Ingredients

🥗 (Serves 4 as a side, 2 as a light meal)
• 3–4 ripe but firm tomatoes, cut into wedges (heirloom or beefsteak preferred)
• 1 cucumber, thickly sliced, then quartered (peeled partially in stripes, traditional style)
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into rings
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
• 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted (leave some whole, some halved)
• 200g (7 oz) block of feta cheese—not crumbled! Place whole on top
• 2–3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (Greek, first cold-pressed)
• 1 tsp dried oregano (wild, Greek if possible)
• Sea salt to taste
• Optional: 1 tsp capers, or a few thin slices of fresh chili

CRUCIAL NOTES (Authenticity Matters!):
✔️ No lettuce. Ever. (That’s American “Greek” salad.)
✔️ No vinegar or lemon juice. The tomatoes provide natural acidity.
✔️ Feta stays whole—drizzled, not tossed—so it stays creamy and doesn’t dissolve.
✔️ Oregano is sprinkled after oil, so it “blooms” in the fat.

Instructions

In a wide, shallow bowl (traditionally ceramic), gently combine tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, onion, and olives.
Place the block of feta on top—not buried, but crowning the salad.
Drizzle generously with olive oil.
Sprinkle with oregano and a pinch of sea salt (go light—feta and olives bring saltiness).
Let sit 10–15 min at room temperature before serving—this allows flavors to marry.
At the table, break the feta with a fork and toss lightly as you serve.