Greek Salad Dressing

The key to a great Greek salad is the dressing. I often toss fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta cheese with this simple dressing, serve it with toasted flatbread, and call it lunch. Sometimes I include lettuce or spinach, sometimes I throw in cubed bell pepper or thinly sliced onions. Olives make an appearance, as does the occasional grilled chicken. The satisfying flavor and versatility keep me coming back for more.

Greek dressing is a simple mixture of olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, Dijon mustard, and oregano. I add fresh lemon juice to give the dressing some brightness and a touch of honey to balance out the flavors. The result is a tart, herby, garlicky, and balanced dressing that perks up salads without masking the flavor and texture of the vegetables.

While not exactly what you’d find in Greece, this recipe is faithful to the ones served in Greek American restaurants. Sure, you can buy bottled kind, but it’s so easy to make at home without artificial thickeners or preservatives.

Shake It in a Jar

Some recipes call for adding the oil slowly as you constantly whisk, but I’ve found it’s much easier to add everything to a lidded jar and shake it. The mustard helps emulsify the dressing, allowing the vinegar, lemon juice, and oil to combine into a cohesive and creamy mixture. Leftovers can be stored in the jar and simply shaken again before serving. 

Easy Swaps To Try

It’s easy to adjust this recipe to suit your tastes. Here are some simple ingredient swaps to try:

• All vinegar: If you prefer a more assertive red wine vinegar flavor, replace the lemon juice with more vinegar. 
• All lemon juice: Similarly, if you like a tart dressing, you can swap some or all of the vinegar with more lemon juice.
• Garlic powder: Don’t have fresh garlic on hand? Use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Make it vegan: Replace the honey with agave or maple syrup.

A Million-ish Ways to Use Greek Salad Dressing

If you’re making Greek salad dressing, chances are you’re planning to make a Greek salad. But let’s think beyond that! This is a versatile dressing that works on a wide variety of vegetables. It’s especially wonderful on:

• Greek Salad in Jars 
• Lentil Salad with Summer Vegetables
• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad 
• Greek Pasta Salad
• Cherry Tomato Orzo Salad
• Quinoa Greek Salad

Not Just for Salad!

Greek salad dressing makes a nice marinade for grilled meats like:

• Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers With Tzatziki Sauce 
• Beef Kebabs
• Greek Chicken Skewers with Yogurt Sauce (Chicken Souvlaki)
  

Drizzle it over these grilled or roasted vegetables: 

• Oven-Roasted New Potatoes 
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts 
• Grilled Tomatoes