Paleo Greek Salad

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Paleo Greek Salad is a sweet, tangy, and piquant salad! Made with an herbaceous vinaigrette and fresh fruits and vegetables, it packs a punch. And each ingredient does its part to create a balanced flavor. Tips and tricks included to get the most out of each bite! {Paleo and Vegan} 

Spiriteds, hand me a Kalamata olive and I’m in heaven. Include an avocado, and I’m really in heaven. Throw them together with cucumbers, onion, tomato, and green bell pepper, and I’ll straight-up make a meal of it, a heavenly meal, if you will. Enter Exhibit A – Paleo Greek Salad.

If you lose your energy at the thought of a fresh vegetable dish (or is that just me?), fear not. Aside from the flavor and crunch, or, perhaps, because of them, each ingredient in this lettuce-free paleo and vegan salad plays an important part in the finished product. The cucumbers add crunch and absorb the vinaigrette to intensify the flavor. The Kalamata olives add a salty kick, while the tomatoes add a sweet undertone. The onion offsets the earthy tones of the green bell pepper and avocado, and that’s all before we even get to the vinaigrette.

I mean, this is just an incredible salad, whichever way you slice and dice it (figuratively AND literally). K-Hubs loves it for lunch, and so do I. The second born likes to nibble on it throughout the day, and the whole batch never lasts longer than a day or two. Yes, it does begin to soften, but in our house it doesn’t last because we’ve already eaten it. 

Make some for yourself, and you’ll see what we’re talking about! So, let’s do this!

Paleo Greek Salad is

• Sweet and tangy
• Cruciferous and crunchy
• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free
• Paleo AND vegan

Side note: If you decide to add a drop of sweetener to your vinaigrette, then the sweetener you choose will determine whether the recipe remains paleo or vegan. For a paleo option, consider 100% pure honey, and for a vegan version, consider agave nectar.  

Paleo Greek Salad ingredients

For the salad:

• Cucumber. It’s technically a fruit but also considered a culinary vegetable, and one regular garden variety will do. You can also use 1/2 to 2/3 of an English or hothouse cucumber. I slice the cucumber first and then quarter the slices. The goal is to turn them into bite-size portions.
• Red onion. Dice the onion. Start with a small amount and add more, if desired.
• Green bell pepper. Like the red onion, dice the green bell pepper (seeds removed) and add more as desired.
• Kalamata olives. One cup to start, but add more for extra bulk. I drain them thoroughly before adding them to the salad. For easier prep, look for a variety that has already been pitted.
• Grape tomatoes. Another fruit, this one is sliced or halved. I would steer clear of beefsteak tomatoes, which tend to be juicier and may turn the salad soggy.
• Avocado. Dice one up just before serving.

For the vinaigrette:

• Olive oil. It’s tempting to add lots of olive oil to the salad, but the salad will become juicier as the fruits and vegetables set.
• Lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. These acidic ingredients brighten the flavor and offset the earthy flavors found in the cucumber and green bell pepper.
• Fresh garlic. Press the garlic and stir to evenly distribute it throughout the vinaigrette.
• Dried parsley and oregano. When added to the vinaigrette, these dried herbs create an almost paste-like consistency. The vinaigrette will thin out as it combines with the juices of the fruits and vegetables.
• Sea salt. Start with a small amount and then add more to taste.
• Optional: A tiny drop of 100% pure honey (paleo) or agave nectar (vegan).

How to make Paleo Greek Salad

1. First prepare the salad ingredients. Slice the cucumber into rounds and then halve or quarter them. Dice the red onion and green bell pepper. Drain the Kalamata olives and pat them dry. Slice the grape tomatoes. Transfer these ingredients to a large mixing bowl, stir them together, and set aside.
2. Then, in a small jar, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, fresh pressed garlic, dried parsley, dried oregano, and sea salt. If adding sweetener, then do so now. Briskly stir the ingredients together and drizzle the vinaigrette over the ingredients in the bowl. Stir gently until evenly coated. Add the diced avocado just prior to serving.
3. Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to two days.

Side note: For a meal prep option, store the salad ingredients and vinaigrette separately, and then combine with the avocado just prior to serving.

How to balance the vegetables

Nothing beats fresh fruits and vegetables, but those same fresh fruits and vegetables often vary in freshness and size. When making a fresh salad like Paleo Greek Salad, these common variables affect the overall salad flavor.

When it comes to cucumbers, a regular garden cucumber will work. For the best taste, choose one that isn’t soft yet. And if it’s super-sized, then work with half. Also, if your grocery store offers English/hothouse cucumbers, then that will work, too. You won’t likely need the whole cucumber, though. To learn more, check out The Spruce Eats All About Cucumbers.

Tomatoes are another big variable. For this recipe, we stick with grape tomatoes because they hold their shape, don’t ripen quickly, and aren’t excessively juicy. Too much juice from the vegetables and your Paleo Greek Salad will be soggy in no time! To learn more about different types of tomatoes, check out The Pioneer Woman’s A Guide to Different Types of Tomatoes.

More delicious recipes!

Whether it’s the crunch you’re looking for or something more seasonal, here are a few of our favorite paleo salad recipes!

• Italian Crunchy Cauliflower Salad
• Pomegranate Pear Salad
• Fresh Mixed Berry Salad
• Berry Spinach Salad
• Paleo Winter Salad
• Easy Paleo Apple Chicken Salad

Okay, and technically this one isn’t a salad, but it is a delicious and award-winning salsa recipe – the incredible Winter Fruit Salsa!

Spiriteds, stay well and stay wild. Jump into the fun when you can, and always know I’m glad you’re here. 🩷

Paleo Greek Salad

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Paleo Greek Salad is a sweet, tangy, and piquant salad! Made with an herbaceous vinaigrette and fresh fruits and vegetables, it packs a punch. And each ingredient does its part to create a balanced flavor. Tips and tricks included to get the most out of each bite! {Paleo and Vegan} 

• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Yield: 3 to 4 servings 1x
• Category: Salads and Dressings
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the salad:

• 1 cucumber, sliced into rounds and then halved or quartered
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and drained
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced
• 1 avocado, diced

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, pressed
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (I add 1/8 teaspoon at a time and taste-test in between)
• 1–2 drops 100% pure honey (paleo) or agave nectar (vegan), optional

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Instructions

1. First prepare the salad ingredients. Slice the cucumber into rounds and then halve or quarter them. Dice the red onion and green bell pepper. Drain the Kalamata olives and pat them dry. Slice the grape tomatoes. Transfer these ingredients to a large mixing bowl, stir them together, and set aside.
2. Then, in a small jar, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, fresh pressed garlic, dried parsley, dried oregano, and sea salt. If adding sweetener, then do so now. Briskly stir the ingredients together and drizzle the vinaigrette over the ingredients in the bowl. Stir gently until evenly coated. Add the diced avocado just prior to serving.
3. Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to two days.

Notes

• In place of a garden cucumber, you can use 1/2 to 2/3 of an English/hothouse cucumber.
• Grape tomatoes work best in this recipe because they hold their shape, don’t ripen quickly, and aren’t as watery as other tomato varieties, such as beefsteak tomatoes.
• To make this a meal prep option, store the salad ingredients and vinaigrette separately. Combine with the avocado just prior to serving.
• If you decide to add a drop of sweetener to your vinaigrette, the sweetener you choose will determine whether the recipe remains paleo or vegan. For a paleo option, choose 100% pure honey, and for a vegan version, select agave nectar.