Greek Veggie Salad
Level 1: About as easy as this kind of recipe gets. Few ingredients, minimal cleanup, forgiving timing – a good way in if this type of recipe usually feels intimidating.
Level 2: Easier than most recipes of this type. Some technique, but nothing tricky. Minimal cleanup, forgiving timing. Think weeknights, a quick meal, or the easy version.
Level 3: About average for its category. Real judgment calls – tasting, timing, multiple components. Not a beginner recipe, but doesn't need to take over your afternoon or feel impossible for a decently quick dinner.
Level 4: More involved than the average recipe of its type. Multiple stages, careful timing, technique that matters. Worth setting aside the time and clearing the kitchen.
Level 5: The most involved this category gets here. Lots of components, real attention start-to-finish, multiple skills in play. The "I'm cooking today – bring me snacks but no questions" tier.
A no-cook Greek-style salad that comes together in 15 minutes: drained chopped tomatoes, crisp cucumber, shallot, and Kalamata olives tossed with lemon juice, dried dill, and salt, then finished with crumbled feta just before serving. Makes 4 servings (≈1 cup each) and holds up beautifully as a make-ahead base for bowls, pitas, and mezze spreads.
This salad started life as a supporting player – the fresh, crunchy layer for our Gyro Pizza – and promptly earned its own page by disappearing from the fridge before the pizza ever got made. It's loosely built on horiatiki, the classic Greek village salad, stripped down to the parts that matter on a weeknight: good vegetables, real lemon, plenty of dill, and no lettuce to wilt.
The one technique that makes it work is draining the tomatoes. Ten minutes in a strainer with a sprinkle of salt pulls out the water that would otherwise pool in the bottom of the bowl, so everything stays bright and crisp instead of soupy – even on day two or three. Hold the feta until serving and it stays in creamy, distinct crumbles instead of dissolving into the dressing.
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dry brine time:
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marinade time:
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hands-on time:
15 minutes
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rise time:
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cook time:
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rest time:
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chill time:
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total time:
15 minutes
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reset to default # of servings
servings (≈1 cup per serving)
! see scaling note !
ingredients
Item
Quantity
Mise en Place / Notes
| fresh tomato | 1 | medium |
diced ≈1 cup |
| kosher salt (Morton) | 1 | teaspoon | |
| cucumber | 1 | medium |
any type is fine, peeled and diced ≈1¼ cups |
| shallot | 1 |
small-medium diced ≈¼ cup |
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| kalamata olives | ½ | cup |
sliced or rough chopped |
| freshly squeezed lemon juice | 2 | tablespoons |
juice ≈¾ lemon |
| dried dill | 1 | tablespoon | |
| feta cheese | 4 | ounces |
≈1 cup, crumbled, for serving |
ingredients
subRecipeName
Item
Quantity
Mise en Place / Notes
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process
Mise en Place
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1.
Chop the fresh tomato. Rinse 1 medium fresh tomato. Pulse in a food processor until chunky, then transfer the chopped tomatoes to a fine-mesh strainer to drain. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and stir gently. Let drain for at least 10 minutes.
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2.
Dice the cucumber. Wash 1 medium cucumber. Peel off a small strip of skin and taste it. If the peel is waxy or bitter, peel the entire cucumber (otherwise, peeling is optional). Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, then lay each half flat on the cutting board and cut lengthwise again into halves, thirds, or fourths, depending on how large you want the dice. Slice across each piece to create small, square-ish pieces.
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3.
Dice the shallot. To small-dice 1 shallot, slice off the stem end, leaving the root end intact, and peel away all the papery layers. Cut each shallot in half from the root to the stem end, then make thin lengthwise cuts (about ¼-inch) toward the root without cutting through it. Turn the shallot and make crosswise cuts to create small, even pieces, about ¼-inch squares.
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4.
Slice the kalamata olives. Slice ½ cup kalamata olives in half lengthwise, or into smaller pieces if you prefer, and set aside.
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5.
Juice 1 lemon. Roll 1 lemon on the counter, pushing gently as you roll for about 15 seconds per lemon (until slightly squishy). Cut each lemon in half horizontally and remove seeds. Using a juicer, tongs, or just your hands, squeeze each lemon as much as possible to extract 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
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Prepare
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6.
Mix everything together. Add diced cucumbers, drained chopped tomatoes, diced shallots, and sliced olives to a large bowl. Pour in 2 tablespoons lemon juice, then add 3 teaspoons dried dill and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt or dill to your preference.
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Serve
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7.
Add feta & serve. If serving within 2 hours, you do not need to refrigerate the salad. If serving later, refrigerate it, then take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then add 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese and serve.
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if you have the thyme...
Here's where extra "thyme" pays off – layer in technique or ingredients to take this from "really good" to "wait, did you make this?" Pick one, stack a few, or save for next time.
- Salt the cucumbers, too. Give the diced cucumber the same treatment as the tomatoes – a light sprinkle of salt and 10 minutes in the strainer – for an even crisper salad that holds longer.
- Quick-pickle the shallot. Let the diced shallot sit in the lemon juice for 5 minutes while you prep everything else. It mellows the raw bite and turns the juice into a built-in dressing.
- Buy block feta in brine. It is creamier and tangier than pre-crumbled, and hand-crumbling into larger, irregular pieces gives every bite more presence.
- Double up on dill. Keep the dried dill in the toss, then finish with a little fresh dill or mint at serving for a brighter top note.
- Finish with good olive oil. A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil right before the feta is the classic horiatiki move – it rounds out the lemon and carries the dill.
notes
Serving Suggestions
- Protein add-ons: Serve alongside grilled chicken, salmon, lamb chops, or seared halloumi for a fast Mediterranean plate.
- Lunch bowls: Spoon over quinoa, farro, or couscous; add chickpeas or white beans for a heartier meal.
- Pita or wrap filler: Combine with hummus or tzatziki and tuck into warm pita.
- Breakfast pairing: Add a soft-boiled egg or serve next to an herby omelet.
Substitutions & Variations
- Tomatoes: Cherry, grape, Roma, or heirloom all work.
- Cucumber: English, Persian, or standard peeled cucumbers are interchangeable.
- Olives: Swap Kalamata for Castelvetrano or black olives.
- Herbs: Fresh dill, parsley, mint, or oregano.
- Add-ins: Chickpeas, roasted red peppers, pepperoncini, capers, or artichoke hearts.
Substitutions & Variations – Shelf-Stable & Frozen Ingredients
- Frozen tomatoes: Thaw and drain well; they'll be softer but flavorful.
- Shelf-stable lemon juice: Use sparingly and adjust.
- Jarred olives & dried herbs: Perfect pantry swaps.
- Canned roasted peppers: Add sweetness and depth.
Substitutions & Variations – Keto-Friendly
Already naturally low-carb. Increase olives, feta, and cucumbers for more fat and volume. Add grilled chicken or salmon for a keto meal.
Substitutions & Variations – Gluten-Free
Naturally gluten-free. If serving with pita or grains, choose GF pita or quinoa.
Substitutions & Variations – Lactose-Free
Use lactose-free feta (widely available). Or omit feta and add extra olives or a drizzle of olive oil for richness.
Substitutions & Variations – Vegan & Dairy-Free
Omit feta entirely. Add vegan feta, marinated tofu cubes, or extra olives for saltiness.
Substitutions & Variations – Vegan
Omit feta or use a plant-based feta alternative. Add chickpeas for protein and texture.
Substitutions & Variations – Vegetarian
Already vegetarian. Boost protein with chickpeas, white beans, or quinoa. Add extra feta or halloumi for richness.
Shortcuts
- Pre-crumbled feta saves time and still tastes great.
- Mini cucumbers require no peeling and minimal seeding.
- Pre-pitted olives eliminate the mess and speed up prep.
- Bottled lemon juice works in a pinch – use half the amount and adjust to taste.
Make It Ahead
Mix everything except the feta and add the lemon juice + salt right before serving to keep the vegetables crisp.
- 24 hours ahead: Store tomatoes separately to prevent excess moisture.
- Meal prep: Keep the salad undressed and add lemon + salt + feta when packing portions.
Troubleshooting
- Too watery: Drain tomatoes longer or add a pinch more salt to draw out moisture, then strain.
- Too salty: Add more cucumber or tomato to rebalance; a splash of lemon also helps.
- Too acidic: Add a drizzle of olive oil or a pinch of sugar.
- Flat flavor: Increase dill, lemon, or olives – this salad thrives on boldness.
Make It An Appetizer
- Dip-style: Mash some of the tomatoes slightly and fold in extra olive oil to create a chunky "salsa" for pita chips.
- Crostini: Spoon onto toasted baguette slices and finish with a crumble of feta.
- Mezze platter: Serve with dolmas, hummus, tzatziki, and marinated artichokes.
Storage & Leftovers
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Add feta only to the portion you're serving to keep it from dissolving.
- If liquid accumulates, simply drain or use it as a dressing base for another salad.
- Leftovers are excellent tossed with pasta, grains, or beans.
Safety Tips
Be careful when cutting the veggies – always use a stable cutting board and curl your fingers when holding ingredients.
scaling
Scaling a recipe up or down significantly? The recipe ingredients, process, cost, and nutrition scale (notes and faqs do not). Check yourself before you wreck yourself:
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Tiny amounts get tricky. Very small quantities of yeast, baking powder, baking soda, and spices are easier to measure by volume (teaspoons) than by weight – your average kitchen scale can't reliably read tenths of an ounce.
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Check your equipment. Make sure your bowls, pans, and mixer can handle the scaled volume. Dough typically needs 2 to 3 times its starting volume of space to rise comfortably.
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Cook times don't always scale. Some steps – like cooking pieces one at a time in a skillet – take proportionally longer with a bigger batch. Others, like oven baking, usually stay about the same.
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Hydration can drift. Flour absorbency varies, so very small or very large batches may need a splash more or less water than the math suggests.
Scaling Tips Specific to This Recipe
This salad scales as easily as any recipe on the site – there is no cooking, so doubling or tripling is just a bigger bowl and the servings control. A few things to keep in mind:
- Drain in batches: The 10-minute tomato drain does not get longer at scale, but a single strainer fills up fast – work in batches or use two.
- Dress late for a crowd: When making a large batch ahead, keep the lemon, salt, and feta separate and add them 20 to 30 minutes before serving so the vegetables stay crisp.
- Halving works fine: Use one smaller tomato and taste before the final salt adjustment – small batches concentrate faster.
faqs
Can I make this salad without tomatoes?
Yes, you can make a tomato-free version by swapping in other crisp, colorful vegetables.
Try using chopped bell peppers, roasted red peppers, or extra cucumber in place of the tomatoes for similar volume and freshness.
Can I use bottled lemon juice?
Yes, bottled lemon juice works in a pinch, but it's more concentrated and less bright than fresh.
Start with about half the amount called for in the recipe, then taste and adjust until the flavor is bright but not harsh.
How do I keep the cucumbers from getting soggy?
Use mini or Persian cucumbers, which naturally stay crisper than standard slicing cucumbers.
If your cucumbers are very watery, you can lightly salt them and let them sit for a few minutes, then pat dry before adding to the salad.
Can I make this ahead for a party?
Yes, this salad is very make-ahead friendly with a few tweaks.
Prep and combine the vegetables and olives, but wait to add the lemon, salt, and feta until 20 to 30 minutes before serving to keep everything crisp and vibrant.
What if I don't like dill?
You can easily swap the dill for other fresh herbs you enjoy.
Parsley, mint, oregano, or a mix of these all work beautifully and still keep the salad firmly in the Mediterranean flavor family.
Can I add protein to make it a full meal?
Absolutely – this salad is a great base for a more substantial meal.
Top it with grilled chicken, salmon, shrimp, chickpeas, or seared halloumi to turn it into a satisfying main dish.
Is this salad good for meal prep?
Yes, it holds up well for a few days with a small adjustment.
For best texture, store the chopped vegetables and olives in an airtight container and add the lemon, salt, and feta just before serving each portion.
Can I use different olives?
Yes, you can use whatever olives you love or have on hand.
Kalamata are classic, but Castelvetrano, black olives, or a mixed Mediterranean blend all work and will slightly shift the flavor profile.
cost
4 servings (≈1 cup per serving)
| Ingredient | Per Serving | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| fresh tomatoes | $ | 0.31 | $ | 1.25 | |
| salt | 0.00 | 0.02 | |||
| cucumbers | 0.43 | 1.72 | |||
| shallots | 0.14 | 0.56 | |||
| kalamata olives | 0.35 | 1.38 | |||
| lemon juice | 0.04 | 0.15 | |||
| dried dill | 0.15 | 0.60 | |||
| feta cheese | 0.34 | 1.34 | |||
| Total | $ | 1.75 | $ | 7.02 |
At $1.75 per serving, this salad earns its keep as one of the most budget-friendly sides on the site. The cost is spread remarkably evenly across the bowl: cucumber leads at roughly a quarter of the total, with the Kalamata olives, feta, and tomatoes each claiming close to a fifth. The remaining sliver covers the shallot, dried dill, lemon, and salt – pantry players that punch far above their price.
Two easy ways to trim it further: buy olives from the olive bar or in bulk so you pay only for what you need, and grab feta as a block – it is usually cheaper per ounce than pre-crumbled and keeps longer in its brine. Tomatoes and cucumbers both drop sharply in price at summer farm stands, which is exactly when this salad tastes best anyway.
nutrition information
serving size: 1 cup
| calories | 138 |
% daily value*
| total fat | 8.2 g | 11% |
| saturated fat | 4.5 g | 23% |
| trans fat | 0.2 g | - |
| polyunsaturated fat | 0.5 g | - |
| monounsaturated fat | 2.7 g | - |
| cholesterol | 25.2 mg | 8% |
| sodium | 936.3 mg | 41% |
| total carbohydrates | 12.2 g | 4% |
| dietary fiber | 2.6 g | 9% |
| sugars | 5.8 g | - |
| protein | 6.1 g | 12% |
micronutrients
| vitamin a | 82.5 mcg | 9% |
| vitamin c | 14.5 mg | 16% |
| calcium | 216.1 mg | 17% |
| iron | 2.4 mg | 13% |
| vitamin d | 0.1 mcg | 1% |
| magnesium | 34.0 mg | 8% |
| potassium | 388.0 mg | 8% |
| zinc | 1.2 mg | 11% |
| phosphorus | 144.0 mg | 12% |
| thiamin (b1) | 0.1 mg | 9% |
| riboflavin (b2) | 0.3 mg | 21% |
| niacin (b3) | 0.8 mg | 5% |
| vitamin b6 | 0.3 mg | 17% |
| folic acid (b9) | 33.6 mcg | 8% |
| vitamin b12 | 0.5 mcg | 21% |
| vitamin e | 1.1 mg | 7% |
| vitamin k | 18.9 mcg | 16% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet; your needs may differ.
Nutrition information is estimated using USDA databases and may vary based on ingredient brands and preparation methods.
The 2,000-calorie reference is used as a general guide. Individual calorie needs typically range from 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day for adult women and 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day for adult men, depending on age, activity level, and other factors.
At ≈138 calories per 1-cup serving, this salad is mostly water, fiber, and fresh produce – the richness comes from the feta and olives, which supply most of the ≈8g of fat per bowl. You also get ≈6g of protein and ≈3g of fiber, plus meaningful vitamin C from the tomatoes and cucumber. With low net carbs per serving, it fits comfortably into keto, gluten-free, and vegetarian plans as written.
Sodium is the number worth knowing: ≈936mg per serving, with the added salt as the biggest contributor, followed by the feta and the olives. The fix is built into the method – the salt goes in to taste, so use a lighter hand on the tomato drain in Step 1 and skip the final adjustment to bring a serving down noticeably. Rinsing the olives before slicing shaves off a little more without changing the character of the salad.
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KITCHENARY
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the family of uniform-cube cuts
Dice
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Juice
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Brine
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Drain
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the bright, balancing flavor lever
Acid
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Taste
vegetarian · keto · gluten-free · <30 minutes · easy · make-ahead · no-cook · weeknight · potluck · family dinner · summer · mediterranean · side
Edits to the Site (just in case you want to know)
June 11, 2026 – Full page refresh: rewrote the headnote, added cost and nutrition write-ups, Level Up and Scaling tips, and search metadata, and cleaned up some garbled characters in the FAQs. Corrected the feta nutrition data (it was being over-counted) and increased the feta from 2 to 4 ounces for a better vegetable-to-cheese balance – no other changes to the ingredients or method.
April 16, 2026 – Original publication.
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