Traditional Greek Salad Recipe

Imagine yourself under the warm Cretan sun, seated at a rustic taverna with the Aegean Sea's gentle waves serenading your senses. Before you lies a vibrant Greek salad—a symphony of sun-ripened tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and briny feta cheese, all harmoniously mingling with the island's liquid gold: extra virgin olive oil.

This isn't just a salad, it's a testament to Crete's rich culinary heritage, where simplicity meets unparalleled flavor. Let's embark on a journey to recreate this quintessential Cretan experience in your own kitchen.

Ingredients for Greek Salad

½ red onion
½ a long Cucumber (or one short one)
1 red and 1 green pepper (capsicums)
1-2 big soft red tomatoes
Rectangular slab of Feta Cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
10-12 black olives
Oregano
Salt, pepper

Instructions

Take the ingredients (except the feta) out of the fridge about 1 hour before you make up the salad. Salad vegetables always taste better when not fridge cold, especially tomatoes.
Peel the cucumber and chop the vegetables into mouth sized pieces and mix gently in a bowl with the olives. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with plenty of olive oil.
Pop the slab of feta on the top and drizzle with more oil, then sprinkle with oregano.
Have a good chunk of granary bread handy, because there will be some lovely tomato-y olive-oily juice at the bottom when you finis!

A soft, light white wine goes well with this authentic Greek Salad!

You can vary the salad by adding a truly Cretan twist. Use a softer cheese in place of Feta - a soft goat's or sheep's goes well. In Crete they use Mizithra. Another variation might be the inclusion of capers - often found on Santorini, and Crete.