Dakos – Cretan Barley Rusk salad
The delicious Cretan Barley Rusk salad has taken the internet by storm! Made with ripe juicy tomatoes, delicious Greek Feta, dried oregano, olives, and a little olive oil on top! Simple and fresh ingredients perfectly come together to create the Cretan Dako or Ntako salad!

What ingredients can you add on a Dako salad?
This recipe is how my grandma from Crete, Ierapetra used to make Dako Salad. The ingredients she used are: Barley Rusk (Kritharokouloura), Olive oil, Olives, Feta or Xinomyzithra, and oregano. Additional ingredients that can also be added are: Bell green pepper, cappers, onion, and garlic.
If you are ever in Crete try to find a tavern that makes Dakos with Xinomyzithra. Feta is great but with Xinomyzithra is simply amazing!

How can you serve Dakos salad?
Dakos salad is a very popular appetizer or meze in Crete and rarely being served as a salad. It can also be eaten as a full meal since it has protein (feta), vegetables (tomato), and healthy carbs (Burley Rusk)!




Dakos – Cretan Barley Rusk salad
Ingredients:
- 1 Barley Rusk (precut in half)
- 100g Feta or Cretan Xinomyzithra, crumbled
- 1 Tomato, grated
- 1 Tomato, cubed
- 4 Τbsp Olive oil, divided
- 6 Black Olives
- 2 pinches of dried Oregano
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions:
- Place the Barley Rusk halves on a plate and add on top of it 2 Tbsp of Olive oil, for each half, the grated tomato followed by the cubed tomato, and a pinch of salt.
- Add the crumbled Feta, a pinch of dried oregano, and top it with 2 Tbsp of Olive oil and 3 Kalamata Olives for each half.
- This Dako salad can also be served as a meze (starter).
Notes:
If the Barley Rusk is very tough you can dip it in water before you start topping it off. Don’t soak it in water just a small dip is enough to soften it.
- Recipes, Greek Traditional, Salad
- appetizer, barley rusk, cretan barley rusk salad, cretan recipe, easy salad, feta, olive oil, olives, oregano, tomato
- CUISINE: Greek Traditional
- Recipe by: Christina Karagianni
Did you make this recipe? Or are you planning to make it? Let me know in the comments below, tag me on Instagram @freshpiato or show me your photos on Pinterest!