LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH! SIGN UP TO RECEIVE UPDATES VIA EMAIL

Privacy Policy

Whip & Wander

Crunchy Greek Salad with Avocado and Feta

By 52 Comments

This page may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy for details.
Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Crunchy Greek Salad with Avocado and Feta in a white bowl resting on a yellow cloth on a wooden table with salad servers next to the bowl

A garden bounty

As much as I love a good leafy green salad, it’s nice to ditch the greens once in a while in favor of a veggie-forward salad like this Crunchy Greek Salad with Avocado and Feta. I almost called this a “Garden Bounty Salad” because it truly is a salad that utilizes the bounty of a summer vegetable garden. When coupled with Kalamata olives, avocado, feta, and a light and zingy vinaigrette, this veggie-packed salad really shines. Prep this quick and easy summer side dish in less than 10-minutes and pair with your favorite main course!

Crunchy Greek Salad in a white serving bowl with feta and avocado

closeup of Crunchy Greek Salad

The right vinegar is key to a perfect vinaigrette

The veggies, Kalamata olives, and feta are all perfectly capable of doing the heavy lifting in this recipe, so it’s important that the vinaigrette stays simple. I prefer to use Champagne vinegar in this dish because it is particularly light and mellow, offering the perfect tang to this Crunchy Greek Salad without overpowering any of the fresh produce. If you do not have Champagne vinegar on hand, you may swap for an alternative but it will have varying effects on this dish:

  • White wine vinegar: This would be my second choice for this salad if you aren’t able to procure Champagne vinegar. White wine vinegar is very similar to Champagne vinegar, but with a slightly bolder flavor. This is still a great option for vinaigrettes but pales slightly in comparison to the mellow flavor of the Champagne vinegar for this particular salad.
  • Red wine vinegar: This is another great option for vinaigrettes in general. Slightly more pronounced in flavor than white wine vinegar, but still mellow enough to enhance the flavor of a vinaigrette without dominating the flavor profile. This is certainly not my first choice for this particular salad, but a perfectly copasetic option if it’s all you have on hand.
  • Apple cider vinegar: I use this vinegar for so many dishes, that it’s a primary staple in my pantry. It’s considerably more tart than its Champagne and wine counterparts, but still, a reasonable option if you really wanted to use it. Remember, we’re trying to elevate the vegetables, not overpower them, so you may want to decrease the amount of apple cider vinegar you use in proportion to the preferred champagne vinegar in this recipe. Either way, you will most certainly end up with a zippier and tangier salad using this option though, so keep that in mind.
  • Traditional distilled white vinegar: I’ve listed this only because I feel confident I’m going to get questions about it. Though traditional distilled white vinegar is perfectly acceptable in some vinaigrettes, it’s quite bold and pungent so I highly recommend you skip this one for this particular dish and save it for when you’re ready to pickle some of the gorgeous vegetables from your garden instead.

a large white serving dish with Crunchy Greek Salad resting on a gold colored cloth

What should I serve this Crunchy Greek Salad with?

This Crunchy Greek Salad is stellar with just about anything you’re grilling! It’s a great way to dress up grilled chicken breasts, steak, fish, or as a side for burgers. If you’re vegetarian, I think this would be beautiful served with grilled halloumi or tofu steaks. I particularly love serving this salad as a side dish with these recipes:

two wooden serving utensils in a white bowl filled with Crunchy Greek Salad

WHAT TOOLS DO I NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE?

Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.

How long will this Greek Salad keep?

Because this Crunchy Greek Salad contains high-water content produce like cucumbers and easily bruised avocados, the salad will eventually begin to break down as the water from the produce disgorges, so I prefer to eat this dish within the first 2 days or so for the best (crunchiest) texture. Leftovers should be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

a large white serving bowl with Crunchy Greek Salad and two wooden salad servers in the bowl scooping up salad

A note for special diets

This Crunchy Greek Salad can easily be made friendly for grain-free, gluten-free, and low-carb diets. Though technically the ingredients are friendly for Low-FODMAP diets, you’ll want to watch the amount of higher-FODMAP ingredients (like avocado) you consume per serving if you follow this diet. If you omit the feta, this dish can be made friendly for Paleo and Whole30 diets.

A note about Garlic Oil

I generally use garlic-infused olive oil rather than whole garlic in my recipes because I personally don’t tolerate whole garlic very well. Garlic is high in fructans, a type of Fodmap (short-chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine). As an alternative, a good garlic-infused olive oil can be a great substitution for those with similar intolerances or who follow a Low-FODMAP diet. I personally love using garlic-infused olive oil in my cooking to get that delicious garlic flavor without the tummy-ache. If you do have a similar intolerance or are just interested in trying garlic-infused olive oil out, I usually buy this one.

I understand that this particular food intolerance is not a problem for many others though, so I always try to make sure that a reasonable swap is listed in my recipes. This salad is perfectly delicious with fresh minced garlic and a good extra virgin olive oil, so there’s no need to run out and buy special ingredients for this salad.

a big bowl filled with Crunchy Greek Salad on a piece of golden gauze over a wooden table

LOOKING FOR MORE SUMMER SIDE DISH INSPIRATION?

Love this Crunchy Greek Salad with Avocado and Feta? Here are some additional summer side dish recipes I love:

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Crunchy Greek Salad with Avocado and Feta in a white bowl resting on a yellow cloth on a wooden table with salad servers next to the bowl

Crunchy Greek Salad with Avocado and Feta

★★★★★ 5 from 48 reviews
  • Author: Whip & Wander
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 8 portions 1x
  • Category: Salads & Dressings, Sides
  • Cuisine: Greek
Print Recipe

Description

This Crunchy Greek Salad truly utilizes the bounty of a summer vegetable garden. When coupled with Kalamata olives, avocado, feta, and a light vinaigrette, this quick veggie-packed salad really shines.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 large (337 g) bell peppers, chopped (I prefer red, orange, and/or yellow)
  • 2 cups (356 g) cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1 large (308 g) English cucumber, sliced into half-moons
  • 1 large (153 g) avocado, diced
  • 8 oz Greek block-style feta cheese, diced
  • 1 cup (150 g) Kalamata olives, pitted
  • 4 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped —  OR — 4 tsp dried parsley
  • 2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped — OR — 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 3 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil — OR — 3 tbsp olive oil + 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 3 tbsp Champagne vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • cracked black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Gently toss ingredients in a large bowl until well combined.
  2. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Notes

Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

8/11/21 This recipe was updated and may no longer fit specified dietary preferences from previous versions of this post.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/8th of recipe
  • Calories: 235
  • Sugar: 4 g
  • Sodium: 904 mg
  • Fat: 19 g
  • Saturated Fat: 5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 13 g
  • Fiber: 6 g
  • Protein: 7 g
  • Cholesterol: 24 mg

Keywords: Greek Salad, kalamata olives, feta cheese, english cucumber, champagne vinegar

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Becca

    This salad looks amazing, I love Greek everything. This is the perfect summer recipe. (Minus the olives because I just can’t stand them! Lol).

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  5. Heather

    What a great salad for summer! Especially with some grilled chicken. I’m not a big fan of feta do you tho k goat cheese would work? Can’t wait to try!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  6. Jana

    My idea of the perfect salad. I really need to get my hands on some champagne vinegar, I’m seeing it pop up everywhere lately.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  8. Gloria

    All my favourite things are in this salad. This is a great dinner salad, and I know we would devour this. If it has feta I’m in…not to mention black olives too.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  13. Amanda

    I love anything with avocado, and the idea of using a garlic oil with this salad is brilliant! What a great way to add a punch of flavor. Definitely looking forward to enjoying this salad all summer long.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  15. Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli

    This is a wonderful summer salad! Love almost everything in it (I’d have to take out cucumbers because I just cannot stand them 😉 ), especially that champagne vinegar and the garlic oil. Wow, what flavors it must have!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  16. Debbie

    This is truly the perfect summer salad and a great way to use fresh garden veggies and herbs!! Pretty soon I too will have so many cherry tomatoes and bell peppers I won’t know what to do. I love that you use the champagne vinegar , it really does make a nice mellow dressing. Everything in this Greek salad I adore, I can’t wait to try it very soon.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  17. Kelly Anthony

    This is fun and delicious way to mix things up. The flavors from this salad have me excited to eat a whole bowl of fresh veggies.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  19. Annemarie

    Pinning this for the summer. We get a bunch of these veggies from my farm share all at once, so this salad will be perfect!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  20. Danielle

    I love it! This tossed salad is just what I need for a hot summer day. It is full of health, light and it is easy to make – the result is amazing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  21. Sarah - The Fit Cookie

    I LOVE a good chunky Greek salad, one of my absolute favorite dishes! I love your tip about using garlic oil instead of garlic in recipes. I have IBS and eat lower FODMAP, so this is something I should try (I can’t eat much onion for this reason, those really bother my stomach).

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  25. Amanda Mason

    This looks like the the most amazing salad! I’m so glad you listed out the vinegars and gave details around them!! I’m like you, I love champagne vinegar. And I love a good flavored olive oil, like garlic olive oil. Such a helpful post!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  27. Elena

    I love a creative spin on classic salads like this! Adding avocado to a Greek salad sounds like a great idea and I’ll make sure to give it try next time I host a BBQ party!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  29. Natalie

    This salad looks delicious. It’s so refreshing and perfect for summer. I bet my family will enjoy this too. Love the addition of feta. Must make this asap.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  31. Tina

    We love greek salads. We usually make ours with spinach but I like your idea of ditching the greens altogether. I have never used avocado before but I really like this. I actually have never heard of champagne vinegar. I do have a lot of vinegars, besides citrus it is my favorite way to add acid to a dish. I will keep a lookout for this vinegar. Thanks for another great recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  32. Marisa F. Stewart

    What a beautiful and colorful salad! It just is so inviting — the ingredients are all of our favorites. We also like to use infused oils — especially the garlic olive oil. It gives such a great taste to all of the salads and really any dish we make. Champagne vinegar is so good! I’ll have to pick up a bottle and use it for this salad.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  33. Jacqueline Debono

    This is a beautiful salad! I love Greek salads with olives and feta. They add so much flavour and texture! I’ve never tried champagne vinegar. Have to look out for that!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  34. Ramona

    Absolutely gorgeous – I love simple salads like this that would go as a side with almost anything but it can be a meal on its own too. Delicious! I need to look for that intriguing champagne vinegar – I love the sound of it!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  35. Karyl Henry

    I’m not a huge fan of olives, but I have to admit I would devour this entire salad! I’m loving the combination of flavors and the bold colors. This is perfect for all summer long

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  37. Sandra Shaffer

    This is such a nutritious salad and although you didn’t mention rice vinegar, that works too! That’s all I had on hand and I would use it again. I skipped the avocado because I don’t have a ripe one, but next time, I’ll make sure to add it. Great salad. Thanks!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  38. Saima

    I love all flavours greek! Olives, feta etc. Plus the tips on using the right vinaigrette were very useful indeed. There’s a lot of choice there. This salad would be the perfect accompaniment to some grilled meat!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  39. Daniela

    I love so many things about this salad! First, I can’t believe that it only takes 10 minutes to make! Second, I’m always delighted to see salads that make use of a ton of veggies because I tend to go overboard at the farmers market, and then worry about my veggies going bad. Finally, thank you so much for the tip on the garlic-infused olive oil. I can’t do raw garlic anymore because it upsets my stomach, so I will definitely give the oil a try.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  40. Marisa F. Stewart

    I think you read my mind of what are my favorite ingredients and combined them to make a perfect salad. I know my Hubby would really love the addition of the Kalamata olives and Feta cheese. This salad would be the star at the table – forget the meat.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  41. Tracy

    This is my kind of salad. And what a great tip about using the champagne vinegar! It made such a huge difference, so light and mellow! Thanks for another great recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  43. Renu

    A colourful and an inviting bowl of salad. I love avocado and feta both and this would be a lovely addition for my summer salads.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  44. Dana

    This kind of salad is RIGHT up my alley. I totally agree—sometimes it’s nice to dish the greens and make a salad that’s chockfull of all the crunchy goodies. (The healthy adult equivalent to having a bowl of Lucky Charms with marshmallows only? haha). I also love that this encourages using your summer bounty. Sadly I won’t get to dig up my yard and start my garden until next summer, but I am SO ready. Until then, the Farmer’s Market it is.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  45. April

    Fantastic salad that is all about what a salad should be in my opinion. I am really excited to try it very soon!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  46. Mimi

    Delicious, healthy and looking absolutely amazing! I’ve been looking for a great salad recipe to replace my current go-to option, and this looks like it could be it.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  47. michele h peterson

    What a delicious looking salad! Thanks for the tip on the garlic oil …on my must-try list now!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  49. Shinta Simon

    Beautiful, love the freshness and crunch in the salad and your tips on the vinegar for the dressing, this is going into my summer menu plan for sure!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

Trackbacks

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.