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Favorite Greek Salads - Not Horiatiki?

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GreekGirlCooks

GreekGirlCooks

Active member
I absolutely love a good horiatiki—ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumber, olives, feta, oregano... it's perfection in a bowl. But I’m looking to branch out and try some other traditional Greek salads that aren’t the classic village salad. I know horiatiki gets all the attention, but I’d love to discover some regional or lesser-known Greek salads that are just as flavorful.

Do you have any favorites you make at home or have tried while visiting Greece? I’ve heard of things like patatosalata (Greek potato salad) and maroulosalata (lettuce with scallions and dill), but I’ve never made them myself. Are there any grain-based salads, bean salads, or warm veggie versions that are worth trying?
 
There’s such a wide world of Greek salads beyond horiatiki! One of my absolute favorites is fakes salata—a warm lentil salad made with brown lentils, red onion, chopped parsley, olive oil, vinegar, and sometimes crumbled feta. It’s hearty and packed with earthy flavor.

Patatosalata is also delicious and varies by region. Some versions use olive oil, lemon, scallions, and capers—no mayo in sight! It’s bright and tangy, perfect for summer.

Revithosalata (chickpea salad) is another great option—try it with red onion, tomato, cucumber, parsley, and a dressing of olive oil, lemon, and oregano.

You might also enjoy dakos from Crete—barley rusks soaked slightly and topped with chopped tomatoes, mizithra or feta, oregano, and olives.

And for something light and green, maroulosalata with lettuce, dill, scallions, and a lemon-olive oil dressing is refreshing and so underrated.
 
GreekGirlCooks said:
I absolutely love a good horiatiki—ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumber, olives, feta, oregano... it's perfection in a bowl. But I’m looking to branch out and try some other traditional Greek salads that aren’t the classic village salad. I know horiatiki gets all the attention, but I’d love to discover some regional or lesser-known Greek salads that are just as flavorful.

Do you have any favorites you make at home or have tried while visiting Greece? I’ve heard of things like patatosalata (Greek potato salad) and maroulosalata (lettuce with scallions and dill), but I’ve never made them myself. Are there any grain-based salads, bean salads, or warm veggie versions that are worth trying?
Click to expand...
Have you tried a horiatiki from the cyclades featuring ksinomizithra rather than feta? Big difference!! It's my personal favorite, I can't eat it the regular way anymore!
 
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Do you make Greek lentil soup with vinegar

I’ve always made fakes with a splash of vinegar, either stirred into the pot near the end or added individually at the table. To me, that little bit of acidity is part of what makes the soup taste right, especially with the earthy lentils, olive oil, onion, garlic, and bay leaf.

But I have a Greek friend who makes hers very differently. She doesn’t use vinegar at all and instead adds quite a lot of tomato product, so her version is much redder and more tomato-forward than mine.

Now I’m curious about what is considered more traditional in Greek cooking. Is vinegar usually a standard part of fakes, or is it more of a regional or family preference? Are tomato-heavy versions just as traditional?

How do you make yours, and what did your family serve growing up?

What herbs do you use when making Greek stuffed zucchini?

I've been thinking about making Greek stuffed zucchini (kolokithakia gemista), and I'm curious about which herbs everyone uses in the filling. I've seen quite a few variations, and it seems like the combination of herbs can really influence the overall flavor of the dish.

Some recipes use plenty of fresh dill and parsley, while others include mint or even a little oregano. I've also noticed that some people add green onions for extra flavor. I'm wondering whether certain herbs are considered more traditional, especially when making stuffed zucchini with rice and ground meat.

Do you use a combination of herbs, or do you prefer to keep the seasoning fairly simple? Does your family have a particular recipe that has been passed down through generations?

I'm especially interested in how the herbs complement the avgolemono sauce. What combination do you think gives Greek stuffed zucchini the best flavor?

Do you put potatoes in your briam?

I've noticed that there are quite a few variations of briam, especially when it comes to which vegetables people include. One ingredient I'm particularly curious about is potatoes. Do you always put potatoes in your briam, or do you prefer making it without them?

I usually think of briam as a combination of zucchini, eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and plenty of olive oil. I love how the potatoes absorb all those wonderful flavors as everything slowly roasts together in the oven.

However, I've seen recipes that leave the potatoes out entirely and focus more on the summer vegetables. I imagine that makes the dish a little lighter.

I'm also curious whether there are regional differences in how briam is prepared throughout Greece. Does your family have a particular way of making it? And what vegetables do you consider absolutely essential?

What Is the Best Way to Serve Taramosalata?

I absolutely love taramosalata and have it pretty regularly at home, but I’m having some people over soon and was wondering about the best way to serve it when entertaining.

Normally I just eat it with some bread or pita, so I don’t really put much thought into presentation. For guests, though, I’d like to make it part of a nice Greek-style spread with a few other things on the table. I was thinking warm pita triangles, crusty bread, maybe some cucumber and other vegetables for dipping, but I’m curious what everyone else usually serves with it.

Do you drizzle a little olive oil over the top or add any kind of garnish? And are there particular meze that you think pair especially well with taramosalata?

I’d love some ideas for making it look a little more special while still keeping everything traditional and simple.

Is lamb or beef more traditional for giouvetsi?

I've been looking into traditional Greek giouvetsi recipes lately, and I'm curious about which meat is considered the most traditional. I've seen recipes that use lamb, others that call for beef, and even some that use chicken.

I love the idea of slowly cooking the meat in a rich tomato sauce with orzo until everything becomes tender and flavorful. However, I'm wondering whether lamb or beef would be the more authentic choice.

Is one traditionally preferred in certain regions of Greece? I've read that lamb is often associated with older Greek recipes, but beef seems to be very common in modern versions of giouvetsi.

I'm also curious whether the choice of meat changes the way the dish is prepared. Does lamb require different seasonings or cooking times than beef?

For those familiar with traditional Greek cooking, which version do you prefer, and which would you recommend trying first?
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