Authentic Greek Village Salad (Horiatiki)
The real Greek salad recipe with no lettuce — just ripe tomatoes, cucumber, feta, and oregano. Cortisol-friendly, gluten-free, ready in 15 minutes.
Equipment
- cutting board
- Sharp Knife
- Large serving platter or shallow bowl
Ingredients
- 4 large ripe tomatoes cut into thick wedges
- 1 English cucumber cut into thick half-moons
- 1 green bell pepper sliced into rings
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives
- 4-6 pepperoncini optional
- 6 oz feta cheese in one block (not crumbled)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons dried Greek oregano
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly cracked
Instructions
- Arrange the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, olives, and pepperoncini on a large platter or shallow bowl. Don't toss — layer them so everything stays visible.
- Place the block of feta whole on top of the vegetables. Do not crumble.
- Drizzle the olive oil evenly over the entire salad.
- Sprinkle the oregano generously over the top, followed by the salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately with crusty bread on the side, if desired, letting everyone break into the feta themselves at the table.
Notes
- The feta stays whole in authentic horiatiki — this isn't a mistake, it's tradition. Crumbling it is one of the biggest differences between the real version and the Americanized one.
- No lettuce is correct. If a Greek salad recipe calls for lettuce, it's not truly horiatiki.
- Best made with the ripest tomatoes you can find — this salad has nowhere to hide, so ingredient quality matters more than technique.
- Calories: ~240
- Protein: 7g
- Fat: 20g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Fiber: 3g
Servings: 4
Calories: 240kcal