Greek salads typically do not contain lettuce or other leafy greens. This makes the salad extra crunchy and colorful. If you'd like to include greens in your salad, don't let us stop you! You may want a bit more dressing—we suggest doubling it since extra dressing will last in the fridge for a week.

Tame Your Onions

If you're not a huge fan of raw onions, try this tip from Elise's mom: soak the chopped onions in a little vinegar or lemon juice while you chop the rest of the salad ingredients. This softens their flavor and makes them a little more palatable.

Try These Other Summer Side Salads

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Easy Greek Salad

Prep Time 15 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Servings 6 servings

Tip from my mom: to take some of the bite away from the onions, after you chop them, soak them in a little vinegar or lemon juice.

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried dill or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 3 large plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped

  • 3/4 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped

  • 1/2 small red onion, chopped

  • 1 bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

  • 1/2 cup pitted black olives (preferably brine-cured), coarsely chopped

  • Heaping 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Method

  1. Make dressing:

    Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, and dill together until blended. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

    Simple Tip!

    This can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Re-whisk before using.

  2. Combine the salad ingredients:

    Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, bell pepper, and olives in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
197 Calories
18g Fat
9g Carbs
3g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 197
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 11mg 4%
Sodium 253mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 43mg 215%
Calcium 94mg 7%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 325mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.