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Marouli Salad (Greek Lettuce Salad)

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Marouli salad encapsulates everything that makes Greek food a favourite. It shines bright with fresh, zesty, salty flavours, and it’s proof that when the ingredients are good, you don’t need much else. Just lettuce, feta, spring onions, and a herbaceous dressing are enough to get the palate excited!

Marouli salad in a white bowl.

Marouli salad doesn’t have a long list of ingredients. It doesn’t need any bells or whistles. It’s understated. Underrated.

All the components — lettuce, spring onions, dill, olive oil, fresh lemon, garlic, feta — combine to create a surprisingly bold dish, packing absolute bags of flavour.

There’s no elaborate dressing, no time-consuming prep, no elegant plating. Just a handful of things you already have in the fridge, tossed into a fresh, crisp, satisfying salad that will have everyone wondering why they ever thought “I don’t like salad”!

At the heart of marouli salad is romaine lettuce. Really, it’s alllll about the lettuce. Think finely shredded ribbons of crisp greens, well-rinsed and chilled, so there’s a cool crunch.

It’s no wonder that marouli salad (or maroulosalata, if we’re getting formal!) is a staple on Greek tables, especially during the spring and early summer months when lettuce is at its sweetest. You’ll find it served as a side to grilled proteins or roast potatoes, tucked between a dozen mezze plates, or just enjoyed as it is — light, lemony, and fresh.

So, if you’re on a mission to make the tastiest salad possible, bookmark this one — or make it straight away! (Plus, do check out my arugula spinach salad and hearty kale salad).

💚 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Ridiculously quick: All you need is a minute to chop the greens, another to whiz up the dressing, and a third to mix it all up. Easy-as!
  • Pairs with anything: This salad recipe is the most versatile I know … no doubt about it! I’ve listed tons of flavour pairings and serving suggestions below, but I’m sure maroulosalata wouldn’t be out of place on any plate.
  • Simple, fresh, pure flavours: Highlights the impact that a few herbs and an excellent dressing can have on fresh lettuce. Spoiler alert: It’s a winner. If you love wholefoods that are exceptionally tasty without the need for chemicals or other nasties, this recipe is for you!

❔What is Marouli Salad?

Let’s break down the meaning of maroulosalata in English:

First, what is marouli in English? In Greek, “marouli” means “lettuce,” while “salata” means “salad. Combined, you can see that the name translates to lettuce salad — a simple moniker for a dish that’s so much more than the name suggests!

Keep an eye out for the word “salata” in other Greek dishes like melitzanosalata (a Greek aubergine dip/salad similar to baba ganoush) and horiatiki salata (Greek village salad with tomatoes, cucumber, and feta).

Greek lettuce salad ingredients, labelled with text.

🥬 Ingredients You’ll Need For Maroulosalata

The beauty of maroulosalata is in its simplicity. You only need five ingredients for the salad, but this is far from the boring lettuce salads you know!

Let’s see what you need:

  • Lettuce: Romaine (cos lettuce) is the traditional choice here, but I’ve used sweet gem/little gem, which boasts a similar crisp, robust yet tender texture, plus a sweet and nutty flavour. Curly green leaf also works!
  • Herbs: I’ve used dill and parsley. Dill is a must, with its characteristically bold aroma and fresh grassy flavour. Some people prefer to swap parsley for mint.
  • Spring onions: Otherwise known as green onions or scallions. Adds the punchy, buttery notes of onions, but milder.
  • Feta: Briny, crumbly, creamy, and sharp. If you like cheese, feta is a must for Greek lettuce salad, as it adds massive amounts of flavour.

Now, every great salad needs a dressing! This adds a bunch of flavour to our maroulosalata, but it’s super undemanding — you only need a handful of pantry staples.

  • Olive oil: It’s crucial to use the best EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil) you can find. It should be fruity, “green,” slightly grassy, subtly nutty, and undeniably fresh.
  • Lemon: Citrusy and sour, it’s vital for any scrumptious salad dressing! I recommend using fresh lemon juice over bottled. Freshness is key for salads.
  • Garlic: Raw minced garlic is sharp and spicy, in a pleasant way.
  • Oregano: Rich and earthy, oregano echoes the citrusy flavours of lemon. You can use dried or fresh; dried is more potent.
  • Salt and black pepper: Essential for bringing out the best flavours from all our other ingredients. I love using freshly cracked salt and pepper!

🥒 Substitutions and Swaps (Fun & Allergy Friendly!)

Marouli salad is 100% gluten free, nut free, and soy free.

It’s not vegan or dairy-free due to the feta cheese. To make the Greek lettuce salad vegan-friendly, substitute cheese for plant-based feta (Violife have a Greek feta block) or crumbled tofu (you can marinate the tofu for better flavour!).

I love breaking the rules (🤫)! My favourite non-traditional ingredient additions are cucumber or radish for crunch and kalamata olives. Olives also work well as a swap for feta, since they add the same intensely briny, salty notes.

You can easily trade green onions for finely sliced shallots or red onions. Add slightly less, as they do have a more powerful taste. For the dressing, lemon juice can be exchanged for red wine or apple cider vinegar — but don’t even consider replacing the olive oil!

🧑‍🍳 How to Make Marouli Salad (Step-by-Step Photos)

Marouli salad dressing.

One: Mix olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and cracked black pepper in a small bowl.

Lettuce chopped into strips.

Two: Chop the lettuce. Some people prefer to shred the lettuce, but I like a thin chop.

Hand massaging lettuce in a bowl.

Three: Add the lettuce to a large bowl and massage to make the leaves tender.

Feta and spring onions added to lettuce.

Four: Add chopped herbs, spring onions, and crumbled feta to the bowl.

Marouli salad mixed.

Five: Mix all the salad ingredients together.

Pouring dressing over the salad.

Six: Drizzle over the dressing.

Dressing on the salad.

Seven: The dressing is added to the bowl.

Maroulosalata mixed in a bowl.

Eight: Mix the dressing into the salad.

The complete recipe (with ingredient quantities and instructions) can be found at the bottom of this page. You can also print the recipe, save the recipe, adjust the servings, and much more from there!

⭐ My Best Tips

Marouli salad is all about the lettuce — so it only makes sense that how you treat the lettuce makes or breaks the whole dish.

While tearing greens by hand is usually great advice (especially for spinach and arugula salad), this recipe calls for finely chopping the lettuce, as nice evenly-sized pieces make for a much better eating experience.

Plus, I include an extra step: massaging the lettuce. Most conventional recipes skip it, but it makes all the difference.

A quick massage retains the lettuce’s crunch, but tenderises it enough so that when we add the dressing, it “soaks into” the leaves, rather than falling right off. Yum!

Also, a top tip for salads in general: a salad spinner is worth investing in! My life became just that much easier, and I regret not buying one sooner. No more wet greens …

Maroulosalata in a bowl.

🫙Storing Greek Lettuce Salad

Like most salad dishes, this Mediterranean bowl is best served fresh.

If you want to make the salad in advance, I suggest storing it for two days at maximum. Any longer and you risk the lettuce becoming limp or the feta spoiling.

Load the salad ingredients (chopped lettuce, herbs, spring onions, and feta) into an airtight container. Mix the dressing in a separate jar, then stir through the salad before serving. This keeps the flavours freshest.

🥙Serving Suggestions

Marouli salad is the perfect sidekick for any number of Mediterranean dishes. To make a light lunch, serve the zesty salad alongside fried halloumi, mixed grilled vegetables, or crusty bread.

Vegetable souvlaki, moussaka, spanakopita (feta and spinach parcels), or vegetarian pastitsio with maroulosalata are hearty, satisfying options great for dinner.

I’m British, so it goes without saying that we love potatoes with anything and everything. I can confirm that roast potatoes or crispy chips (fries) are fantastic with marouli salad!

Feeding a crowd? This Greek lettuce salad is a fabulous addition to DIY buffet tables or salad bars. The dish will finish fast, so I suggest making double portions — you can adjust this on the recipe card!

If you tried this marouli salad recipe — or any other recipe on my website — please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know your thoughts in the ✍️ comments at the bottom of the page. Thanks for being a part of my community!

🥗Marouli Salad (Greek Lettuce Salad)

Ellanor
Marouli salad encapsulates everything that makes Greek food a favourite: bright, fresh, and zesty with lettuce, feta, and a herby dressing.
No ratings yet
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Salad Recipes
Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean
Servings 4 servings
Calories 212 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Greek Dressing Recipe

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
  • ½ small lemon juiced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon fine rock salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly cracked

For the Salad

  • 2 heads lettuce I used sweet gem, romaine is also great
  • 4 strands dill roughly chopped
  • 4 strands parsley roughly chopped
  • 3 spring onions sliced
  • 150 g feta cheese crumbled

Instructions
 

  • Make the dressing. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ small lemon (juiced), 3 cloves garlic (minced), ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon fine rock salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper (freshly cracked) to a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
  • Take 2 heads lettuce and wash, then dry (use a salad spinner!). Finely slice.
  • Add the lettuce to a bowl along with 4 strands dill (roughly chopped), 4 strands parsley (roughly chopped), 3 spring onions (sliced), and 150 g feta cheese (crumbled).
  • Mix the dressing into the salad. Toss well to combine and serve fresh.

Notes

If you don’t wish to serve the salad immediately, store the dressing in the fridge. Mix the dressing through only once you’re ready to serve. 

Nutrition

Calories: 212kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 8gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 605mgPotassium: 474mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1770IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 256mgIron: 2mg
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