Save There's something about standing in a summer kitchen with tomatoes still warm from the garden that makes you forget every salad you've made before. A friend visiting from Greece once stayed with us for a week, and every evening she'd casually reach for whatever vegetables were on the counter and create this salad that tasted like a vacation in a bowl. I tried to replicate it from memory for months until I finally understood it wasn't about precision—it was about letting the ingredients speak for themselves. This Mediterranean salad has become my answer to the question of what to make when you want something that feels both simple and special.
One Sunday afternoon, I brought this salad to a potluck where someone had made seven different complicated casseroles, and somehow mine was the only bowl that came home empty. The secret wasn't technique—it was that everyone could taste the sunshine in the tomatoes and the salt of the sea in the olives, with nothing standing in the way of those flavors reaching them.
Ingredients
- Ripe tomatoes: Four medium ones, diced into chunks that are big enough to feel substantial—don't waste time on perfect uniformity, your knife skills matter less than choosing tomatoes that actually smell like tomatoes.
- Cucumber: One large one, diced so there are pieces of skin in every bite for that refreshing snap and color contrast.
- Red onion: Slice it thin enough to taste rather than assault, and let it sit for a minute after cutting so it softens just slightly.
- Kalamata olives: Half a cup's worth of these briny gems, pitted and halved so they distribute evenly without dominating the salad.
- Feta cheese: A generous handful of crumbled or cubed pieces that catch the dressing and add that salty, creamy element that makes everything come together.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Three tablespoons of the good stuff—this is not the time to reach for the budget bottle, you'll taste the difference in every forkful.
- Red wine vinegar: Just one tablespoon provides enough tang to brighten everything without making it sharp.
- Dried oregano: Half a teaspoon of this Mediterranean essential brings an herbal note that somehow makes all the vegetables taste more like themselves.
- Salt and pepper: Season to your taste, knowing that the olives and feta already bring saltiness so go easy at first.
- Fresh herbs: Parsley or mint to finish, adding a final kiss of freshness if you're in the mood for it.
Instructions
- Gather your vegetables in the bowl:
- Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and olives in a large salad bowl, noticing how the colors come alive against each other. This is when you can taste a piece of tomato and decide if it needs a minute more or if it's perfect.
- Introduce the cheese gently:
- Add the feta by scattering it over the top rather than tossing it in, so you keep those creamy pieces intact and visible. Some will break anyway, and that's fine—those crumbs add richness to every bite.
- Build your dressing:
- In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with red wine vinegar until they start to emulsify slightly, then add the oregano, salt, and pepper. Taste it on a tomato piece to make sure the balance feels right to you.
- Bring it all together:
- Pour the dressing over everything and toss gently, folding the salad rather than aggressively stirring so nothing gets bruised. You should be able to hear and feel the individual ingredients moving, not turning into mush.
- Finish and serve:
- Scatter fresh parsley or mint over top if you have it, then get it to the table immediately while everything is still crisp and the flavors haven't gotten too familiar with each other. Serve it right away, before the vegetables release too much water and dilute your dressing.
Save My sister once said that this salad tastes like every Mediterranean vacation she'd never taken but could imagine, and somehow that moment made me realize why people crave this combination again and again. It stopped being just lunch and became a little window to somewhere sunnier, somewhere slower.
Why This Salad Works
There's a reason this combination has been made the same way in Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, and Spain for generations—it's balanced. You've got acidity from the vinegar cutting through the richness of the oil, salt from the olives and feta, sweetness from the tomatoes, and textural contrast from the crisp cucumber and creamy cheese. Every element has a reason for being there, and none of them could be removed without losing something essential to the whole.
Variations That Honor the Original
Once you make this salad a few times and it becomes second nature, you'll start seeing it as a canvas. Bell peppers add crunch and sweetness, capers bring a sharper brine than olives, and sometimes a handful of chopped fresh dill changes everything without feeling like you've made a different salad. The beauty of this recipe is that it's flexible enough to welcome what's at your market that day, while holding firm enough that it always tastes like itself.
Serving and Pairing
This salad sits comfortably as a light lunch on its own, a bright side dish to grilled fish or lamb, or the opening act to a longer meal. Serve it with crusty bread that's begging to soak up the dressing, and pour something cold and crisp—a Sauvignon Blanc or a Greek white wine if you want to commit to the bit. In summer, eat it outside if you can, where the light hits the vegetables and reminds you why you bothered cooking at all.
- Make it a few hours ahead if you must, but hold the dressing separately and combine it just before serving to preserve the texture.
- Leftovers can be salvaged by draining off any excess liquid and tossing with fresh dressing the next day, though it's never quite as good as the first moment.
- Double the batch if you're serving more people—this salad actually improves slightly when made in larger quantities because the flavors have room to mingle.
Save This salad has taught me that sometimes the most satisfying food is the simplest, the kind that lets good ingredients be themselves. Once you've made it once, you'll understand why people keep coming back to it.
Recipe FAQs
- → What vegetables are used in this salad?
The salad features diced tomatoes, cucumbers, and thinly sliced red onion for a crisp, fresh base.
- → Which cheese pairs well with these ingredients?
Crumbled or cubed feta cheese complements the salad with a creamy, tangy touch.
- → What kind of olives are ideal here?
Kalamata olives, pitted and halved, add a rich, briny flavor key to the dish’s Mediterranean profile.
- → How is the dressing prepared?
The dressing is a simple mix of extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, salt, and freshly ground black pepper whisked together.
- → Are there any optional ingredients for garnish?
Fresh parsley or mint can be added at the end to enhance aroma and add a fresh herbal note.