Greek Salad Ingredients: The Real Horiatiki List

A traditional Greek salad, called horiatiki, has just a handful of ingredients: ripe tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, feta, olives, salt, dried Greek oregano and plenty of extra virgin olive oil. There is no lettuce, and the dressing is mostly olive oil mixing with tomato juice in the bowl. This guide gives you the full list, sensible quantities for four, how to choose each item in a UK shop, and what to do if you want a version with greens or a different twist.

TL;DR

• The classic list is tomatoes, cucumber, onion, feta, olives (usually Kalamata), salt, oregano and olive oil.
• Authentic horiatiki has no lettuce, and the feta sits on top in a slab rather than being crumbled.
• Quality matters more than quantity: ripe tomatoes, real feta and a good extra virgin olive oil do the work.
• Peppers, capers and herbs are regional extras, not the baseline.
• The same pantry (feta, honey, olive oil, yoghurt) makes a good Greek-style breakfast.

Table of Contents

• The classic Greek salad ingredient list
• Tomatoes: the ingredient that decides the salad
• Cucumber and onion
• Feta: what the label should say
• Olives: Kalamata and the alternatives
• Olive oil, oregano and salt: the dressing
• How to put it together
• Greek salad without lettuce
• Regional and optional additions
• What not to put in
• Turning Greek salad ingredients into a meal
• Order the Greek pantry for your salad
• Greek and Mediterranean breakfast ideas
• FAQ
• Sources

The classic Greek salad ingredient list

Horiatiki means “village salad”, and it is built from what a Greek kitchen has on hand in summer. Greek salad is generally made from pieces of tomato, cucumber, onion, feta and olives, dressed with salt, oregano and olive oil. That is the whole list. Here it is with amounts for four people as a side, or two as a light lunch with bread.

Optional extras are green pepper, capers or caper berries, and a splash of red wine vinegar. More on those below.

Tomatoes: the ingredient that decides the salad

The salad has nowhere to hide, so the tomato is the star. Out of season, supermarket tomatoes can be watery and bland. Buy them a few days ahead and keep them at room temperature, not in the fridge, so they soften and sweeten.

Cut them into large wedges or chunky pieces, not neat dice. Greek cooks keep things rustic. If your tomatoes are very juicy, America’s Test Kitchen suggests cutting the wedges and draining them in a colander for 30 minutes so the salad does not turn into soup. Keep a little of that juice, though: it is half your dressing.

Cucumber and onion

Cut cucumber into thick half-moons or chunks. If the seeds are watery, scoop out the core. A crunchy cucumber balances soft tomato and creamy feta.

For the onion, slice it thinly. To tame the bite, the same recipe suggests soaking the slices in ice water for 15 minutes and then draining them well. Red onion gives colour. Spring onions are a gentler alternative if raw red onion is too strong for your table.

Feta: what the label should say

The feta is the other thing that separates a good salad from a forgettable one. According to America’s Test Kitchen, Greek feta must contain at least 70 percent sheep’s milk. In practice, check the label for sheep’s milk (or sheep and goat) and a brine-packed block, not a dry crumbled tub, which tends to be chalky and bland.

In a true horiatiki, the feta is not crumbled through the bowl. It is laid on top in a large piece, usually a slab, with oregano and a drizzle of oil over it. Diners break it up themselves at the table. If you prefer it mixed in, cut it into cubes rather than crumbling, so it keeps its creamy texture.

Olives: Kalamata and the alternatives

Kalamata olives are the standard choice: dark purple, meaty and a little fruity. Buy them with stones in if you can, as they hold flavour and texture better than pitted ones. Warn guests, though, and put a small dish on the table for the stones.

If you are unsure how Kalamata differ from ordinary black olives, our guide to Kalamata versus black olives explains the taste and texture gap. For a milder, herby alternative, the assorted Greek olives with oregano from Crete are a good fit for a salad bowl, and you can browse the full Greek olives collection to compare varieties.

Olive oil, oregano and salt: the dressing

Horiatiki is not dressed with a vinaigrette. Season the vegetables with salt and dried oregano, then pour over extra virgin olive oil. The method is simple: season with salt and oregano, toss with extra virgin olive oil, and add a splash of red wine vinegar if you like. The olive oil and tomato juices then combine into a natural dressing in the bottom of the bowl. Some Greek cooks go further and say the juices of ripe tomatoes are all the dressing needed, so treat vinegar as a matter of taste.

Because the oil is so prominent, use one you would happily dip bread into. Extra virgin olive oil is also the main fat of the Mediterranean diet, drizzled over salads, which is why a salad like this makes an easy daily habit.

Oregano is worth a moment. Dried Greek oregano is more pungent than the generic supermarket jar. Rub it between your palms over the bowl to release the oils.

How to put it together

1. Cut the tomatoes into wedges, salt them lightly and let them drain for a few minutes while you prepare everything else.
2. Slice the cucumber into thick pieces and the onion thinly. Soak the onion in cold water if it is sharp.
3. Combine the tomato, cucumber, onion and olives in a wide bowl.
4. Sprinkle with salt (lightly) and half the oregano. Add the olive oil and toss gently, once or twice.
5. Lay the feta slab on top. Finish with the rest of the oregano and another drizzle of oil.
6. Serve straight away with crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Do not dress it long before serving. Salt draws water from the vegetables, and after 20 minutes or so the bowl will be swimming.

Greek salad without lettuce

Good news for anyone searching for this: the traditional salad has no lettuce at all. Authentic horiatiki never contains lettuce. Lettuce arrived in the version many people know from abroad. According to America’s Test Kitchen, American restaurateurs adapted the dish in the 19th and 20th centuries, adding lettuce because the original did not catch on with their customers.

If you want greens, there is a proper Greek option: maroulosalata, a seasonal salad of shredded cos lettuce, spring onion and dill. Serve it beside grilled meat or fish in spring, with olive oil and lemon, and keep it separate from the tomato salad rather than combining them.

If you want bulk instead of leaves, add more cucumber, a few extra tomatoes, or serve the salad over a slice of toasted bread (Cretan dakos style) so it soaks up the juices.

Regional and optional additions

Not every Greek salad is identical. Regional versions include green bell pepper, caper berries (especially in the Cyclades), and mint or parsley (mainly in Northern Greece). These are all reasonable additions if you want a bit more variety, but add one at a time so the salad still tastes of tomato, feta and olive.

A few other sensible ideas:

• Capers or caper berries: salty and sharp, they replace some of the salt.
• Green pepper: thin rings add crunch and a grassy note.
• Red wine vinegar: a teaspoon or two if your tomatoes lack acidity.
• Fresh herbs: parsley or mint, scattered at the end.
• Garlic: very light. Some cooks rub the bowl with a cut clove rather than adding it.

For a deli-style shortcut, Traditional Greek garlic in extra virgin olive oil with oregano can add a gentle garlic flavour to the bowl.

What not to put in

If you want it to taste Greek rather than “Greek-style”, leave out:

• Lettuce, rocket or mixed leaves.
• Sweet bottled dressings, balsamic glaze or mayonnaise-based dressings.
• Pre-crumbled, dry feta.
• Tinned black olives from a can, which are mild and rubbery next to Kalamata.
• Fine dice. Rustic chunks keep the texture.

Turning Greek salad ingredients into a meal

The ingredients are flexible beyond the classic bowl. Mashed into a spread, they become a mezze dish. Our Greek salad tapenade with Kalamata olives, feta and sun-dried tomatoes captures the flavours of the salad in a jar, handy on toast or alongside grilled vegetables. If you want a make-ahead lunch, try our Mediterranean picnic pasta salad with olives and pickled peppers. For more ideas built on Greek pantry staples, see these healthy Greek recipes.

Our view on Greek salad

We have spent years working with Greek producers, and the same lesson comes up whenever people ask us how to make horiatiki taste like it does in Greece: the recipe is easy, the ingredients are not. When there are only eight things in the bowl, each one has to be good.

That is why we focus on sourcing directly from respected Greek producers, choosing olives, olive oil and other staples for authenticity and nutritional quality. A fruity extra virgin olive oil, properly cured Kalamata olives and real Greek oregano change the salad far more than any extra vegetable could.

Our advice is to start with the olives and oil, then build the salad around them. Taste the oil on its own, taste an olive, and only then reach for the tomatoes. If those two taste good, the rest follows.

Ioannis

Order the Greek pantry for your salad

If you want to make this salad properly, we stock the Greek staples in the list above, from olives and extra virgin olive oil to honey, tomato sauces and traditional spreads, all sourced directly from Greek producers. New customers get 15% off a first order, and delivery is free on orders over £59.95.

Shop olives, olive oil, honey and more at Greek Tastes 4 All and pick your Kalamata olives and olive oil in one order.

Greek and Mediterranean breakfast ideas

Many people searching for salad ingredients also want to know how to use the same pantry in the morning. Greek breakfasts tend to be simple: yoghurt, honey, fruit, eggs, bread and cheese.

Greek yoghurt toppings

Thick Greek yoghurt is a blank canvas. Fresh fruit such as figs, peaches, nectarines and pomegranates is often paired with it and honey. A few more ideas:

• Nuts and seeds: nutritionist Jo Williams recommends plain Greek yoghurt topped with fruit, nuts and seeds such as ground flaxseed.
• Lemon bowl: stir lemon zest and juice into the yoghurt, then top with chia jam and granola.
• Tahini and honey: Thomasina Miers whisks full-fat Greek yoghurt with tahini, honey and lemon juice, serving it as a base for grilled figs or roast grapes.
• Warm apricots: poached apricots with cinnamon and saffron go over yoghurt with a drizzle of syrup.

For a good gut-friendly choice, look for live yoghurt. A Stanford trial found that a diet higher in fermented foods such as yoghurt increased microbial diversity and reduced markers of inflammation.

Savoury Mediterranean breakfasts

• Shakshuka: a baked egg dish that works for brunch or dinner and comes with yoghurt or labneh.
• Patates yahni with a fried egg: Meera Sodha serves the Greek vegetable and potato stew with a fried egg for breakfast.
• Whipped feta on toast: blend feta with Greek yoghurt, then top with seeds or herbs and spread it on toast or serve it with crudités.
• Leftover salad on toast: drain the salad, pile it on toasted bread with a little feta and a drizzle of olive oil.

The Mediterranean diet itself is built on enjoyment, shared meals, and fresh, seasonal, plant-based ingredients rather than restrictive rules, so a slow weekend breakfast is very much in that spirit.

FAQ

What are the ingredients in a traditional Greek salad?

Tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, feta and olives, usually Kalamata, seasoned with salt, dried Greek oregano and extra virgin olive oil. Some cooks add green pepper, capers or a splash of red wine vinegar, but the core list stays the same.

Does a real Greek salad have lettuce?

No. Horiatiki is made without lettuce. If you want a leafy Greek salad, make maroulosalata, a separate seasonal dish of cos lettuce, spring onion and dill, and serve it alongside.

What dressing goes on a Greek salad?

Mostly just extra virgin olive oil, salt and oregano. The tomato juices mix with the oil to make the dressing. A little red wine vinegar is acceptable if you want extra sharpness.

Can I make Greek salad ahead of time?

Prepare the vegetables and keep them separate, then combine, season and dress just before serving. If you salt and oil everything early, the tomatoes and cucumber release water and the salad turns watery. Keep the feta whole and add it at the end.

What is the best feta for Greek salad?

Choose brined feta sold in a block, made from sheep’s milk or a sheep and goat blend, rather than a dry crumbled version. Authentic Greek feta must contain at least 70 percent sheep’s milk, so check the label.

Sources

• Greek salad (Wikipedia)
• Horiatiki Salata (Hearty Greek Salad), America’s Test Kitchen
• Traditional Greek Salad recipe (Horiatiki), My Greek Dish
• The Real Greek Salad made in 5 minutes, Cookin’ Athens
• Authentic Greek Salad Recipe (No Lettuce), Kalliopi’s Kitchen
• Real Greek salad, America’s Test Kitchen
• Nutritionist on the Mediterranean diet, Olive Magazine
• Nutritionist on eating for a healthy gut, Olive Magazine
• Lemon yoghurt bowls with chia jam and granola, BBC Food
• Thomasina Miers’ frozen yoghurt with figs, The Guardian
• Greek apricots, BBC Food
• Shakshuka, BBC Food
• Patates yahni, The Guardian
• Whipped feta, BBC Food

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• Mediterranean Picnic Pasta Salad with Olives and Pickled Peppers
• Greek Salad Tapenade Kalamata Olive & Feta Cheese Mediterranean Spread
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• Greek Aubergine Salad (Melitzanosalata)- Authentic Mount Athos Recipe