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Home » Salads by Season » Summer Salads

Try This Delicious Traditional Cretan Salad

Made by Anastasia - Serves: 6 Filed Under: Dinner Salads, Salad Index, Summer Salads, Vegetarian

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The Cretan Salad is a dish that originates from the Greek island of Crete. It is a simple salad that is made hearty with the addition of barley rusks and cheese. Great as a side or light meal and is perfect for a summer barbecue.

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Cretan Salad in a black bowl with rusks and cheese on the side.

This easy Cretan Salad has many variations; they all include tomatoes, cucumber, barley rusks and a Cretan cheese, either soft mizithra cheese (similar to goats cheese), crumbled feta or the dry anthotyros that we have in this version.

If you would like to explore some more Greek salad recipes, we have quite a few to choose from; try our -

  • Greek Salad "Horiatiki" - traditional Greek salad recipe;
  • Maroulosalata - traditional lettuce salad recipe;
  • Greek Lamb Salad - a sensational dinner salad for the meat lovers in the family.
  • Greek Potato Salad - this recipe is a version of one my grandfather loved to make.
  • Greek Style Brussels Sprouts - everything tastes better with feta 😉.

    Table of contents

    • Ingredients and Substitutions
    • You Will Need...
    • How to Make this Salad
    • Serving Ideas
    • People Also Ask

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    This really wouldn't be a Cretan Salad without the addition of Cretan classics such as barley rusks and anthotyros/mizithra cheese, which may not be readily available, so we have given you a few alternatives here:

    • Dry anthotyros is a traditional Greek cheese made from unpasteurized sheep and goat's milk, which adds a wonderfully rich, salty flavour to this salad. Substitute with either freshly grated raw halloumi cheese, grated Spanish Manchego, Italian Ricotta Salata (which is dried ricotta cheese) feta or fresh mozzarella.
    • Barley rusks are double-baked bread made with barley flour and have a wonderful nutty, whole-grain flavour, which comes in either hard or crispy. You can substitute with krisprolls or bagel chips.
      Alternatively, make your own just by thickly slicing a wholemeal or whole grain sourdough and then toasting it in the oven at a low 135°C (275°F) for about 45-60 minutes, tossing it every now and then to help it dry evenly.
    • Olive oil it is essential in this recipe to use good quality olive oil as the barley rusks need to soak it up to soften. Either pure olive oil, virgin olive oil or extra virgin olive oil
    • Dried Greek oregano 'rigani' is more aromatic than the dried oregano sold in supermarkets, but if you cannot find it, use dried oregano.
    • Remaining vegetables, the rest of this salad is made up of readily available ingredients found at your supermarket; opt for an aromatic tomato variety such as truss tomatoes or ox heart tomatoes; for cucumbers, opt for a seedless variety such as Lebanese, Persian or Kirby; green capsicum/pepper either bell peppers or bullhorn peppers will work; red onion for its sweeter flavour but white onions are also acceptable.

    You Will Need...

    Labelled ingredients needed to make Cretan salad.
    • Top Tips For Making  a Traditional Cretan Salad 

    The key to success for this salad lies in the quality and freshness of the salad vegetables.

    • Look for fresh organic salad vegetables and opt for a heirloom tomato variety and a seedless cucumber variety.

    • Use dried Greek oregano "rigani" as it is much more aromatic.

    • Use a good quality olive oil; it will really make a difference to the taste of this salad.

    How to Make this Salad

    Step 1 - Prepare the veg

    Wash the tomatoes, remove the core and bottom, and cut them into large chunks or wedges.

    Wash the cucumber, trim the ends, peel, leaving alternative green strips, then cut into rounds.

    Remove the core and seeds from your capsicum, rinse well, and cut them into thin slices.

    Remove the papery skin from your onion trim, then slice it into thin wedges.

    CUTTING TOMATOES INTO WEDGES
    CUT YOUR TOMATOES
    CUTTING CUCUMBERS INTO ROUNDS
    CUT CUCUMBERS INTO ROUNDS
    A yellow knife slicing a green capsicum or bell pepper into strips on a wooden board.
    SLICE YOUR CAPSICUM (BELL PEPPER)
    THINLY SLICING RED ONION
    THINLY SLICE ONION

    Step 2 - Prepare barley rusks.

    If you are using hard rusks that are difficult to break apart, you will need to moisten them, so they are not rock hard in your salad - dentists are expensive 😉.

    To do this, you run your barley rusks under cold running water under the sink, just enough to wet them but turn them into mush.

    There is no need to do this if your rusks are crumbly or if you are using bagel chips or krisprolls.

    Hands wetting barley rusks under cold water in the sink.
    WET BARLEY RUSKS IF HARD
    Hands breaking apart barley rusks over a wooden board.
    BREAK APART RUSKS

    Step 3 - Assemble your Cretan Salad

    Place all your vegetables in a mixing bowl; if you haven't already done so, break the barley rusks into medium pieces and coarsely grate the anthotyro cheese.

    Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and oregano, and season with salt and pepper.

    Toss until well combined, taste and adjust seasonings according to your liking.

    Arrange in a salad bowl and allow to sit for at least 15 minutes before serving. Doing this will allow the flavours to meld together and for the barley rusks to soften.

    Grated and crumbled anthotyro cheese on wooden board with a grater on the side.
    COARSELY GRATE OR CRUMBLE CHEESE
    Prepared Cretan salad ingredients in a white bowl.
    ADD INGREDIENTS TO BOWL
    Mixing Cretan salad in a white bowl with a spoon.
    MIX WELL TO COMBINE
    Cretan Salad in a black bowl with rusks and cheese on the side.
    LET STAND FOR 15-30 MINS

    Serving Ideas

    Another recipe that is seen quite often on our table and at our barbecues. A wonderful salad to serve with barbecued meat and poultry and great to serve with a traditional Greek lamb roast. Also excellent with moussaka, pasticcio, lasagne, and keftedakia (Greek meatballs) or kofta.

    People Also Ask

    What is the difference between Greek Salad, Cretan Salad and Dakos Salad?

    Greek Salad and Cretan salad use tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers/capsicums and, onions and, oregano, oil/vinegar dressing.
    But Greek Salad has a huge chunk of feta cheese on top, while Cretan Salad includes barley rusks and uses either mizithra cheese or dry anthotyro cheese.
    Dakos Salad, or Cretan Dakos, is made with a large barley rusk that has been dunked in water, grated tomato, olive oil and mizithra cheese or crumbled feta cheese. Some versions will include chopped olives or baby capers.

    To make it ahead of time.

    You can make up the salad without the dressing up to an hour or two in advance.
    Add the dressing half an hour before serving to allow the barley rusk to soften and for the flavours to meld together.

    How do I meal prep this salad?

    If you put the dressing in a separate container, you can certainly take it for your lunch the following day or even for a picnic.
    I would not recommend making a big batch of this salad for eating throughout the week.
    But you can make this salad an hour or two in advance to allow the barley rusks to soak up the oil and tomato juices and soften.

    How can I store it?

    Keep it in an air-tight container in the fridge, and it should be good to eat a day or two after making it.

    Dietary Substitutions

    You can make Cretan salad keto or low-carb by omitting the rusks as we have done in our Keto Greek Salad or even preparing large keto croutons instead.
    For vegetarians and vegans, you can either omit the cheese or replace it with vegan feta cheese.
    As bread and cheese are not allowed on Paleo or Whole30 diets, this salad would not be suitable, but you may leave out the barley rusks and try a paleo cheese substitute instead.

    More Summer Tomato Salads to Try

    Italian tomato salad in a mint bowl with tomatoes and basil on the side.

    ITALIAN TOMATO SALAD

    Mediterranean tomato cucumber salad in a black bowl with parsley, lemon and garlic on the side.

    MEDITERRANEAN SALAD

    Close-up tomato feta salad in a black bowl.

    TOMATO FETA SALAD

    Recipe Card

    Cretan Salad in a black bowl with rusks and cheese on the side.

    Traditional Cretan Salad

    The Cretan Salad is a dish that originates from the Greek island of Crete. It is a simple salad made hearty with the addition of barley rusks and cheese.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes
    Standing Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    * Times are an estimate and will depend on your skill level
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Greek
    Keyword: Easy, vegetarian
    Servings: 6 as a side
    Calories: 250kcal
    Author: Anastasia
    Ingredients
    • 500 grams truss tomatoes (approximately 3 medium, 17.64oz)
    • 300 grams Lebanese cucumbers (approximately 3 small, 10.58oz)
    • 100 grams green capsicum (bell pepper) (approximately 1 small, 3.53oz)
    • 100 grams small red onion (approximately 1 small, 3.53oz)
    • 100 grams barley rusks 1 (approximately 4 small, 3.53oz)
    • 100 grams Anthotyro cheese 2 (approximately ½ cup, 3.53oz)
    • ⅓ cup olive oil
    • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • Sea salt and cracked black pepper
    Metric - Imperial
    Instructions
    • Wash all the vegetables remove the cores, tops and bottoms. Then cut the tomatoes into large chunks, the cucumbers in rounds and the green capsicum and onion into thin wedges. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
    • If your barley rusks are hard then run them under cold running water to soften first.
    • Break the barley rusks into medium pieces and coarsely grate or crumble the anthotyro cheese on top of the vegetables.
    • Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and oregano, season with salt and pepper. Toss until combined, taste and adjust seasonings according to your taste.
    • Arrange in a salad bowl and chill for 15-30 minutes then serve.

    Video

    Notes

    Note 1: Barley rusks are available from Greek delicatessens you can substitute with bagel chips or make your own using a wholemeal sourdough.
    To do this cut your bread into medium slices then toast it in the oven at a low 135°C (275°F) for about 45-60 minutes, tossing it every now and then to help it dry evenly
    Note 2: Again you should be able to find from any good Greek deli or you can substitute with coarsley grated fresh haloumi or Italian pecorino cheese or fresh mozarella. 
    Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
    Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 208mg | Potassium: 387mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 808IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 198mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @salads_with_anastasia or tag #salads_with_anastasia!
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    About Anastasia

    Anastasia is a home cook introduced to cooking at a young age (8 years old) and hasn’t gotten out of the kitchen since! She had her own coffee shop and ran her own catering business for over a decade. Her love of salads developed as she was always the one responsible for making the salads for family get-togethers and friends functions.

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