There's something genuinely perfect about a Greek salad — it's one of those dishes that doesn't need reinventing. Crisp cucumber, ripe tomatoes, red onion, briny Kalamata olives, and thick slabs of full-fat feta cheese, all dressed in good olive oil and red wine vinegar. This version stays completely true to the classic while fitting neatly into your vegetarian keto macros at just 5g net carbs per serving. No cooking required, no complicated techniques — just sharp knife work and the best ingredients you can find. It comes together in 15 minutes and tastes like a sunny afternoon on a Greek island, which is exactly what your Tuesday lunch deserves.
Why This Works on Keto
This salad is naturally low-carb thanks to its vegetable-forward base of cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers, which are some of the lowest-carb vegetables available. The generous amount of feta and olive oil delivers 25g of fat per serving, keeping you in ketosis and feeling full. At 10g of protein from the feta and olives, it's a complete light meal. The healthy monounsaturated fats from the olive oil and olives are an added bonus for heart health.
Ingredients
- 2 large English cucumbers (about 400g), cut into chunks
- 300g ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 1 medium green bell pepper (150g), seeded and sliced
- 80g red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
- 100g Kalamata olives, pitted
- 200g full-fat feta cheese, cut into thick slabs or crumbled
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise, then slice into thick half-moons about 1cm thick.
- Cut the tomatoes into wedges. If using cherry tomatoes, halve them.
- Seed the green pepper and slice it into thin rings or strips.
- Peel and thinly slice the red onion into half-moons. If the flavour is too sharp for your taste, soak the slices in ice water for 5 minutes, then drain.
- Arrange the cucumber, tomatoes, pepper, and onion on a large platter or in a wide, shallow bowl.
- Scatter the Kalamata olives over the top.
- Place the feta cheese in thick slabs on top of the salad — traditional Greek salads don't crumble the feta, but you can if you prefer.
- Drizzle the olive oil and red wine vinegar over everything.
- Sprinkle with dried oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Serve immediately. Toss at the table if desired.
Tips & Variations
- Quality matters here: Since this is a raw salad with simple ingredients, splurge on good extra virgin olive oil and authentic Greek feta (made from sheep's milk or a sheep-goat blend). It makes a noticeable difference.
- Add capers: A tablespoon of capers adds a lovely briny pop that complements the olives.
- Make it heartier: Top with a soft-boiled egg per serving for an extra 6g of protein without significantly changing the carb count.
- Marinated feta: Cube the feta and marinate it in olive oil, oregano, and a pinch of red pepper flakes for an hour before assembling. It takes the whole dish up a level.
- Skip the green pepper: Not everyone loves raw green pepper. Red pepper is sweeter, or you can leave it out entirely.
