A real Greek salad, or horiatiki, skips the lettuce entirely and lets ripe tomatoes, cucumber and a whole block of feta do all the work — it's less a salad in the American sense and more a plate of fresh vegetables dressed simply.
The dressing is nothing more than good olive oil, vinegar and oregano, because there's no need to dress up vegetables that are already good.
Dress the salad right before serving, not ahead of time — tomatoes release liquid once salted and dressed, which waters down the flavor if it sits too long.
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Cut the tomatoes into wedges, slice the cucumber into half-moons, thinly slice the onion, and slice the bell pepper.
Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, bell pepper and olives in a large bowl or platter.
Place the block of feta on top of the vegetables rather than crumbling it — this is the traditional presentation.
Drizzle olive oil and red wine vinegar over everything, sprinkle with dried oregano, salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
A traditional Greek salad (horiatiki) serves the feta whole on top as a statement piece rather than mixed through — it also keeps the feta from getting soggy mixed in with the dressing before serving.
Traditional Greek salad is built entirely from tomatoes, cucumber, onion, peppers and olives — lettuce isn't part of the classic version, which is part of what distinguishes it from a typical American-style Greek salad.
The vegetables can be cut a few hours ahead and refrigerated separately, but add the dressing and feta right before serving — tomatoes release liquid once dressed and the salad gets watery if it sits too long.