Cretan Dakos Salad: Easy Greek Bruschetta Recipe

Traditional Cretan Dakos Salad is more like a Greek Bruschetta than a salad.

Come to think of it, many Greek appetizer recipes are called “salads,” but don’t resemble what I think of as a salad. I’ve accepted that in Greek cuisine, a salad can take many different forms.

That being said, at the end of this Dakos recipe, I will tell you how to turn a traditional Dakos into something that is more like a typical salad. It may well become your new favorite salad!

Why make Cretan Dakos Salad?

Cretan Dakos Salad, aka Greek Bruschetta

Dakos Salad is Delicious

Packed with fresh ingredients like tomatoes, feta cheese, olives, and olive oil, this Greek snack offers a burst of Mediterranean flavors in every bite. 

Cretan Dakos Is Easy

This easy-to-make traditional Greek salad requires very little chopping and prep work. From start to finish, it can be completed in about 10 minutes. 

Greek Bruschetta Is Beautiful

Although Greek Bruschetta is quite simple, it is also quite photogenic. With vibrant red tomatoes contrasting with the white cheeses, this simple salad brings together the essence of Greek cooking in a single dish.

Dakos Is Unique

Most Americans have heard of Italian Bruschetta. But if for no other reason than Dakos’ rusks being made from barley flour, this traditional dish from the Greek island of Crete is rare to find in the United States.

Ingredients for a Traditional Dakos Salad Recipe

Feta cheese, dried oregano, and Kalamata olives, a few ingredients in our Cretan Dakos Salad recipe

Since there are only a handful of ingredients in Dakos, each element contributes greatly to the dish. After the list of ingredients, there are some pro tips on what to look for when obtaining your ingredients for this recipe. 



Greek Dakos Salad Ingredients

3 large ripe tomatoes

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup mizithra cheese

4 barley rusks

⅓ cup chopped red onion

1 tablespoon capers

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ cup Kalamata olives, quartered

Tomatoes

Consider splurging for heirloom tomatoes when they are in season.

Tomatoes are perhaps the most essential element in this Cretan salad recipe.

For best results, use very ripe, juicy tomatoes. Do not use hard tomatoes.

Feta Cheese

Splurge for high-quality Greek feta cheese. I love its creamy texture and salty flavor. Adding a little bit of a softer cheese can help the cheese mixture stay on top of the tomatoes.

Mizithra Cheese

This is a traditional Greek dish, so I add the Cretan cheese mizithra (sometimes spelled myzithra) as the softer cheese component. I’ve seen a few Dakos recipes call for ricotta cheese or even cream cheese to replace the soft mizithra cheese. However, if you don’t have to make the substitution, don’t; mizithra is definitely the best way to go. Or sub with one of the items from our Greek Cheese List!

Barley Rusks

Choose traditional barley rusks for an authentic touch. In Cretan cuisine, this hard double-baked bread is a staple. 

The rusks are similar to a popular Italian breakfast pastry, fette biscottate, which are usually a wheat rusk instead of whole grain barley. And if you’ve had breakfast in Italy, you know these should be dunked before eating or you risk breaking a tooth. 

The Greek barley rusk is no different: Do not skip the soaking step!

Some Mediterranean grocery stores carry barley husks, as does Amazon. If you don’t have access to rusks, I’ll provide a few alternative options below.

Red Onions

Red onions add a pop of color and a touch of zing to enhance the tomato mixture. Fresh onions that have a little crunch are best.

Capers

Capers are very popular on Crete and contribute a tanginess and complexity to this traditional dish. Use small capers, not the large caper berries that you sometimes find in Mediterranean cuisine.

Olive Oil

At the center of the Mediterranean diet, olive oil is essential in any Greek kitchen. Olive oil is basically your dressing, so make sure you use a delicious extra virgin olive oil. If you’re unsure, put a dab on a spoon and do a taste test before using.

Black Pepper


Even a good quality black pepper is imperative. If pepper is too old, it can smell like horse. And although this is a recipe born in the countryside, you don’t want your Dakos to have the aroma of a barn.

Oregano

I love fresh herbs, and in particular, fresh oregano, but it’s not often available. If you have Greek oregano, that’s perfect. Otherwise, regular dried oregano will do.

Black Olives

Again, in keeping with the cuisine of Greece, I stick with Kalamata olives. To me, they have so much more of a briny flavor than regular black olives do.

Dakos Recipe Instructions and Tips

Olives for Greek Dakos may be left whole.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Authentic Dakos is so easy to make. If you’re familiar with traditional Cretan barley rusks, you can pretty much look at a photo of the Dakos Salad and figure out how to make it at home. 

In case you’re not familiar with barley rusks, I’ve listed the steps for putting together your Dakos below. But keep in mind that the tips that follow are the most important part of this Greek recipe!

1. With a box grater, grate the ripe tomatoes onto a strainer that you have positioned atop a bowl. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and set them aside to let them drain. Retain the tomato juices that drip into the bowl.

2. In a separate small mixing bowl, mix the crumbled feta with mizithra cheese and set aside.

3. Dip both sides of the Cretan rusk into the tomato juices that have collected in your bowl.

4. Place the rusks on your serving plate.

5. In a separate bowl, add the tomatoes, red onion, black pepper, capers, and olive oil together.

6. Top each rusk with 1/4 cup of the grated tomato mixture.

7. Top the tomato mixture with the cheese mixture, about 1 tablespoon of cheese for each rusk.

8. Sprinkle cheese with oregano.

9. Top with Kalamata olives.

Soaking essentials

Soaking the dry barley rusks is the most critical step. First, I prefer to soak with the flavorful tomato juices, whereas some chefs use cold water. For me, there’s no comparison; tomato juice is the way to go.

Second, if you don’t soak the rusks enough, someone could be injured. If you soak them too much, the rusks can become soggy. If you soak them just right, you will have a delicious Greek Bruschetta. 

Each brand of rusk is different. Start by soaking a barley rusk in the tomato juices for just a few seconds on each side and test with a tooth pick. It should be able to poke through, but with a slight resistance. 

Layering Technique

When assembling my Cretan salad, I like to have three main layers: the tomato mixture, the cheese mixture, and the olives. Some chefs prefer to layer each individual ingredient separately, but I highly recommend otherwise.

Mixing the tomatoes with the onions, capers, and olive oil first not only brings all those flavors together, but it helps the mix to stay on the rusk.

Presentation Tips

Like the famous Roman dish bruschetta, Dakos is quite beautiful on its own, with the vibrant red of the fresh tomatoes standing out in the assembled collage of colors. However, there’s always a few things you can to do kick things up a notch. 

You can finish off by drizzling another bit of olive oil over the assembled ingredients for a glossy finish. In addition, scattering a few fresh sprigs of herbs like oregano leaves on the plate can do wonders.

Dakos Barley Rusk Alternatives

Barley rusks have been an integral part of Cretan gastronomy for a long time, but if you can’t find them, I have a few alternatives.

Other Rusks

Although this traditional Cretan salad uses round barley rusks, if you aren’t in Greece, no one will be the wiser if you need to use another kind of rusk. 

Different kinds of rusks include wheat, sourdough, or rye rusks. Just make sure the ones you choose are savory and not sweet.

Crostini

Toasted bread or crostini really brings this Greek dish closer to the bruschetta of Italian cuisine. Crostini is a crunchy bread that you don’t have to worry about soaking. 

A dense hardy bread sliced thick will most closely resemble the Cretan dry barley rusk. Pop the fresh bread slices into the oven at 375° until golden brown before topping.

Gluten-Free Dakos

If you follow a gluten-free diet, fear not! There are several alternatives you can use in place of barley rusks that don’t contain wheat flour.

Rice cakes make an excellent gluten-free substitute, offering a light and crispy base for your salad. Gluten-free crackers are widely available and come in various flavors to enhance the overall taste of the dish. Skip the soaking step if you choose either of these gluten-free alternatives.

Serving Cretan Dakos Salad

Serve Dakos as an appetizer or with Mediterranean dishes.

Dakos Appetizer

Serve Cretan Dakos Salad as you would Italian Bruschetta, as a refreshing appetizer to kick off your meal. This light and healthy dish is perfect for starting a Mediterranean-inspired feast.

Dakos as a Meal

A couple of Dakos can be filling enough for a light meal or snack. 

Dakos also makes a great side dish to other Mediterranean dishes like these:
Mediterranean Lamb Chops
Greek Meat Pies
Lebanese Bulgur Wheat
Turkish Urfa Kebabs

Pairing Wine with Dakos Salad

If you don’t have a Greek wine on hand, consider pairing Cretan Dakos Salad with a crisp white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or a relatively light red wine such as Pinot Noir. The acidity of the tomatoes and the richness of the olive oil in the salad harmonize beautifully with these wine choices.

For a non-alcoholic option, try serving your Dakos with a glass of sparkling water infused with lemon or cucumber for a refreshing twist.

Make your Greek Dakos into a Typical Salad


In Tuscan cuisine, there are many recipes based on using up stale bread, which has a consistency similar to that of rusks. One of those recipes makes the best salad: Italian Panzanella. In a similar fashion, we can turn Greek Dakos into a salad that’s served in a salad bowl rather than as a finger food.

Make this Panzanella Salad next!

Just a few ingredients need slight adjustments to turn this hand-held appetizer into a more traditional salad. Then add all the ingredients to a large bowl and toss. For a more complete meal, consider adding a protein like shrimp or shredded chicken.

Tomatoes

Instead of grating the tomatoes, I use cherry tomatoes and simply cut them in half. 

Barley Rusks

You can use the barley rusks and break them into bite-size pieces, or do the same with any type of bread you choose. If you go with a bread, I like a crusty bread like sourdough, or even a bakery-style whole wheat bread.

The Dressing


In addition to olive oil, I like to squeeze a lemon on top of the salad. Red wine vinegar can replace the lemon if you prefer.

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