Shared by Shaily Lipa
Shared by Shaily Lipa
Horiatiki Salata (Greek Salad)
Yield: 4 to 6 servingsTime: 25 minutes
Horiatiki Salata (Greek Salad)
Yield: 4 to 6 servingsTime: 25 minutesFamily Journey
Thessaloniki, GreeceJaffa, Mandatory Palestine (present-day Israel)Holon, Israel
Tel Aviv, IsraelRa'anana, Israel
This classic Greek salad, known as horiatiki salata, is a staple on Shaily Lipa’s Shabbat breakfast table — a celebration of bold, briny flavors and peak-season vegetables. As Shaily shares in her cookbook “Yassou: The Simple, Seasonal Mediterranean Cooking of Greece,” feta wasn’t commonly added to Greek salads until the 1960s, but today a thick slab of creamy feta tops hers, along with capers, a sprinkle of oregano, and a drizzle of good olive oil. It’s the kind of unfussy dish that’s perfect for summer meals — simple, satisfying, and best served fresh with plenty of bread or pita to soak up the flavorful juices.
Read more about Shaily’s family in ”A Generous Greek Shabbat Breakfast Tradition Lives in Shaily Lipa’s Home” and get her recipes for fassolia piaz (Greek white bean salad) and spanakopita (spinach pie).
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup, plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 4 ripe but firm medium heirloom tomatoes, or 5 Roma tomatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 medium Persian cucumbers, peeled and cut into ¼-inch rounds
- 1 medium green bell pepper, halved, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
- ½ cup Kalamata olives, with pits
- 1-2 tablespoons capers (optional)
- One 5-ounce slice feta, cut ⅔-inch thick
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation
Step 1
In a large bowl, whisk together the ⅓ cup olive oil, vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Add the onion and mix. Let sit until the onion begins to soften, about 20 minutes.
Step 2
Add the tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, olives, and capers (if using) to the bowl, and toss to coat the salad in the dressing.
Step 3
Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
Step 4
Arrange the salad in a serving bowl and place the feta on top.
Step 5
Sprinkle the cheese with the oregano and drizzle with the 1 tablespoon olive oil. Serve immediately.
Step 6
Horiatiki salata can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Excerpted from Yassou by Shaily Lipa (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2025.
