The fresh, tangy classic Greek salad you know and love, made vegan with one tasty swap! Serve up this easy vegan Greek salad with kalamata olives, tomato, cucumber, homemade dressing and dairy-free tofu feta cheese.

big bowl of vegan greek salad with utensils

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Eating at Niko Niko's for decades, their Greek salad is my husband's all-time favorite salad. He got so excited when I told him I was recipe testing vegan Greek salad.

This recipe was inspired by Niko Niko's salad and uses my 'beta feta' tofu feta cheese recipe to make it dairy-free. The lighter dressing has the perfect tangy herbiness.

🧄 Very useful ingredient notes

Ingredients for vegan Greek salad: romaine lettuce, seedless cucumber, Roma tomatoes, purple onion, green bell pepper, kalamata olives and tofu feta cheese

Ingredients for oil-free Greek salad dressing: red wine vinegar, water, light agave, dijon mustard, crushed garlic, dried oregano, salt, black pepper

Beta Feta (marinated tofu feta cheese) - It's easy to make your own tofu feta cheese at home, it just takes a little bit of time to infuse the flavor into the plain tofu. If you can, make my Beta Feta recipe the morning of or day before tossing this salad up. You could even do it an hour or so ahead of time, but it'll have a stronger flavor if you give it longer to marinate. You'll have extra tofu feta left over for the week, too! You can also use store-bought vegan feta (such as the Trader Joe's version) in a pinch.
Kalamata olives - Look for pitted Kalamata olives packed in brine. Their distinct flavor is essential for Greek salad.
Red wine vinegar - Red wine vinegar is classic in Greek dressing. It's slightly sweet flavor is perfect for the dressing.
Light agave - Light agave nectar/syrup has a neutral flavor profile. We're using it to sweeten the dressing and tame the tanginess.
Dijon mustard - Dijon mustards vary wildly in flavor and spiciness. I'm using Whole Foods 365 brand of dijon here (my favorite). It's relatively mild, without a sharp, bitter aftertaste.

🔪 Instructions

Here's how to make a vegan Greek salad with homemade Greek dressing step-by-step!

All ingredients for Greek oil-free salad dressing in glass measuring cup

Step 1: Add vinegar, water (or olive oil), dijon mustard, agave (or sugar), garlic, salt and black pepper to a bowl or cup.

Step 2: Using a fork or small whisk, whisk the dressing together until everything is incorporated.

All ingredients for vegan greek salad added to bowl

Step 3: Add chopped romaine lettuce, cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, red onion, olives to a large salad bowl. Crumble vegan tofu feta cheese onto salad.

Step 4: Pour dressing over salad.

Step 5: Toss everything together with tongs or salad forks.

serving vegan greek salad into a white bowl

Step 6: Serve and enjoy!

Expert tips

Don't make the mistake I did: Use the agave! The dressing needs a little sweetener to balance out the acid from the vinegar and mustard, especially in the oil-free version.

🥡 Make ahead and storage tips

You can make the homemade tofu feta cheese and Greek dressing hours or even a day or two ahead of time.

If you want to meal prep this Greek salad, store the dressing separately and mix together when you're ready to eat.

🗺 Cultural influences

This recipe is inspired by my family's many trips to Niko Niko's Greek Restaurant, a Houston institution that's been in business since the 1970's. My father remembers frequenting the restaurant when you had to walk-up to the outdoor window to place your order.

Dimitri's mother was a familiar face during my childhood, always proficiently managing customer orders, staff circling behind her and hot falafel plates being hoisted in the air to the waiting hands of hungry Houstonians.

We have many fond family memories at Niko Niko's and I hope this salad recipe helps you enjoy a little slice of Houston and Greece.

See About for more information on my cultural influences and how I attribute recipes.

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