A simple classic village Greek salad full of fresh veggies and topped with homemade dressing will bring freshness and colour to your menu.
I love a good salad with simple ingredients and this village Greek salad is just that. It’s the perfect summer salad because you can use all the in-season veggies to make the colours and flavours pop.
I usually make this salad at the end of the week when I have some veggies left over in the fridge before the next grocery run. My favourite thing about this salad is the texture. The combination of crunchy cucumbers and peppers with soft tomatoes, olives and tuna make for a great balance in this classic salad.
This is a classic village Greek salad with a twist. To make this a heartier and longer-lasting meal we added canned tuna. You can add any protein that you like including chickpeas or edamame to make this Greek salad vegetarian. Or you can skip the extra protein to keep this a traditional village Greek salad.
Traditional village-style Greek salad means that it’s made up of the simplest veggies from your garden. The most common and basic vegetables (and fruit) in a home garden are bell peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers and we use them all in this traditional salad.
Preparing Village Greek Salad
Ingredients
Produce
Green bell pepper: Green bell peppers are the most bitter of the bell pepper varieties because they are harvested the earliest in the growing season. They are a deep green colour and are extra crunchy. Though they pack less nutritional value than their red pepper counterparts they contain a similar amount of protein only slightly less fiber. Green peppers also give your daily required dose of Vitamin C per every 100g consumed.
Red bell pepper: The sweetness of red bell pepper is unbeatable in this recipe. Red peppers are the more mature version of the more bitter and earthy green pepper. Though they are technically a fruit, bell peppers are typically used as a vegetable in cooking. Red bell peppers are high in vitamins C and A.
Red onion: Red onions have a purply reddish colour and are an important addition to this recipe. It has a nice mild flavour both in its raw form and cooked.
Cucumber: Cucumbers are the fruit of a creeping vine plant. They are often grown on trellises, in cool climates in greenhouses and as a field crop in warmer areas. There are many different varieties of cucumbers, with the smaller varieties most often used for pickling. Hence the name pickling cucumber.
Pantry
Kalamata olives: Named after a city in Greece, these fruits are small, oval-shaped and have a purple hue.
Feta cheese: A brined cheese, feta is usually made from sheep’s milk. It is pressed into cubes and aged in brine. Its texture is medium-soft and crumbled.
Tuna: Tuna is a large fish that lives in saltwater with over 15 species in existence. There are two main kinds of tuna that are most commonly found in grocery stores
G&K Greek Salad Dressing: A classic oil-based dressing with lemon, garlic, oregano and mustard.
How to Make a Simple Village Greek Salad
There is a little chopping involved in making this salad but there are no special knife skills required. Since we are keeping everything as larger pieces you won’t have to worry about anything except consistency.
Grab your cutting board and knife and let’s get chopping.
Step 1
First, make the dressing. Peel and mince the garlic and juice half a lemon. Then combine all the ingredients in a small bowl or mason jar and stir or shake to combine. Set aside.
Step 2
Now we want to wash and coarsely dice the peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes and peel and dice the onion. I like all the pieces to be diced into ½ inch pieces but as always this is up to your preference.
Step 3
Next, its time for the olives. If you are using whole pitted kalamata olives, cut them in half. You can also choose to slice them or simply use sliced olives.
TIP: You don’t need to add tuna or any other protein to this salad. Traditional village Greek salad does not call for added protein. We have opted for the extra protein to make this a more complete meal. To see other options for adding protein to this salad see the substitutions section below.
Step 4
Open a can of tuna and drain it in a strainer.
Step 5
Add all ingredients to a medium or large bowl, crumble feta on top and toss to combine.
Substitutions
Cucumbers and Tomatoes: The types or varieties of cucumbers and tomatoes that you use are entirely up to you. The point of a traditional village Greek salad is to use what you have on hand and we fully support this approach.
Tuna: This ingredient is of course optional so you can skip it all together to keep this as a classic village Greek salad. We added tuna to this recipe as the main source of protein. This means that you can use any kind of protein that you prefer. Try our perfect baked chicken breast or just simple canned chickpeas instead.
Serving Village Greek Salad with Tuna
Because we chose to add extra protein by adding tuna, you really don’t need anything else to make this a healthy filling lunch.
With that said, you can always add some extras, especially if you’re appealing to kids or toddlers. Our favourite accompaniment to this salad is freshly baked pita chips. For an even fuller meal, throw in some hummus as a dip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it healthy to eat canned tuna?
Per the Health Canada website, canned albacore tuna is also often called canned white tuna, but it is not the same as canned light tuna. Canned light tuna contains other species of tuna such as skipjack, yellowfin, and tongol, which are relatively low in mercury. Canned light tuna also tends to be lower in cost relative to albacore tuna.
Canned Albacore (White) Tuna Advice (does not apply to canned light tuna)
- Specified Women – 300 grams a week
- Children 5-11 years old – 150 grams a week
- Children 1-4 years old – 75 grams a week
Are green bell peppers as healthy as red peppers?
In short, no. Red peppers have a greater nutritional value than green peppers because they mature longer on the plant before they are picked. With that said, green pepper still have some benefits so no need to write them off entirely.
Let us know in the comments if you have any other questions. And if you like this recipe be sure to leave us a five-star rating below.
Are you looking for dinner ideas? Check out our recipes:
Village Greek Salad with Tuna Recipe
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board
- Can opener
- Medium or large bowl
Ingredients
- ½ green bell pepper
- ½ red bell pepper
- 2 tbsp red onion
- 70 g cucumber
- ¼ cup pitted kalamata olives
- ¼ cup feta cheese
- 170 g can tuna (optional)
- 2 tbsp G&K Greek salad dressing
Instructions
- First, make the dressing. Peel and mince the garlic and juice half a lemon. Then combine all the ingredients in a small bowl or mason jar and stir or shake to combine. Set aside.
- Wash and coarsely dice the peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes and peel and dice the onion. I like all the pieces to be diced into ½ inch pieces.½ green bell pepper, ½ red bell pepper, 2 tbsp red onion, 70 g cucumber
- If you are using whole pitted kalamata olives, cut them in half.¼ cup pitted kalamata olives
- Optional: Open a can of tuna and drain it in a strainer.170 g can tuna
- Add all of the ingredients to a medium or large bowl, top with crumbled feta and toss to combine. Serve with baked pita chips or all on its own.¼ cup feta cheese
