Mediterranean Salad Classic Flavors (Printable)

A vibrant salad with tomatoes, cucumber, olives, feta, and onion, dressed in extra virgin olive oil.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 medium ripe tomatoes, diced
02 - 1 large cucumber, diced
03 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

→ Cheese

04 - 5 oz feta cheese, crumbled or cubed

→ Olives

05 - 3.5 oz Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

→ Dressing

06 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
07 - 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
08 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano
09 - Salt, to taste
10 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Optional Garnish

11 - Fresh parsley or mint, chopped

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large salad bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and Kalamata olives.
02 - Gently add the crumbled or cubed feta cheese, taking care to avoid breaking it up excessively.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
04 - Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently to combine all ingredients evenly.
05 - Optionally, garnish with freshly chopped parsley or mint and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes, which means weeknight dinners stop being stressful.
  • The salty feta and briny olives do all the flavor work for you—no complicated seasoning required.
  • It gets better as it sits, so you can make it ahead and let everything get friendlier.
02 -
  • Don't dress it too far ahead—the tomatoes will weep and turn everything soupy if you do, but 30 minutes is actually fine and lets flavors marry.
  • The feta should stay somewhat chunky; if you're rough with it, it becomes grainy and loses its creamy appeal.
03 -
  • Keep your knife sharp and your movements deliberate when cutting—clean cuts on tomatoes and cucumbers mean less moisture loss and better texture.
  • Taste the dressing before it hits the salad and adjust the vinegar or salt to your liking; you're building a flavor that matters here.
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