
Classic Greek Salad
This classic Greek salad recipe consist of tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives, feta, oregano and gets a crunchy boost from romaine lettuce.
Try it with some braised lamb, grilled chicken strips, or beets as a starter for your next Greek meal.
This Greek Salad and dressing is one of the best I have eaten.
My family loves all the fixings but I prefer just feta and beets. All your salad lovers will love how versatile this salad can be.
These are THE INGREDIENTS you will need:
- 1 medium head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces, washed, and dried
- 2 medium tomatoes. cored, seeded, and large dice
- 2 Medium English cucumber, large dice
- 1 cup kalamata olives
- 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 1 medium lemon, plus more as needed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 5 twists Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, about 2 1/2 ounces
- 5 strips add choice of meat, I like grilled chicken strips or braised lamb
- 8 ounces add fresh or jars of beets,I use pickled beets and save the juice for another day to taste.
These are the INSTRUCTIONS for preparation:
- Place the lettuce in a large bowl and add the tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and onion; set aside.
- Place the oil, measured lemon juice, oregano, measured salt, and pepper to taste in a small, nonreactive bowl and whisk to combine.
- Pour over the salad and toss to combine. Taste and season with additional lemon juice, salt, or pepper as needed.
- Sprinkle with the feta. Top with your choice of meat or beets to taste.
NOTES
- My choice of add-ons is grilled chicken strips and pickled beets from a jar. I keep the juice for future use to flavor other dishes and reduce the water needed.
This image below is the way I normally like my salad,
I give my husband the Greek Olives, sometimes the cucumber, the pepper and the onions.
As I get older I need to watch those spicy foods. And at times the strong veggies too.
But leaving the Feta Cheese and Beets are a no brainer!

In my home we love not only having this salad as the main dish with some garlic breadsticks.
But we also add it to other Geek dishes.
Spinach Pie, (Spanakopita), Eggplant or Chicken Parmesan, and even pizza.
You just can’t beat the versatility of the salad.
And all those veggies and toppings help make this dish even better.
Sometimes the Greek dressing comes from my favorite Italian restaurant.
Mine just never tastes the same. And one great Coney place around here makes the typical pink dressing.
Perhaps when you prepare the salad dressing as described below you will have better results.
Let me know if you do! I can always use some great information on how you changed it up and made it your own!
I just know you will enjoy this Greek Salad so much.
It is a great dish to take to a brunch, card party, meeting or picnic.
Enjoy!
Greek Salad
Ingredients
- 1 medium head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces, washed, and dried
- 2 medium tomatoes. cored, seeded, and large dice
- 2 Medium English cucumber, large dice
- 1 cup kalamata olives
- 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 1 medium lemon, plus more as needed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 5 twists Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, about 2 1/2 ounces
- 5 strips add choice of meat, I like grilled chicken strips or braised lamb
- 8 ounces add fresh or jars of beets,I use pickled beets and save the juice for another day to taste.
Instructions
- Place the lettuce in a large bowl and add the tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and onion; set aside.
- Place the oil, measured lemon juice, oregano, measured salt, and pepper to taste in a small, nonreactive bowl and whisk to combine.
- Pour over the salad and toss to combine. Taste and season with additional lemon juice, salt, or pepper as needed.
- Sprinkle with the feta. Top with your choice of meat or beets to taste.
Notes
- My choice of add-ons is grilled chicken strips and pickled beets from a jar. I keep the juice for future use to flavor other dishes and reduce the water needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients used.
Conversion Information We get a lot of requests to help with conversions especially between various countries like Canada, the U.K. and Australia. These tables should help you make those conversions. For your convenience we have included a Conversion Chart.
Disclaimer Unless indicated recipes influenced by cookbooks, magazines or family traditions.
Marilyn, your Greek Salad looks amazing, and I love the idea of dressing it up with lamb! Thank you so much for sharing this tasty, wholesome recipe with us at Hearth and Soul. Sharing around, including on the Hearth and Soul Facebook page. Hope to see you at the Hearth and Soul Link Party when we return from summer break this coming Monday August 7th!
Thank you April for the kind words and shares. I am loking forward to your return. Enjoy your week!
When I saw your first photo I thought “She puts beets in her Greek salad too!” I never did until I married my Michigan man and that’s how his family makes it too. This is pretty much exactly how I make it! Thanks for linking this yummy recipe at The Gathering Place!
I truly think it is an East Coast/Michigan thing. I took it for granted that Greek salad meant lettuce, feta, and beets!! Glad to hear I am not the only surprised person. (Even though the surprise is on the other foot.) Have a blessed day.
A lovely salad Marilyn, I was looking for a Greek Salad with olive oil. We will be featuring this healthy salad on the Blogger’s Pit Stop.
Kathleen
Thank you Kathleen. I am sure you will enjoy this one. Thanks for the feature, I look forward to seeing them all. Have a wonderful and blessed week!
I love Greek salad, and I love pickled beets, and I love feta cheese! So this recipe is a killer as far as I’m concerned! Great recipe Marilyn!
Thank you Florence. I have this salad at least once a week! It lets me feel better about eating desserts later. LOL.
We are beet lovers here and even grow our own beets. This is a salad we will just love for some of our fresh garden beets! I sure appreciate you sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great week and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Fresh beets sound so wonderful! My son put them in the garden last year. This year he didn’t plant any root veggies because they just had too many varmints in the garden. How wonderful to have them in your garden! Enjoy a wonderful week!
This salad recipe looks good. Greek salad is a favorite of mine and yours has so much colour. Very nice.
Thank you so much. I never realized that the addition of beets was just an Eastern coast thing! Enjoy your day.
Yummy I love a good Greek salad and I love Feta Marilyn
Feta and beets are so good together! Have a wonderful week!
I agree that this looks delicious but the picture and your comment both have beets and there is no mention of them in the recipe. Do you drain them , use pickled or plain or what? It’s a novel idea to me (not from Michigan so perhaps that is why.
I apologize Andrea. When I am in a hurry to finish a post I getr distracted and sometimes forget to add all my changes. I meant to fix this twice now! Call it a senior moment. In any event. I have now fixed it. I actually left out the entire paragraph I normally add before even the recipe! Please come back to see it!
Salads are always refreshing to eat Marilyn and this one looks delicious. Thanks for sharing at #BloggersPitStop and have a great week!
Thank you Sue. Salads and fruit dishes are my mainstay in our hot weather! Enjoy your week!
Looks delicious! I’m eating more and more salads these days to stay healthy. I love salad as my main meal of the day during the summer. To think I didn’t even like salads when I was a child, and now I practically live on them.
I agree with you Barbara. I never ate more than. A few leaves of lettuce covered in French dressing. Now I east everything and add shdimp or whatever at times also. Asnd I dslike French dressing and prefer more different options. Have a great day!
Looks yummy and refreshing! Thanks for sharing at Tune In Thursday.
Thank you so much Ruth! Enjoy your week.
I never thought of putting beets on a Greek salad!! Yum! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner link party!
Here in Michiga it isn’t finished until you add the beets! Have a great week!
I love Greek Salad when it is made with the right cheese. It sure does make a HUGE difference.
The feta is the topping here. Have a great week!
YUMMY!!
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Thanks Jess. have a great week.
I want this scrumptious sounding salad for lunch today! It sounds amazing.
I love I can tailor it to me cravings. Have a great week!
With this heat, I’m up for another salad idea. This looks delicious and easy
We are sweltering also! I need a tall glass of ice tea. Have a great week.
I am loving all things Greek these days. This sounds so good!
I am craving feta these days. Have a great week!
This looks tasty. I love eating salads at this time of year 🙂 Thanks for sharing at Creative Mondays
Salads are our summer favorites also. Have a great week!
I would love to try something extraordinary and I think this Greek Salad is on my list. Thanks for sharing!
This is so versatile. A topping for everyone’s taste. Have a great week.
I love Greek salads and feta is awesome! Thanks for sharing your recipe on Merry Monday.
You are welcome Erlene! Have a great week.
Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing it.
You are welcome Carol. Have a good week.
This looks like a tasty salad! 🙂 I thought those were beets in the salad until I read the recipe…. either sounds healthy.
Actually, this one does have beets. Since we all love different additions, we add them at the table. Good eye! Have a good week.