Classic Greek Salad
Updated Feb 03, 2026
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This classic Greek salad celebrates bright Mediterranean flavors and simple ingredients with crisp romaine, ripe tomatoes, cool cucumbers, sharp red onion, briny olives, and creamy feta cheese, all tossed in a tangy olive oil and oregano dressing. Easy to make in minutes, and perfect alongside grilled meats or as a satisfying lunch on its own.
If you love big, bright flavors and simple summer cooking, this classic Greek salad is absolutely your new go-to. Crisp romaine hearts are joined by juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and bold red onion, then tossed with briny olives and silky slivers of creamy feta. The salad is finished with a zesty olive oil and oregano dressing that feels like sunshine in a bowl.
Why You’ll Love This Greek Salad
- Great crunch.
- Pop of briny flavor.
- Can be a side or a main (especially with some chicken or shrimp).
Whether you make it for dinner alongside grilled chicken or enjoy it as an easy lunch, this salad brings fresh, tangy Mediterranean joy to your table.
What's In This Post?
A big bowl of Greek salad is one of the most satisfying lunches or dinners on the planet.
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Our Favorite Salad
It’s a tough call to say who likes Greek Salad more, Jack or me. If I am at a diner for any meal other than breakfast, that’s what I am ordering. (And hoping like hell whoever I am eating with is ordering something that comes with fries, so I don’t have to look like a person with no self-control whatsoever by ordering my own plate of fries on the side. Which I will do, in a pinch.)
Jack, however, will come home from school and make himself a Greek salad for a snack. If I have failed in my provider duty to lay in a full supply of feta, Greek olives, and romaine, he is not only disappointed but vaguely perplexed. Like I ran out of milk.
If you want to mimic the diner experience, cook up some Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries. If not, pair this with Greek Lamb Kabobs or Greek Roasted Chicken Breasts.
Ingredients
For the Greek Salad Dressing
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Red wine vinegar – For the perfect acidity.
- Dried oregano – This is the only dressing that I think benefits from the flavor of dried herbs.
- Dijon mustard – Offers a bit of spiciness and depth of flavor.
- Minced garlic – For a pop of sharpness and spiciness.
- Red pepper flakes – Optional, if you want a touch of spice.
For the Salad
- Cucumbers – You can use Persian or seedless cucumbers.
- Romaine lettuce hearts – Now it’s true that technically truly classic Greek salad has no lettuce. And I like to make it that way sometimes. But more often than not, I want lettuce, and Jack always wants lettuce (romaine hearts are the go-to for this salad and many, many other salads in our house).
- Red onion – I like to dice them for this salad.
- Cherry tomatoes – Halved.
- Feta cheese – Greek, Bulgarian, and French fetas are the types you’ll most likely come across. If you can buy it at a cheese counter, ask to try a bit from each place (if you have a nice cheesemonger, he or she will be only too happy to let you sample and also to discuss the differences between the types).
- Fresh oregano leaves – if you can use a bit of both fresh and dried (not too much), that is the optimal Greek Salad oregano experience.
How to Make Greek Salad
- Combine the salad ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the lettuce, red onion, tomatoes, and cucumber.
- Make the dressing: Combine the olive oil, vinegar, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, mustard, salt, garlic, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Shake well and pour about 2/3 of the dressing over the salad.
- Top the salad: Place the feta slices on top and drizzle a bit more dressing. Sprinkle over a bit of dried oregano and the fresh oregano leaves, if using.
What to Serve With This Classic Greek Salad
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Classic Greek Salad
Ingredients
For the Greek Salad Dressing
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (plus more for sprinkling)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon finely minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
For the Salad
- ½ seedless cucumber (or 2 Persian cucumbers)
- 8 cups sliced romaine lettuce hearts
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- ⅓ pound feta cheese (cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices)
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves (optional)
Instructions
- In a container, combine the olive oil, vinegar, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, mustard, salt, garlic, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Shake well to combine.
- If you are using a seedless cucumber (which, of course, are never fully seedless), slice the cucumber in half lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon. Slice the cucumber. If you are using small person cucumbers, simply slice them.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the lettuce, red onion, tomatoes, and cucumber. Shake the dressing once more to combine, and pour over about 2/3 of the dressing. Toss the salad. Transfer to a shallow serving bowl. Place the slices of feta on top, and drizzle over a bit more of the dressing. Sprinkle over a bit of dried oregano and the fresh oregano leaves, if using.
What’s a small person cucumber?
Persian! they are just baby cucumbers :)