Farmhouse Veggie Salad with Feta
Packed with fresh veggies, a great dressing and tangy feta, this Farmhouse Salad with Feta is the perfect side dish or even light meal. It’s the kind of rustic, no-fuss salad that feels right at home on a breezy summer table, whether you’re dining al fresco or making a quick lunch in between busy summer moments.
I love this salad because it’s so simple to throw together but looks and tastes like something you’d order at a café. The juicy tomatoes, cool cucumbers, and briny olives pair perfectly with creamy feta and a quick homemade dressing that takes almost no effort. This is a back-pocket recipe you’ll reach for again and again when it’s too hot to cook or you just need something fast and fresh.
Ingredients
For the dressing
- Virgin olive oil
- Vinegar – You can use red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, champagne vinegar or whatever you have on hand.
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic! Jarlic has no flavor.
- Dried oregano, Dijon mustard, salt, ground black pepper
For the salad
- English cucumber – You can use waxy cucumbers but you’ll need to peel them first and remove the seeds.
- Green bell peppers – Or use yellow, red, or orange peppers.
- Cherry tomatoes – You can also use grape tomatoes and you won’t need to cut them in half.
- Feta cheese – Or cheat using about 1 cup of feta crumbles. Hey, I won’t tell!
- Red onion – You can soak the sliced onion in ice water for 10 minutes to remove the bite.
- Black olives – Slice them if you like.
- Mint leaves
How To Make Farmhouse Salad with Feta
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Start by making the dressing. I like to use a glass salad dressing shaker for this because it’s mess-free, seals tightly, and lets you mix and store the dressing all in one container. Just add the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, mustard, salt, and pepper, then give it a good shake or whisk everything together in a bowl if you don’t have a shaker handy.
Next, prep your vegetables. Use a knife and a large cutting board with a groove to catch any runaway tomato juice. Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, and cut it into thin half-moons. Dice the green bell peppers into bite-sized chunks and halve the cherry tomatoes.
Thinly slice the red onion using a mandoline slicer if you want those perfect paper-thin pieces. Just use the guard for safety. If the onion is especially strong, I let it sit in a little vinegar while I prep the rest to mellow it out.
Cube the feta or crumble it, depending on your preferred texture. Drain and rinse the olives if needed, and tear the mint leaves gently so they stay whole but release some of their oils.
Toss everything into a non-slip mixing bowl that’s big enough to hold the whole salad without spilling. I love using a bowl with a grippy base because it stays put while I’m mixing. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, feta, onion, and olives, then drizzle over most of the dressing. Gently toss everything together to coat. Add the fresh mint and a final sprinkle of dried oregano just before serving.
If you have leftover dressing, save it in the fridge for your next salad. It keeps well and goes with everything from greens to grain bowls.
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Crumble the feta by hand if you like a more rustic look instead of perfect cubes.
- Fresh oregano is lovely here if you have it on hand, but the dried version still packs plenty of flavor.
- Add chickpeas or white beans if you want to make this a protein-packed vegetarian lunch.
- Store your dressing in a jar with a tight-fitting lid so you can shake and pour easily without dirtying extra dishes.
Recommended
Make It a Meal
This salad is filling enough to enjoy as a light lunch or dinner on its own, especially if you serve it with warm flatbread or grilled pita. You can also pair it with grilled lamb, lemon chicken, or even a simple roasted fish. It’s the kind of side that works with anything from backyard BBQs to simple weeknight meals.
Storage
This salad is best enjoyed the day it’s made, but you can store leftovers in the fridge for up to two days. If you’re prepping ahead, keep the dressing and mint separate and toss everything together just before serving. The veggies will soften slightly after being dressed, and the mint can wilt, so saving those until serving keeps things fresh. This salad doesn’t freeze well.
Farmhouse Salad with Feta
Ingredients
For the dressing
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano plus extra for garnish
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
- 1 English cucumber halved and sliced
- 2 green bell peppers chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 4- ounce feta cheese diced into ½-inch cubes
- 1 cup red onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup black olives pitted
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or shake them together in a jar until emulsified. Set aside.
- Arrange the cucumber, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, feta, red onion, and olives on a large platter or in a salad bowl.
- Drizzle the dressing evenly over the top and toss gently to coat everything.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of dried oregano and the fresh mint leaves just before serving.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve right away and enjoy.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Crumble the feta by hand if you like a more rustic look instead of perfect cubes
- Fresh oregano is lovely here if you have it on hand, but the dried version still packs plenty of flavor
- Add chickpeas or white beans if you want to make this a protein-packed vegetarian lunch
- Store your dressing in a jar with a tight-fitting lid so you can shake and pour easily without dirtying extra dishes
