Vegetable Greek Salad

This authentic Greek salad recipe comes together fast, with simple ingredients like fresh cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, red onions, and a simple Greek vinaigrette full of flavor – it’s the perfect easy side dish for tonight’s dinner!

I love salads, but sometimes they feel boring.

Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love my Kale Caesar Salad, Cranberry Apple Spinach Salad, and Chicken Southwest Salad … but every now and then, I want my salad to be so flavorful, that it’s like a party in my mouth.

And that’s EXACTLY what this Greek salad recipe is!

HEALTHY VEGETABLE GREEK SALAD

Aside from the fact that this Greek salad is SO GOOD, I love making this healthy vegetable salad because:

• It’s quick and easy. It’s ready in less than 10 minutes!
• No cooking! Perfect for summer or for a fast side dish any time.
• Allergy-friendly. It’s naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
• Delicious as leftovers! Pour off excess liquid before serving and it’s yummy the next day too!
• Packed with vegetables. If you’re trying to eat more veggies, this is your ticket!
• Great Greek salad recipe for kids. If your kids don’t like the texture of lettuce, this is a great recipe to get them to eat salad.

GREEK SALAD INGREDIENTS

This Greek salad recipe only calls for a few ingredients, but most importantly, there’s NO lettuce.

My husband and I visited a traditional Mediterranean restaurant and when our salads were delivered, there wasn’t any Romaine lettuce…

It threw us for a loop at first, because I automatically associate “salad” with “lettuce” (although my Black Bean and Corn Salad doesn’t have any lettuce either!).

But I’ll tell you this – this traditional Greek salad recipe is SO GOOD on its own, you won’t even miss the lettuce!

Here are the SIX ingredients you need:

• Cucumbers. I prefer using English cucumbers because the seeds are minimal, but you can use any kind here.
• Tomatoes. The restaurant served Roma tomatoes, and I’ve used Roma, cherry tomatoes, and grape tomatoes. Any ripe tomatoes will work here – just cut them into bite-sized pieces!
• Red Onion. A white onion will work in a pinch, but a small red onion is best.
• Dry Greek Dressing Mix. This is my recipe for homemade Greek Salad Dressing, and you need just the dry seasonings for this vegetable Greek salad. It includes the salt and black pepper.
• Red Wine Vinegar. A must for acidity and subtle sweetness. You’ll want to keep red wine vinegar on hand for other salad dressings, so pick up a bottle if you don’t already have it. Some Greek salad and dressing recipes use lemon juice, but I prefer red wine vinegar here.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Olive oil and red wine vinegar make a simple vinaigrette, just enough to coat the veggies and help the seasonings stick. We’re using smaller amounts here than in a batch of dressing in Greek salad with lettuce, because the veggies release their own liquids as they sit, and you don’t want the excess liquid.
• Feta Cheese (optional). You don’t technically need Greek salad cheese, but I really like the tangy, creamy flavor a bit of feta adds.

HOW TO MAKE GREEK SALAD AND DRESSING

This classic Greek salad and dressing recipe couldn’t be simpler to make!

Step 1. Slice the cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onions.

Step 2. Sprinkle in the dry seasoning blend. Then drizzle the vinegar and oil on the vegetables and toss them in a large salad bowl so that the vegetables are coated well.

Step 3. Serve immediately or refrigerate to enjoy later.

Note: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Leftover Greek salad is delicious – just pour off any excess liquid before serving.

RECIPE – GREEK SALAD TOPPINGS

I think this salad is SO GOOD as-is, but you can change up the taste and add toppings like:

• Crumbled feta
• A big triangle of feta (what we got when we ordered the Greek feta salad at the restaurant)
• Bacon
• Large chunks of chicken
• Garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas)
• Chopped green bell pepper or yellow bell pepper
• Kalamata olives or black olives
• Diced avocado
• Fresh herbs like mint, parsley, or basil

GREEK FETA SALAD SERVING SUGGESTIONS

This marinated Greek vegetable salad pairs well with these:

• Mediterranean Grilled Cheese
• Homemade Pita Bread
• Oven Roasted Chicken
• Almond Crusted Chicken
• Greek Couscous
• Sheet Pan Lemon Pepper Salmon

EASY GREEK SALAD FAQS

MORE EASY GREEK RECIPES

• Greek Quinoa Salad
• Simple Greek Couscous
• Greek Pasta Salad
• How to Make Greek Yogurt
• Mediterranean Grilled Cheese

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