Full of fresh vegetables, olives, and creamy feta cheese, these popular dishes have long since grown out of just the Greek peninsula and have conquered kitchens and restaurant tables around the world.
So, of course, an esteemed chef like Barefoot Contessa’s own Ina Garten is going to have a try at making her spin on this classic dish!
And with an amazing take on a classic recipe like this, there are bound to be a thousand other home chefs and salad aficionados that will try and recreate it in their kitchens.
This recipe list is dedicated to them.
We’ve covered a ton of different recipes that have drawn inspiration from Ina Garten’s Greek salad dish, either wholeheartedly, beat-for-beat, or simply drawing inspiration from it.
So, if we’re trying to judge how good these Greek salad recipes are, we’re going to need a good benchmark to compare them to.
So, where better palace to start than with the recipe that spawned a thousand imitators and others?
That’s right. We’re not just starting with any old Greek salad recipe, but arguably THE most important Greek salad dish on this list, Ina Garten’s own!
By taking a look at this salad, we’ll get an idea of what the other copycats and salad dishes on this dish should be trying to do to make their recipes stand out.
We’re trying to use the freshest vegetables for this salad, so make sure that your tomatoes, olives, onions, and cucumber have been bought on the same day as you’re making it.
However, what we think makes a good Greek salad is a good vinaigrette, and that’s exactly what Ina Garten did for her salad.
By making a beautiful blend of garlic, mustard, oregano, whilst seasoning appropriately with salt, pepper, and olive oil, you have a beautiful dressing to throw over these vegetables.
And, of course, you can’t forget about the feta cheese too.
All in all, it’s a phenomenal Greek salad that won’t take a long time to make. So, how do the other recipes here compare, exactly?
Our first copycat recipe on this list, this Greek salad follows Ina Garten’s pretty much to the T, so it’s certainly not going to be a bad salad.
One aspect that this recipe does well is breaking up the steps for new readers. This turns a salad that might otherwise be a little intimidating into a recipe that anyone can follow and make for themselves.
And, as folks that want nothing more than to spread the tasty joy of Greek salads around, we couldn’t be happier!
Plus, this recipe also has some good tips that anyone making Greek salad can appreciate.
Making the onion taste less sharp by soaking them in water for half an hour is a very nice touch, especially since we know that a few of our friends and family have milder palettes.
Overall, this is a very good recipe that anyone will be able to make, as well as some great pointers for your own Greek salad making!
We’ve got another copycat dish for you to try here, with all the flavors that you know and love from Ina Garten’s recipe!
One of the things that many people making Greek salad often forget to do is let their salads sit for a while. Not on a chair, of course, but in their seasonings.
Even as little as 30 minutes, covered and left in a dry space, is enough to allow the flavors of the vegetables and vinaigrette to mix, making your greens taste even better!
It’s a touch that even seasoned chefs can often forget, so seeing it mentioned in Garten’s original recipe and here are great reminders that, at least sometimes, flavors need a while to be at their best!
So, if you’re wondering why your Greek salads never turn out as bright and flavorful as you would expect, now you know. And you have recipes like this to thank for that!
We have yet another reliable copycat recipe here for you to try. Only here, it’s a salad that can be made on the fly, in almost 15 minutes, no doubt.
Now, did we spend a good chunk of our last entry talking about how Greek salads need to sit to get the best flavors possible?
Yes. However, that waiting time can be cut down if you’re using a good enough dressing or vinaigrette at the same time
If you want to try and mix up elements of this salad, we would recommend trying out a few different types of tomatoes.
This particular recipe asks for grape tomatoes, but pretty much any kind of tomato will also work.
Want a tomato that has a nice meaty texture to it as you bite into it? Try a beefsteak? Want to keep your tomato small, but dial up the sweetness a little? Plum tomatoes are the way to go!
The same goes for olives too. Going with black or green, pip or pipless, will subtly change the overall taste and texture of your salad.
As we’ve already mentioned, one of the biggest barriers to entry for salads like this is the fact that they can often be some of the trickier salads to make, especially if you’re new to cooking.
So, of course, we’re going to love recipes that make this easy for anyone to make!
By simply separating the two steps of the vinaigrette and salad and combining them into different steps, you have a dish that is probably as easy as it’s going to get for a Greek salad to be!
We particularly like that it tells you to make the vinaigrette first, giving it more time to sit and combine its flavors while you’re chopping up your vegetables. It’s little touches that help cut the cooking time down.
Outside of the pure efficiency of this dish, we love how it tells you to crumble your cheese instead of dicing it, making for great distribution of this diary ingredient.
This is the perfect salad for serving alongside a slice of grilled meat or fish main course, all while still being a dish that an amateur chef can make as easily as a veteran chef make it look!
As with many recipes that outgrow their original place of origin, many Greek salads out there have kind of drifted from the traditional recipes that they used to be.
Of course, that isn’t a bad thing. Changes to recipes can bring all kinds of new flavors (just look at Garten’s Greek salad).
But if you’re looking for a traditional take on this recipe, then you’ll want to check out this traditional Greek Salad dish, blending new ideas from Garten’s recipe with an old-fashioned flavor and charm to it!
This version of a Greek salad, also known as Horiatiki, uses red onions in place of white or green onions, making for something that is just a little sweeter, and a heck of a lot more colorful, to a recipe that was already popping with colors!
Of course, we cannot forget about a good vinaigrette blend, which is where Ina Garten’s version helps bolster the flavors of this traditional salad.
Overall, it’s a perfect blend of old and new flavors for you to try!
We made a big song and dance about how recipes change as they move from time and place. And how that comes with its pros and cons?
Well, this next recipe might just tip things over the edge. Well, for staunch traditional Greek salad enjoyers, at least!
Avocados are pretty much as far away from traditional Greek salads as you might think. Quite literally, in this case!
However, given the distinct texture and flavor that avocados have, as well as their how-oil content, they make for a surprisingly great addition to this ingredient list!
We’re back with the Garten copycat recipes, and this one is a great example of why this particular version has become so popular in the last few years.
The use of kalamata olives, a traditional olive from Greece, is what sells this as an authentic Greek Salad.
Heck, if you’re feeling bold enough, you can even use kalamata olive oil or wine vinegar in the vinaigrette, to get a truly powerful flavor through the many bright ingredients here.
But that’s just our suggestion. The ingredients here are already phenomenal, so you’re getting an amazing salad out of this one, no matter which way you try and make it!
Final Notes
So, there you have it!
Greek salads have always been popular, before or after Ina Garten’s recipe came along.
But her twist on this classic salad is certainly one that has helped it stay at the front of everyone’s mind, and in people’s bellies across the country!
I'm Barbara Hunt, the founder of WomenChefs.org. Being a mom of two, I understand the challenges of meal planning and the monotony it can bring.
That's why I created WomenChefs.org, a platform dedicated to showcasing the skills and delicious dishes crafted by amazing women. My goal is to provide a space where women can find delectable recipes that tantalize their taste buds and ignite their senses.
I hope you'll join me in exploring WomenChefs.org and discovering your next favorite recipe. Let's embrace culinary diversity and try something new together!
