I’m totally cheating.
I’m keeping this simple today: five star ingredients make my favorite Greek salad. It can be made without lettuce, which I love, and it’s versatile enough to serve as a light side or the main event.
Boom. One two three four five.
Okay, there are a couple more elements: a bright, make-ahead dressing and whole wheat pita. The dressing is a slightly adapted version from my cookbook and pairs beautifully with this salad — but it’s great on any greens. Make a big batch and keep it in the fridge for quick meals.
This dressing is a dream: red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil form the base, while honey, lemon juice, crushed garlic, dried oregano and dried dill add balance. The oregano and dill really lift the dressing — simple, aromatic, and totally make-ahead. These flavors play so well together you’ll want to keep a jar on hand.
I swear. I swear on my teddy bear.
Once the dressing is made, toss it with the key five ingredients:
Tomatoes.
Cucumbers.
Kalamata olives.
Thinly sliced shallots.
A little bit of feta.
Then let it marinate. Thirty minutes is good; a few hours or overnight is even better. The vegetables soak up the dressing and the flavors deepen — just don’t leave it for days since it’s fresh produce.
Here’s how I build it:
Use small, flavorful grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered. For cucumbers, a large seedless cucumber peeled and chopped works well; I often peel even if I don’t mind the skin because the texture is nicer. Toss in pitted Kalamata olives, sliced if you prefer. My most important rule is the shallots: thinly sliced shallots are milder and slightly sweeter than red onion, so they’re perfect raw in this salad.
And the biggest player is the cheese. I crumble about half the feta into the salad before it marinates and reserve the rest for topping when serving. Marinated feta becomes creamy and tangy — it’s one of those magical things.
Serve the salad as-is, spoon it over a bed of butter lettuce or romaine if you want more bulk, or add marinated artichoke hearts for extra tang. Adjust the proportions based on your taste: I tend to use less cucumber and more olives and feta, because briney, salty flavors are my weakness. And yes — double up on the cheese if that’s where your heart is.
If your salad is marinating, try making homemade whole wheat pita while you wait.
Why I didn’t make pita sooner, I don’t know — they’re soft, fluffy, and so much better than store-bought pockets. I adapted a whole wheat version and it turned out fantastic. Pita is ideal for scooping up the marinated salad and soaking up every last drop of dressing.
The method is easy: a yeasted dough made with warm water and honey, then flour and salt. Knead until smooth, let it rise until doubled, divide into pieces, and roll each piece very thin. Cook on a hot cast iron skillet for a few minutes until puffed and golden in spots. Brushing with a little oil helps with browning. The result is tender pita perfect for sandwiches, dipping into hummus, or filling with salad.
They’re fantastic with hummus, but also great for simple sandwiches, peanut butter and banana, or anything else you love tucked inside bread. Homemade pita elevates the whole meal.
Let’s salad up this Monday.
My Favorite Greek Salad with Homemade Whole Wheat Pita Bread
Pin Recipe
Leave a Review »
Ingredients
dressing
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed
- 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salad
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 1 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
- 8 ounces feta
whole wheat pita
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- canola oil for brushing
Instructions
dressing
-
Whisk together the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, garlic, dill, oregano, salt and pepper. Continue whisking while streaming in the olive oil until emulsified. The dressing keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for about a week.
salad
-
In a large bowl, combine the shallots, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and half the feta. Pour the dressing over and let the mixture marinate for 30 minutes to overnight for best flavor.
-
Serve as-is or toss with butter lettuce or romaine for a fuller salad. Top with the remaining feta when serving. Optional: add marinated artichoke hearts.
whole wheat pita
-
Combine warm water, yeast and honey in a bowl. Stir and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in flours and salt until the dough comes together, then knead on a floured surface for 5 minutes (add more all-purpose flour if sticky). Oil a bowl, place the dough inside, cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1½ hours.
-
Punch down the dough, knead briefly, and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece very thin. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high, brush with oil, and cook each pita until it bubbles and puffs, about 1–2 minutes per side, until golden spots appear.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Be sure to follow @howsweeteats on Instagram and tag #howsweeteats. I appreciate you so much!
This salad absolutely deserves a face dive.