Hello my Greek learners and…foodies! Today I’m coming to you with a recipe. Nothing fancy, nothing difficult to make. Just a salad! More specifically, my Choriatiki and Dakos Style Salad.
I took some of my favorite ingredients from a traditional Greek village salad, or choriatiki, and combined them with elements of Cretan dakos. Then I made one little change because… diet!
I’m trying to eat a little lighter these days, and if you’re in the same mood, you might love this recipe. It’s incredibly easy to make, filling enough to work as a meal, and still feels like proper Greek food.
So, before we get to my recipe, let’s take a quick look at the two salads that inspired it.
What Are Choriatiki and Dakos?
Choriatiki, or Greek Salad
Choriatiki is what most people outside Greece simply call Greek salad. The traditional version is made with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, feta cheese, olives, olive oil, and oregano. Green pepper is also very common, while capers can appear in some regional or homemade versions.
And, of course, there are plenty of small variations depending on the person making it. That’s part of the fun of Greek food!
Choriatiki is one of the classic Greek dishes you’ll find almost everywhere in Greece. If you’re curious about other Greek foods you should try, check out my guide to My 10 Best Greek Foods & How to Order Them.
Dakos, or Cretan Rusk Salad
Dakos is a traditional Cretan dish made with barley rusks, tomatoes, olive oil, oregano, and a soft Greek cheese such as mizithra or xinomizithra. Feta is also commonly used, especially in versions made outside Crete. Olives and capers can be added as well.
The barley rusk is the ingredient that really makes dakos different. It’s very hard and dry, so it is lightly moistened before eating. Traditionally, the tomato juices also help soften it while giving it plenty of flavor.
And that’s where my salad comes in!
My Choriatiki and Dakos Style Salad
Ingredients
1 medium tomato
1/2 cucumber
1/2 onion
2 small barley rusks
200 gr cottage cheese
1 table spoon olive oil
A few drops of apple cider vinegar
Dried oregano, to taste
As you can see I took the tomato, cucumber and onion from choriatiki and the barley rusks from dakos. I also kept the olive oil and oregano because, well… how could I leave those out?
But there is one important change: I replaced the feta with cottage cheese. Although I love feta, I need a lighter version if I want to keep it low with calories and fat.
You can adjust the amount of tomato, cucumber and onion according to your taste. However, if you’re making this as a lighter meal, I wouldn’t increase the amount of cottage cheese, rusks, or olive oil too much because those are the ingredients that can quickly increase the calories.
Calories
The whole salad is approximately 500 calories, depending mainly on the size of the rusks and the type of cottage cheese you use.
This estimate assumes 2 small barley rusks, 200 g of cottage cheese, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. If you use 3 rusks or a large rusk, the calories will be higher.
How to Make the Salad
1. Prepare the vegetables
First, wash the tomato, cucumber and onion well. Cut them into small pieces and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle in a little oregano.
2. Soften the barley rusks
The barley rusks are very hard when they’re dry, so they need a little moisture.
Quickly run them under water to soften them slightly. Don’t soak them for too long because you don’t want them to become completely soggy.
Then break them into smaller pieces with your hands and add them to the bowl with the vegetables.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients
Now add the cottage cheese, a little more oregano, the olive oil, and a few drops of apple cider vinegar.
Mix everything together gently so that the ingredients are well combined.
4. Enjoy!
That’s it! Your salad is ready.
It’s simple, fresh, filling, and surprisingly delicious.
A Couple of Tips for Choriatiki and Dakos Style Salad
You can skip the vinegar
If you don’t like vinegar, you can leave it out. However, I really like the combination of apple cider vinegar, olive oil and oregano with cottage cheese.
Cottage cheese has a fairly mild, creamy flavor, so the little bit of acidity from the vinegar gives it an extra kick without making the salad too strong.
I prefer apple cider vinegar because it has a milder, slightly fruity flavor than some stronger vinegar.
What about salt?
As you may have noticed, there is no salt in my recipe.
No, I didn’t forget it!
I simply don’t add salt because I prefer to keep the recipe lighter on sodium. You can absolutely add some if you like, but I would start with a small amount. The cottage cheese and other ingredients already bring plenty of flavor.
Don’t over-soak the rusks
This is probably the most important tip.
You want the barley rusks to soften enough to bite comfortably, but you don’t want them to turn into mush. A quick splash or rinse is enough.
You can also let the tomato juices do some of the work. That’s one of the things that makes dakos so good in the first place.
Greek Vocabulary from Choriatiki and Dakos Style Salad
Here are a few useful Greek food words from today’s recipe:
το αγγούρι (to angúri) – cucumber
το κρεμμύδι (to kremídi) – onion
η ντομάτα (i domáta) – tomato
το τυρί (to tirí) – cheese
η φέτα (i féta) – feta cheese
το παξιμάδι (to paximádi) – rusk
το κριθαρένιο παξιμάδι (to kritharénio paximádi) – barley rusk
η ρίγανη (i rígani) – oregano
το λάδι (to ládi) – oil
το ελαιόλαδο (to eleólado) – olive oil
η σαλάτα (i saláta) – salad
το ξίδι (to xídi) – vinegar
το μηλόξιδο (to milóxido) – apple cider vinegar
And one especially useful word from this recipe:
η χωριάτικη (ι horiátiki) – village-style
It’s the word you will hear in χωριάτικη σαλάτα, the Greek name for Greek salad.
Want to learn more Greek food vocabulary? I’ve got you covered! Check out my Greek Food Vocabulary You’ll Actually Use! for lots more useful Greek words related to food, cooking, and eating.
Why I Love This Choriatiki and Dakos Style Salad
What I like most about this salad is that it doesn’t feel like I’m eating a boring diet meal.
You’ve got fresh tomato and cucumber, barley rusks, creamy cottage cheese, olive oil, oregano, and that little hit of vinegar. It’s simple, but all those flavors work really well together. And because it combines ideas from two classic Greek salads, it also gives you a little taste of Greek food culture in one bowl.
Of course, this isn’t a traditional choriatiki or a traditional dakos. It’s simply my own version, inspired by both.
And that’s one of the things I love about cooking. You can start with something traditional, make a few changes, and create something that suits you.
So there you have it: my very easy Choriatiki and Dakos Style Salad!
If you’re trying to eat a little lighter but still want something fresh, filling, and full of Greek flavors, give it a try. And if you make your own version, I’d love to know what you changed!
After all, recipes are meant to be enjoyed… and sometimes changed a little along the way. 😊
