Bursting with Mediterranean charm, this Vegan Greek Salad offers a delightful combination of crisp vegetables, tangy olives, creamy vegan feta cheese, and a harmonious blend of herbs and spices.
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Each bite of this Vegan Greek Salad recipe will transport you to the sun-kissed shores of Greece, where the colors, textures, and flavors dance together in perfect harmony. Whether you are a committed vegan or simply seeking a healthy and delicious dish, this salad is a tantalizing journey for your taste buds. It has all the flavors you love in a traditional Greek salad using all vegan-friendly ingredients, such as a simple zesty vinaigrette and tangy homemade vegan feta. Get ready to savor the essence of Greece in every bite.
💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Flavors of Greece: This salad has all of the components of a traditional Greek salad but with a vegan twist. You can enjoy the tangy saltiness of feta, and the creamy Greek dressing, only with plant-based ingredients.
Simple and Quick: This salad comes together in minutes. All you need to do is chop the vegetables and whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients. Use store-bought vegan feta to save time, or make the homemade version during your meal prep.
Healthy and FIlling: Enjoy this salad for lunch or dinner! Thanks to the vegetables, kalamata olives, and vegan feta, it’s hearty and filling. It’s low in calories and high in fiber, so it will keep you feeling full.
🥗 Ingredients and Notes
Vegan Greek Salad Dressing: The vinaigrette is made with equal parts olive oil and red wine vinegar, with salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic for flavor.
Vegetables: A traditional Greek salad starts with romaine lettuce. Sliced cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion are added to make the salad more robust.
Beets: Many Greek salads include beets, and I love beets in my salad. However, if you’re not a fan of beets, feel free to leave them out. Instead of canned beets, I use the packaged ones you can buy in the vegetable section of Trader Joe’s.
Kalamata Olives: Salty and briny, kalamata olives are a must for your salad.
Vegan Feta: The star of the salad is the tofu feta. You can find store-bought versions or make your own. When I don’t have time to make my own, I use the store-bought vegan feta from Trader Joe’s when I’m in a pinch.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Vegan Greek Salad
- Wash and dry all of the vegetables. Chop the lettuce, cut the cucumber into slices, and then cut in half, dice the tomatoes, and thinly slice the onion.
- Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano in a separate bowl.
- Add lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, and onion in a large salad bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the top, and toss until evenly coated.
- Top the salad with diced vegan feta, chopped beets, and kalamata olives. Serve and enjoy!
📝 Expert Tips
- Cut the ingredients into bite-sized pieces: Chop the tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and onions into small, uniform pieces to ensure each bite is balanced and easy to eat.
- Sprinkle a pinch of dried oregano on the salad to enhance the flavors and provide an aromatic touch.
- Toss the salad with the dressing just before serving to keep the ingredients fresh and crisp. This prevents wilting and ensures the flavors are evenly distributed.
- Serve the Greek salad with fresh lemon wedges on the side. Squeezing lemon juice over the salad just before eating adds a bright, citrusy touch.
📋 Variations
Make it Heartier: Add a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas.
Add a touch of sweetness: For a hint of sweetness, consider adding a few more veggies, such as slices of ripe, sweet bell peppers to balance the flavors of the salad, or cherry tomatoes for more sweetness.
🍽 How to Serve
Greek salad pairs well with pita bread or a baguette. It’s perfect for soaking up the dressing and enjoying the salad or digging into a side of gluten-free hummus.
Greek salad tastes best when it’s served chilled. Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together and for a refreshing eating experience.
❓ Recipe FAQS
Vegan feta cheese is the most common cheese to use in Greek Salad. If you don’t have vegan feta, leave this ingredient out or substitute for shredded mozzarella.
Don’t dress the salad until you’re about to serve it to keep it from becoming soggy.
❄️ How to Store
Store the vinaigrette and salad separately in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator. The salad lasts 1-2 days when stored without the dressing. When stored in the refrigerator, the dressing will last for 1-2 weeks. The olive oil and the red wine vinegar will separate, and the olive oil will solidify when stored in the fridge. Allow the dressing to come to room temperature before serving.
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⚖️ Serving Size
This salad makes six large servings.
Recipe
Vegan Greek Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- ½ English cucumber sliced
- 2 tomatoes diced
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup vegan feta diced
- ½ cup kalamata olives seeds removed
- 1 cup beets cut into quarters
Instructions
- Wash and dry all of the vegetables. Chop the lettuce, cut the cucumber into slices, and then cut in half, dice the tomatoes, and thinly slice the onion.
- Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano in a separate bowl.
- Add lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, and onion in a large salad bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the top, and toss until evenly coated.
- Top the salad with diced vegan feta, chopped beets, and kalamata olives. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
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- Cut the ingredients into bite-sized pieces: Chop the tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and onions into small, uniform pieces to ensure each bite is balanced and easy to eat.
-
- Sprinkle a pinch of dried oregano on the salad to enhance the flavors and provide an aromatic touch.
-
- Toss the salad with the dressing just before serving to keep the ingredients fresh and crisp. This prevents wilting and ensures the flavors are evenly distributed.
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- Serve the Greek salad with fresh lemon wedges on the side. Squeezing lemon juice over the salad just before eating adds a bright, citrusy touch.
- Add canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed for a heartier salad.
- Store the salad and the vinaigrette separately. The salad will last 1-2 days in the refrigerator if its not dressed. The dressing will last for 1-2 weeks.
Kathleen
I am a big fan of light and delicious salads during the summer. This Greek version is perfect for me, and I really like that you’ve added beets to it.
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
I love that this recipe uses fresh ingredients! Can’t wait to try it!
dina and bruce miller
Loved the tangy viniagrette on this salad! Made this for dinner this week! Can not wait to make again soon!