Last Updated on March 7, 2026 by Sabrina Currie
Light and bright, Greek spinach salad with feta and olives will take your taste buds straight to the Mediterranean. This salad only takes 10 minutes, can be made ahead, is vegetarian and gluten-free!
Why I Love This Recipe
This is based off the traditional Greek salad recipe my mom made us growing up. The homemade dressing (a basic vinaigrette) has a combination of lemon and red wine vinegar like a classic Greek salad. Spinach adds even more body and flavor. Full of fresh veggies, this is great as a starter salad or side salad. It pairs really well with a delish, easy crustless quiche. (For a fun twist, try my Greek beet salad with feta and yogurt too!)
Greek spinach salad also makes a great main dish if you add a little extra protein like garbanzo beans or chicken to it. For more delicious salad ideas, try this roasted beet and pumpkin salad, a summer fig salad, the deeper, fall flavored blackberry vinaigrette or a wintery radicchio and orange salad.
And for a main course, pair it up with loaded chicken broccoli casserole or old fashioned salmon patties.
Ingredients
With just a short list of ingredients, fresh Greek spinach salad is quick and simple to make with ingredients that are easy to find at any grocery store. (Spinach also makes a great substitute for other hearty greens.)
- Greek Feta Cheese - I love crumbled cow feta cheese in my Greek salad but you can use goat feta too. Choose goat cheese or cow cheese (or even a vegan feta) based on your personal preference.
- Black Olives - Greek olives, kalamata olives or any other brined black olives are what this recipe calls for. If you have picky eaters, you can even use water canned black olives for a much less salty, milder olive flavor which is how I started eating olives as a kid.
- Fresh Spinach - Try to get small, tender baby spinach leaves. If you can't get baby spinach, be sure to trim off any tough or brown stems. My preference is to toss the spinach leaves with the rest of the salad ingredients and dressing but if you prefer, you can serve the salad on top of the spinach. Do not use cooked or frozen spinach.
- Tomatoes - If it's summer, get some sweet, juicy tomatoes from the garden or local farmers market. Heirloom varieties, beefsteak tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or whatever kinds look juicy, ripe and delicious. If it is winter and they aren't in season where you are, I recommend using cherry tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes tend to be sweeter and more flavorful than larger winter hot house tomatoes.
- Lemon Juice + Red Wine Vinegar - These two Mediterranean ingredients add great acidity and body to the Greek dressing and a little goes a long way. I love using a combination of both but you could use all of one or the other in a pinch.
- Dry Oregano - Dried oregano is best for this recipe. If you don't have oregano, you can substitute Greek seasoning (a blend of oregano and other herbs like basil, thyme, mint, fennel, parsley, garlic and more). If you use Greek seasoning, check to see if there is salt in it. If so, reduce the salt in the recipe accordingly.
Substitutions + Variations
There are so many ways to change up this Mediterranean spinach salad. Take it from a side dish to a light meal or change up the salad greens based on the time of year. Here are a few of my favorite ideas.
- Top It - Drained chickpeas (garbanzo beans), cooked and sliced chicken breasts, slivered leftover flank steak, pistachios or pine nuts are all great toppers for a spinach Greek salad. Adding these high protein and/or high fiber ingredients makes this easy salad recipe into a complete meal.
- Make It A Topper - Fill your bowl with hot or cold cooked pasta or cool Greek yogurt. Top it with a generous amount of the Mediterranean spinach salad. The delicious Greek flavor will drip off the vegetables and flavor the ingredients beneath, making this a great main course for hot summer days.
- Swap The Salad Greens - Massage some dressing into baby kale instead of the spinach. Let it sit for 30 minutes to soften, then add the rest of the vegetables and toss. Or use some chopped iceberg or romaine lettuce instead of the spinach for a winter Greek salad.
- Onions - I like to use red onions with are a traditional ingredient, alternatively, sweet white onions are great for this recipe too. If you want a much milder onion, you can swap out chopped green onions or omit them altogether.
Step By Step Instructions + Photos
Step 1. In a small bowl or mason jar, add dried oregano, salt, pepper and garlic.
Step 2. Pour in olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice, whisk all the salad dressing ingredients well and set aside.
Step 3. To a large salad bowl, add spinach leaves, chopped sweet tomatoes, bell peppers and crunchy cucumbers, slivered red onion and red cabbage if using.
Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese over top and add the black olives.
Step 4. Drizzle the dressing over, toss gently and serve. This can be made up to half an hour ahead. If you want to make it farther ahead, simply reserve the dressing to add once you're ready to serve.
FAQ's
Greek seasoning is a blend of different herbs and spices. Each brand will be a little different but common ingredients are: oregano, basil, marjoram, fennel, mint, parsley, savory, thyme, garlic, onion and sometimes salt.
No. While all these ingredients are found in traditional Greek cooking, spinach is usually cooked in Greek recipes and not raw in salads. But it sure is good and the dressing is an authentic Greek dressing.
Pro Tips
For the longest time, I couldn't figure out why my salad dressing wasn't as good as my moms. Watching her make it one day, I figured out it was the salt!
This recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of salt which might sound like a lot, but don't forget, this serves 4-6 people easily, so it's only ¼-1/6 of a teaspoon per person and it makes all the difference to the finished Greek dressing. Don't cut back the salt (my favorite is sea salt) unless you need to for health reasons.
If you're looking for some organization, check out my Free Printable Weekly Meal Planner.
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More Salad Recipes
- Healthy French Asparagus And Tuna Salad Without Mayo
- Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
- Greek Beet Salad With Feta And Greek Yogurt
- Italian Lemon Parmesan Kale and Cannellini Bean Salad
If you have any questions or comments, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. I try to answer any recipe related questions quickly as I know you might be in the middle of making it.
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Cheers and happy cooking, Friends! Sabrina
📖 Recipe
Greek Spinach Salad With Lemon And Feta
Ingredients
Best Greek Salad Dressing
- ½ c Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 Clove Garlic, minced or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Greek Salad
- 6 c Baby Spinach
- 1 c Cucumber
- 1 c Tomatoes
- 1 c Sweet Bell Peppers
- ½ c Red Onion
- ¾ c Feta Cheese
- ¾ c Kalamata or Greek Olives
- ½ c Optional: Shredded Red Cabbage
Instructions
- Add garlic, oregano, salt and pepper to a bowl. Top with olive oil, lemon juice and red wine vinegar and whisk well to combine. Set aside.
- Dump spinach into a large salad bowl. (Trim any brown stems if necessary.) Trim and deseed peppers and chop into ½" chunks and add to the spinach. Chop the tomatoes and cucumbers into ½" bites and add to the salad bowl. Thinly slice red onion and red cabbage if using, and add to the salad.
- Crumble feta cheese over top of the salad and add the olives. Pour the Greek salad dressing over and toss gently.
A says
I was so surprised and confused, lol I made this without the cheese, and when I ate it I was like...this tastes like greek feta, I felt I was in a greek restaurant, weird how how our brains and taste buds work. Lol really good!! Thanks!
Sabrina Currie says
Haha! Glad it tasted so good even without the feta cheese. The lemon, olives and salt probably added that essence. Cheers!
Caroline Derbes says
I made your Greek Spinach & Feta Salad, last night. I pickle my red onions in vinegar.
My husband suggested emulsifying the dressing with 1 T. Dijon mustard. I, also, added walnut pieces to mine.
The second night was even better.
Sabrina Currie says
Yum, I love the addition of walnuts. And Dijon is always a lovely variation. Thanks for sharing your ideas, maybe other readers will try it too!