From sunlit lunches on the terrace to long evenings gathered around the family table, a Greek salad – horiatiki – has long been at the heart of cherished moments in Greek culture. While the version we know and love today is defined by tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives and feta, earlier interpretations were shaped by what was close to hand and finished with local cheeses.

The word horiatiki translates to “village-style,” a nod to the salad’s rural roots. Traditionally, it was a practical and nourishing dish for those spending long days working in the fields, made from locally-sourced ingredients and offering welcome refreshment beneath the hot sun.

Over time, horiatiki travelled far beyond the villages, becoming a symbol of Greek cuisine around the world. At Myrtos by Asimakis , our interpretation remains rooted in tradition, gently reimagined through a modern lens. Built layer by layer and served with intention, ours features carob rusks, a silky feta mousse and a hint of wild oregano. A familiar dish, thoughtfully refined – and one our Michelin-starred chef, Asimakis Chanotis, has shared so you can recreate it at home, wherever your table may be.

Ingredients

– Cherry tomatoes, halved 120g
– Red onions, brunoise 20g
– Green pepper, brunoise 20g
– Cucumber, brunoise 40g
– Kalamata Olives sliced 20g
– Carob rusk crumbs 40g
– Extra virgin olive oil 40g
– Wild Greek oregano 2g
– Flaked salt 1.5g
– Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar 10ml
– Feta mousse 80g
– Tomato gazpacho 80ml
– Liliput capers 20g

Preparation

Feta Mousse:

– Feta 800 g
– Full-fat milk 300 g
– Ground black pepper 1 g

Add feta, milk and black pepper to a Thermomix. Blend until it comes together, but still grainy. Place in a piping bag

Carob Rusk Crumb:

– Carob rusks 400 g
– Olives 100 g

Blend everything in a Thermomix, then spread and place on parchment and cook at 60 °C for 40 mins. Keep in an airtight container to stay dry.

Tomato Gazpacho:

– Cherry tomatoes 3000 g
– Cucumber peeled 900 g
– Red pepper 480 g
– Red onions 400 g
– Chilli without seeds 25 g
– Cabernet sauvignon vinegar 125 g
– Garlic 10 g
– Tomato juice 1000 g
– Sugar 70 g
– Salt 25 g
– Extra Virgin Olive Oil 300 g

Blend everything in a Thermomix until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve. Keep in bottles.

Method

To assemble the salad, add the cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, finely chopped red onion, diced green pepper, sliced kalamata olives, lilliput capers, extra virgin olive oil, flaked salt, cabernet sauvignon vinegar and wild oregano to a large mixing bowl and mix well until everything is combined. Place the salad in a deep bowl and flatten it with the help of a spoon.

Then, with a piping bag, pipe the feta cheese at room temperature in a zig-zag motion, leaving a 2cm gap around the bowl. In the gap left around the bowl, place the carob rusk crumb. Place 100ml of the tomato gazpacho into a little jug to pour around the plate when serving.

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