Greek Dakos Salad - Rusk With Tomato & Cheese

Cretan dakos (ntakos) is one of the most popular Greek salads along with the classic Greek salad. It’s an appetizer / salad that you will find in the menu of most Greek tavernas with a few variations on the toppings and the cheese used depending on the region.

The dakos salad is really simple to prepare and doesn’t require any cooking. The key for a great salad is to use good quality ingredients, and that is ripe, juicy tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, good cheese and Greek barley rusks.

Why you should try my recipe

• Quick and easy to prepare.
• Ready in just 15 minutes.
• Perfect for a light lunch or as an appetizer.

Ingredients & How-to

To make this dakos salad we are going to need Greek barley rusks, tomatoes, cheese, olive oil, oregano and salt and then for the toppings you could use any of those: kalamata olives, capers, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar.

I recommend using ripe, juicy tomatoes for the best flavor, along with extra virgin olive oil. Traditionally, feta cheese or Cretan fresh myzithra is used, though the latter can be difficult to find outside of Greece. Alternatively, you can use goat cheese or a blend of feta and goat cheese.

There are tow different types of rusks you could use. One has a round shape and the other looks like a slice of bread, either one works for making dakos. You will also find the rusks in different sizes depending on the brand.

For full quantities check the recipe card down below.

01. The only part of making dakos that requires a bit of preparation is the tomatoes. I’m using two ripe, and juicy tomatoes. I grate one and add it to a bowl, while the other, I prefer to dice into cubes. Then, I mix everything together with a pinch of salt. Do not use much salt as the feta cheese and olives are usually salty.

02. To assemble, I place the dakos rusks on a plate and drizzle each with a tablespoon of water. Since the rusks are quite hard, the water softens them, making them easier to break with a fork or bite into. Then, I evenly spread the tomato mixture over the rusks. The tomato juice will also help soften them further.

03. The next layer is always the cheese. I’m crumbling feta cheese for some of the dakos and for the rest I’m using goats cheese since it’s difficult to get myzithra where I live.

04. For the toppings, you could keep it simple and just sprinkle some oregano and extra virgin olive oil. Some other toppings that people like to add to their dakos salad are pitted kalamata olives, capers and balsamic or wine vinegar.

Tips

• Add just a bit of salt to the tomatoes as the cheese and toppings are usually too salty on their own.
• Do not make the dakos ahead of time as the rusks will get too soft from the water and juices.

Variations

Greek barley rusks are one of the key ingredients for making dakos. If you can’t find any though, you could try using any rusk or toasted bread. Some different topping that I like to add on top of the cheese are

• kalamata olives
• capers
• oregano
• balsamic vinegar
• green onion slices

Serving suggestions

Dakos is considered an appetizer or salad but I often like to have it as a light meal on its own. It’s quite filling as it combines the carbs from the rusk and protein from the cheese.

If you are using small barley rusks, then you could serve it as finger food at gathernings, barbecues and parties with different toppings.

Storage

Dakos is one of those dishes that don’t do well if prepared ahead or to store any leftovers. The rusk is going to get very soft, like soggy bread.

FAQ

• What toppings can I use for dakos? You can keep it simple and just sprinkle some oregano, or you could add some olives or capers. If you like balsamic vinegar, tyou could drizzle some on top.

• What is the traditional cretan cheese on dakos? In Crete, they have a local cheese that they like to use in many salads, like dakos, and other dishes. It’s called myzithra or ksino-myzithra, and it’s basically a soft, white cheese that is made from sheep and goats milk and resembles a lot the soft goats cheese found in many stores abroad.