Gordon Ramsay’s Greek salad is chunky, salty and sharp. Ripe tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, Kalamata olives and blocks of feta get dressed in a light vinaigrette with dried oregano and red wine vinegar. It serves 4 as a side and takes about 10 minutes.
Ramsay’s feta handling, olive advice and vinaigrette technique across Ultimate Home Cooking and Ultimate Cookery Course cover every element of a proper Greek salad. This recipe is built from those verified methods rather than guesswork.
His vinaigrette is what pulls it together. In UCC he says pure olive oil “becomes cloying and sticks to the roof of your mouth,” so he cuts it with groundnut oil and adds iced water to lighten it. That trick keeps a Greek salad fresh instead of heavy.
Gordon Ramsay Greek Salad
Course: SaladCuisine: GreekDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes280
kcal10
minutesEasy
Built from Gordon’s vinaigrette, feta and olive techniques across Ultimate Home Cooking and Ultimate Cookery Course. A proper chunky Greek salad with a lightened dressing. Around £1.75 per serving from Tesco.
Ingredients
- For the Salad:
4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into chunky wedges
1 large cucumber, peeled, halved lengthways, deseeded and cut into chunks
½ red onion, peeled and finely sliced into rings
100g (3½ oz) Kalamata olives
200g (7 oz) block of Greek feta cheese
1 tsp dried oregano
- For the Dressing:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp groundnut or sunflower oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 to 2 tbsp iced water
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Make the dressing: Whisk the olive oil, groundnut oil and red wine vinegar together with some salt and pepper. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of iced water and whisk again. Ramsay uses this trick across his books because the water lightens the dressing so it coats without cloying.
- Prepare the salad: Arrange the tomato wedges, cucumber chunks, red onion rings and olives in a wide serving bowl. Keep the pieces chunky so they hold their shape in the dressing.
- Add the feta: Cut the feta into thick slabs or large chunks and lay them on top of the salad. Don’t crumble it too small or it breaks down into the dressing and turns everything chalky.
- Dress and serve: Drizzle the dressing over the salad, sprinkle with dried oregano and serve straight away. As Ramsay says, the salty cheese draws moisture out of the vegetables if it sits too long, so dress at the last minute and use your hands to coat gently.
FAQs
Why does Ramsay say most black olives are fake?
In Ultimate Home Cooking he warns that “the glossy black ones you often see are simply green olives painted with a black dye.” Naturally ripened black olives are actually more of a dark greeny brown, not uniformly shiny. Look for Kalamata olives by name at Tesco or Sainsbury’s (around £2.50 for 150g) because those are always genuine.
What is the best dressing for Greek salad?
Ramsay’s classic vinaigrette ratio is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar, but he never uses pure olive oil because it “becomes cloying and sticks to the roof of your mouth.” He swaps a third of the olive oil for groundnut or sunflower oil, then adds a tablespoon or two of iced water to lighten it further. That way the dressing coats the vegetables without drowning them, and the salad stays fresh much longer.
How do I stop Greek salad going watery?
Two things cause it. First, the salty feta draws moisture out of the tomatoes and cucumber, which Ramsay warns about in his watermelon feta recipe. Second, overdressing wilts everything fast. His fix is simple: don’t dress until the last minute, use less than you think you need, and toss with your hands rather than spoons so every piece gets a light coating instead of a pool at the bottom.
Should I add lettuce to a Greek salad?
Authentic Greek horiatiki never has lettuce, just chunky tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives and a slab of feta. Lettuce is a Western addition that waters down the flavour and wilts within minutes of dressing. If you want greens, Ramsay pairs his feta salads with rocket or watercress instead because they hold up far better and add a peppery bite that works with the salty cheese.
What goes well alongside Greek salad?
In UHC, Ramsay pairs his feta salad with griddled chicken thighs because the punchy lemon and chickpea dressing echoes the same Mediterranean flavours. It also works well alongside lamb burgers where the cool feta and sharp dressing cut through the richness, or with grilled salmon for a lighter meal. For the full list, browse Mediterranean salads he’s made.
