Greek Salad

An opinion from a Greek housewife. I have never tasted Greek Salad (the one known as Horiatiki) with garlic. Actually is not an original ingredient of that salad. It may give aroma but its heavy for the stomach and in general the garlic because of its smell its not always welcome by anyone

In Greece, a horiatiki is all about the quality of the ingredients so make it when nice tomatoes can be found. It NEVER has garlic or vinegar - just good quality EVO, a pinch of salt and a sprinkle of oregano. Serve with a good baguette for a perfect lunch

If you don't have red wine vinegar then use some of the juice from the kalamata olives.

Red>Yellow whenever using raw onions

This Greek girl uses fresh lemon juice, rather than vinegar. A favorite in our house!

There is no need for vinegar at all. I lived in Greece for over 20 years and have been back 2 months of every year since and of all the tavernas and homes I’ve been to, I’ve never encountered vinegar Or garlic, of course. The secret is delicious fresh tomatoes, cucumbers (English), bell peppers, red onions and excellent low acidity single estate EVOO and of course great Greek sheeps milk feta and Kalamata olives…and maybe some huge Greek capers. Acidity is found in the onions and tomatoes.

Delicious - prefer it served cold from the fridge, and the Kalamata olives absolutely add an essential kick. I sliced them in half to put the flavor in every bite. I used yellow pepper instead of green - softer flavor.

I spent a month in Greece and had salad every day, a simple affair of tomatoes, a few olives, feta, a bit of cucumber and onion, a light dusting of herbs. No vinegar ever, just olive oil. No garlic.

For the dressing I add Dijon mustard, squirt of lemon, some olive juice, and lots of oregano. Sometimes I also whisk in plain Greek yogurt for a slight creaminess. I find the combo much more satisfying and although not authentic, my Greek family loves it.

I came for the dressing, as I already had salad ingredients; dressing was perfect. I take Effrosyni's point, below, that garlic is not traditional in Greek salad, but I think it adds a nice note--if you chop fine and let dressing sit at least half an hour before serving, it's not obtrusive. Being in New England, I used Naragansett Creamery feta, which is cow's milk so not Greek-style at all but adds a nice tang. I like to marinate the feta slices in some dressing before assembling.

I've lived in Greece and agree with Margx below -- neither garlic nor vinegar is used, or ever should be: it's about letting the tomatoes and EVOO sing. And the feta really needs to be first-rate: salty, creamy, and packed in brine; always ewe (sheep's) milk. The best one generally available to many in the US is Trader Joe's Authentic Greek Feta in the white and blue tub.

Actually, this salad only requires a really good olive oil as the dressing. Just toss with the veggies and put the olives and cheese on top and sprinkle with dried oregano. That's the way you will see it in the little crossroad towns in Greece.

Wonderful recipe. I usually wing it making a Greek salad and was impressed at how yummy this one came out following directions. I did adjust the dressing to use less oil and more vinegar like I usually do. I also used white balsamic vinegar as I was out of red wine and used Penzy’s Italian seasoning instead of just oregano.

Elements are there but not enough punch for my taste. This needs double the vinegar, salt, and pepper, onion, and garlic. This is even great if you throw in some fresh marjoram, or basil in the oil mixture. Also, I would argue you don’t need all the olive oil if you don’t want it. I even toss in some Chicken breast if looking to make this an easy, flavorful, high protein prep lunch.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for leaving out the romaine. But also leave out vinegar and garlic. DO crumble dried oregano on top.