Is Greek Salad Halal?
Yes — this one is Halal.
Greek salad (horiatiki) is tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, green pepper and olives with a slab of feta, oregano and olive oil.
Photo: Armineaghayan · CC BY-SA 4.0
What decides the answer
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Salad with olive oil and feta made with microbial rennet
Halal -
Salad without feta
Halal -
Feta with animal rennet
see the cheese page -
Dressing with red wine vinegar
see the wine vinegar page
Why this ruling
A Greek salad – horiatiki, "village salad" – is chunks of ripe tomato, cucumber, red onion and green pepper with Kalamata olives, a thick slab of feta on top, a sprinkle of dried oregano and plenty of olive oil. There is no lettuce in the Greek original.[3] The vegetables, olives and oil are all Halal; two ingredients are worth knowing about.[1]
The feta
Feta is a protected cheese made in Greece from sheep's milk, with up to 30% goat's milk, and set with rennet. Traditional feta often uses animal rennet from lamb or kid; many brands now use microbial rennet and say so. The ruling depends on the rennet: microbial rennet or rennet from a Halal-slaughtered animal is Halal, pork rennet is not, and rennet from an animal not slaughtered Islamically is a difference between scholars.[2] See cheese. Salad without feta, or with feta labelled "microbial rennet", avoids the question.
The dressing
In Greece the salad is dressed with olive oil alone, sometimes with a splash of vinegar. Restaurants elsewhere often use a vinaigrette with red wine vinegar. Wine vinegar has its own page because scholars treat it differently; see red wine vinegar. Ask for olive oil and lemon if you prefer to avoid it.
What else is on a Greek table
Greek salad is served next to tzatziki, grilled fish and souvlaki. The meat dishes need their own check: souvlaki and gyros in Greece are often pork; see gyros. For Greek food in general, see the Greece guide.
How to verify
- Tomatoes, cucumber, onion, pepper, olives, oregano and olive oil are Halal.
- Feta is set with rennet; microbial or vegetable rennet is Halal, and animal rennet follows the cheese page.
- A dressing with red wine vinegar follows the wine vinegar page.
Quick checks
- What rennet is the feta made with?
- Does the dressing contain red wine vinegar?
- Are the olives cured in wine vinegar?
Frequently asked questions
Is Greek salad Halal?
Is feta made with animal rennet?
Are the olives Halal?
Is supermarket feta Halal?
Scholarly view
Vegetables, olives and olive oil are Halal. Feta follows the rennet rules on the cheese page, and red wine vinegar has its own page.
Sources
Named Islamic, certifier, manufacturer, and regulatory sources used on this page. Inline markers like [1] jump here. Retrieval dates show when we last checked the live URL. Editorial methodology.
Islamic / scriptural
Context / background
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Wikipedia Retrieved
Culinary identity: Greek salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, feta and olives, dressed with oregano, lemon juice and olive oil. Identity context, not a Halal certificate.
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