Greek Farmer's Salad
Horiatiki with chunky tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and a whole block of feta on top.
- Preparation
- 15 min
- Cook/bake time
- –
- Total
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
Horiatiki with chunky tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and a whole block of feta on top. The real Greek farmer's salad does without lettuce and needs no vinaigrette, just very good olive oil, oregano, and salt. Everything depends on the tomatoes being ripe, which is why it is a summer dish.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Chop tomatoes roughly
Cut the tomatoes into large, irregular wedges or eighths, never into small cubes. Salt them lightly and let them stand for five minutes. The escaping tomato juice is not a problem with Horiatiki, but rather desired. Together with the olive oil, it forms the sauce that you mop up with bread at the end.
- 2
Prepare vegetables
Peel the cucumber only partially in stripes and cut it into thick half-moons, so it stays crunchy and does not water immediately. The bell pepper is cut into rings, the onion into rings as thin as possible. If you find onions too sharp, soak them in cold water for five minutes and drain them afterwards.
- 3
Layer
Place tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and onions in a shallow bowl and mix them gently. Scatter the olives over them and leave them unpitted, so they are firmer and more aromatic. Finally, place the feta block whole on top. This is the classic presentation and not a sign of carelessness.
- 4
Season
Drizzle the olive oil generously over the whole salad, especially over the feta, and add the red wine vinegar sparingly. Rub the dried oregano between your palms over it, which releases its essential oils. Grind black pepper on top and salt carefully, because feta and olives already bring a lot of salt.
- 5
Let rest
Let the salad stand for ten minutes at room temperature before serving, so the flavors combine and the feta absorbs some oil. Never serve it ice cold, because cold numbs the tomato flavor. Fresh white bread is an absolute must.
