Horiatiki (Greek Village Salad)
Horiatiki (Greek Village Salad) Recipe: This chunky chop salad with an herb vinaigrette holds up for weekly meal prep, and pairs well with everything!
Greek Salad
There’s nothing quite like a big chunky salad to round out a summer meal.
We all want to eat a little lighter in the summer months. Crisp cool salads really hit the spot served with grilled chicken, pork chops, or steak.
However, this traditional Greek Horiatiki Salad is so hearty and satisfying you can pair it with a main-dish protein, or serve it on its own.
Secretly, I have been known to stand in front of the fridge and eat it out of the serving bowl with a fork.
Village Salad Recipe
There are all sorts of Greek salad recipes.
We actually have several already posted here on A Spicy Perspective, such as gyro salad, cucumber yogurt dill salad, and so on. (I’ve included links below.)
It’s most often called Village Salad in the US
A good greek village salad
It is always dressing with a simple herby vinaigrette.
Sometimes it is sliced into large chunks, and sometimes it is diced so small it’s almost like
However, I prefer small (but not too small) consistent 1/2 inch chunks of all the ingredients.
Greek Salad Meal Prep
This classic Greek combination of cucumber, tomatoes, feta, and herbs is so zesty and inviting it’s no wonder it pairs well with just about anything.
Yet the very best thing about this salad is how well it keeps in the refrigerator.
You can make Horiatiki Greek Salad 5-6 days in advance, making is a wonderful recipe for weekly meal prep!
Pair it with our:
- Spicy Feta Dip and pita bread
- Greek Lemon Meatballs
- Chicken Souvlaki Skewers
- Greek Lamb Burgers
- or Chunky Greek Chicken Salad
How to Make Horiatiki (Greek Village Salad)
- Whisk the dressing. Combine oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and oregano in a small bowl. Whisk well.
- Chop, chop, chop. Chop, slice, and mince all the fresh ingredients. Try to be as consistent in size as possible, with both the feta and firm produce.
- Mix. Simply dump all the ingredients together and toss it with the vinaigrette. Then refrigerate the salad until you are ready to dive in.
See the Full (Printable) Horiatiki Greek Village Salad Recipe Below
Greek Salad Recipe Q&A
Of course. You can also add in other veggies, legumes, or herbs. Just know, if you add in a lot of leafy ingredients, the salad will not keep as long.
This one is! It could also be dairy free, vegan, and paleo if you left out the feta, but I would personally leave it
Yes! It could even be considered Ketogenic! There are lots of good fats from the olives and feta.
At least 5-6 days, if kept in an airtight container. However, if you store the dressing separately, it will even keep a day or two longer. (Meal Prep.)
More Amazing Summer Salads
- Chopped Israeli Salad
- My Big Fat Greek Salad
- Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Market Bean Salad
- Red White & Blue Chopped Salad
- Garlic Lime Roasted Shrimp Salad
- Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta Salad
- Crunchy Beet and Carrot Slaw
- Thai Quinoa Salad
- Greek Chicken Gyro Salad
- Grilled Fruit Salad with Creamy Lime Dressing
- Chimichurri Tomato Salad
- Greek Cucumber Dill Salad
- Crunchy Asian Slaw with Peanut Dressing
Horiatiki (Greek Village Salad)
Ingredients
For the Greek Salad:
- 1 large english cucumber
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 1 bell pepper, any color
- 8 ounce feta cheese
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped mint leaves
- 1/4 cup sliced red onion
For the Herb Vinaigrette:
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Set out a large salad bowl, and a small bowl for the vinaigrette. In the small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper. Set aside.
- Cut the cucumber into quarters, lengthwise. Then slice it into 1/2 inch chunks. Cut the grape tomatoes in half. Seed and chop the bell pepper into 1/2 pieces. Cut the feta into 1/2 inch cubes. Chop the mint and slice the red onion.
- Place all the fresh produce in the large bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the top. Gently toss to coat all the chunks in dressing. Then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition
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Good but misses the mark on a true Horiatiki.
Any authentic Greek Yiayia would not make this days in advance (or keep in the fridge until serving) – it makes the tomatoes grainy and poorly textured, and the vegetables will give off too much liquid as it sits for days. Besides, this dish is simple and needs fine quality ingredients to shine. Real feta. Summer ripe tomatoes (not the small grape sized ones that are so often bland and tasteless).
You are correct that true horiatiki is not served with lettuce *ever* but garlic or mint or parsley? Noooo. Dill? Sometimes. Pepper? Depending on the region. But if you’re going to advocate this dish as an authentic horiatiki, you must first know what constitutes the real authentic dish. Not just experience with “village salads” catering to non-Greek palates. One cannot just add any “vegetables, legumes, herbs or leafy greens” one desires and still call it horiatiki. That’s no longer horiatiki. It’s a salad that happens to have Greek feta and olives on it.
If one truly wants an authentic horaitiki experience, chop the tomato and onion, season with salt, Greek oregano and red wine vinegar and let sit for 20-30 minutes. The tomatoes will give off lovely juices that will make the entire dish sing. Finish with the kalamatas, cucumber, a generous glug of fine olive oil, and a chunk of feta. Do not cut or crumble. (And heaven forbid you buy the dry, sad, astringent pre-crumbled feta!)
Let the guest toss the horiatiki themselves and let them be amazed at the simplicity of summer-ripe vegetables showcased in a way that brings out their best.
This is close but not a true representation of what Horiatiki has been for centuries.
This is the best one I’ve tried so far. *****
So fresh and delicious – just like at our favorite local greek restaurant.
Best greek style salad I’ve ever made. Love the dressing!
This is so fresh and incredibly easy to throw together!
This salad was really amazing! So tasty and refreshing!
The perfect combination of flavors that makes a super simple summer salad! My favorite!
This is the perfect combination of ingredients for a summer salad! Absolutely delicious!