Horiatiki Salata (Χωριάτικη Σαλάτα) — Greek Village Salad with Feta and Olives

• 600 gRipe tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 300 gCucumber, thickly sliced (peeled in stripes if waxed)
• 120 gGreen bell pepper, sliced into rings
• 80 gRed onion, thinly sliced
• 80 gKalamata olives, pitted
• 180 gFeta cheese, one block (Prefer Greek sheep’s-milk feta in brine)
• 60 mlExtra-virgin olive oil
• 15 mlRed wine vinegar
• 2 tspDried oregano
• 0.5 tspSea salt
• 0.25 tspBlack pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the tomatoes into chunky wedges and place them in a wide, shallow serving bowl so their juices stay in the salad. Slice the cucumber thickly, then add it to the bowl along with the sliced green pepper and red onion.

2. 2

   Scatter the olives over the vegetables and gently toss once or twice to distribute without crushing the tomatoes. Sprinkle in the sea salt and black pepper, then add the red wine vinegar so it lightly coats the vegetables.

3. 3

   Lay the feta on top as a single slab rather than crumbling it, which is the classic taverna style. Drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil evenly over the salad and feta, then finish with the dried oregano across the top.

4. 4

   Let the salad stand for 5 minutes at room temperature so the tomatoes release a little juice and the dressing mingles with it. Serve immediately, making sure each portion gets some of the tomato juices and olive oil from the bottom of the bowl.