Horiatiki Greek salad served in an old Thessaloniki restaurant

Horiatiki

This authentic Greek Horiatiki is a vibrant, sun-drenched salad of room-temperature ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumber, red onion, and briny Kalamata olives, all tied together with premium extra virgin olive oil and fragrant dried oregano. Topped with a generous block of tangy feta cheese, this classic assembly-style dish is best enjoyed with crusty bread for mopping up the delicious, tomato-infused dressing at the end.

Cooking Instructions

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 0 minutes
Servings: 2 to 4

Notes:

Always keep your tomatoes at room temperature; refrigeration significantly dulls their natural sweetness and flavour, preventing them from creating the essential, juice-heavy dressing base required for a truly authentic salad.

Salt your tomatoes first and let them sit for at least 10 minutes; this critical step draws out their juices, which blend with the olive oil and optional vinegar to create the most flavourful dressing possible.

The inclusion of red wine vinegar is regional, common in Northern Greece, and adds a beautiful, sharp tanginess; feel free to omit it if you prefer the dressing to rely solely on the tomato juices and olive oil.

Avoid over-mixing the salad before serving; layering the components allows the flavours to meld naturally as guests dig in, ensuring each mouthful retains its distinct, fresh texture and appeal.

Use high-quality, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and generous amounts of dried oregano; these two ingredients provide the structural flavour profile of the salad and should not be compromised.

Season Tomatoes
Roughly chop the room-temperature tomatoes into large chunks directly into the serving bowl, lightly season with salt, and set aside for 10 minutes to release their juices.

Combine Vegetables
Add the sliced cucumber and thin red onion rings to the bowl, tossing gently just enough to combine the ingredients without bruising them.

Dress
Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil and a splash of red wine vinegar, then season lightly with additional salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Assemble
Scatter the Kalamata olives over the top, place a large block of feta cheese in the centre, and finish with a generous sprinkle of dried oregano.

Finalise
Serve immediately with warm, crusty bread, allowing the dressing to pool at the bottom for mopping up at the end of the meal.

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Ingredients

Salad Base
Tomatoes 5 ripe
Cucumber 1
Red Onion ½
Kalamata Olives 100 g
Dressing and Topping
Extra Virgin Olive Oil 50 ml
Red Wine Vinegar 1 tbsp
Feta Cheese 1 block
Dried Oregano 1 tsp
Salt To taste
Black Pepper To taste

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