This easy Mediterranean Cucumber Salad is fresh and delicious, with chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions, topped with fresh herbs, tangy feta cheese, and a sweet honey vinaigrette. Ready in just 15 minutes, it's great for potlucks and summer and pairs perfectly with grilled chicken, steak, or burgers.
In This Post
Why I Love This Recipe
This simple veggie salad is so good and is one of my favorite ways to enjoy the vibrant flavors of a Mediterranean diet. Here's why I love it:
- Easy. This salad packs maximum flavor with minimum effort. Just chop up a few fresh veggies, toss them together with a simple and zesty dressing, and you're done in less than 15 minutes. Easy peasy.
- Perfect texture. Crunchy cucumbers, the soft bite of the tomatoes, and the creamy fetta cheese give this salad the perfect texture in every bite.
- Light and fresh. This healthy, simple cucumber salad is cool and bursting with fresh flavor.
- Great summer side. Tomato cucumber salad is perfect for a light side or a potluck gathering. I love pairing this with Grilled Mediterranean Chicken, my Grilled Lemon Chicken, Mediterranean Turkey Meatloaf, or even my recipe for Meatloaf With Lipton Onion Soup Mix. It's an easy salad recipe that's perfect for a family dinner or a light and healthy option for summer lunch.
Key Ingredients
This cucumber tomato salad takes just a few easy ingredients to make. Here's what you'll need.
- Fresh cucumbers. Crisp cucumber is the main ingredient in this simple salad. I prefer using English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers for their thin skins and minimal seeds. They add a cool, crisp texture to the salad.
- Cherry tomatoes. These juicy tomatoes burst with flavor and are sweeter than larger tomatoes. Grape tomatoes also work well.
- Red onion. Thinly sliced red onion adds a sharp, tangy bite that balances the sweetness of the tomatoes.
- Feta cheese. Crumbled feta adds a creamy, salty touch.
- Fresh herbs. Fresh parsley and fresh mint add a burst of freshness to the salad.
- Zesty dressing. The dressing for this salad has a zesty, but sweet flavor that makes this salad shine.
How to Make Mediterranean Cucumber Salad
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, dried oregano, honey, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Prepare the vegetables. Chop the cucumbers (no need to peel them), halve the cherry tomatoes, thinly slice the red onion, and add all of it to a large bowl.
- Add the herbs. Chop the fresh parsley and mint and add them to the bowl of veggies.
- Add the dressing. Drizzle the dressing over the top of the veggies and toss well to combine.
- Add the feta. Sprinkle the top of the salad with the chopped feta.
- Chill. This salad tastes great cold. I like to chill it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes (or up to several hours) before serving to allow the flavors to blend and for it to get as cold as possible.
Variations and Substitutions
This salad is perfect, but it's also totally customizable. Here are a few ways to mix it up.
- Bell peppers. Add some diced bell pepper for extra crunch and color.
- Olives. I didn't have any olives when I made this salad, but I love it with briny Kalamata olives or green olives for an extra burst of Mediterranean flavor.
- Chickpeas. For added protein, toss in some garbanzo beans. (Similar to my sweeter Chickpea Cucumber And Feta Salad.)
- Basil. Fresh basil can be used instead of mint for a different herbal note.
- Tomato varieties: Cherry tomatoes are easy to prepare, but Roma tomatoes or larger tomatoes cut into small pieces can replace cherry tomatoes if that's what you have on hand.
- Add some zest. A touch of lemon zest would add a nice pop of color and some bright flavor to this Mediterranean salad recipe.
- Cheese. For a vegan salad, skip the feta or use a dairy-free alternative.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yep! This salad has the best flavor when it has time to chill in the refrigerator for at least 15-20 minutes. It can be prepared a few hours in advance and stored in an airtight container.
This dressing has a zesty but sweet flavor and compliments the cool cucumber and tomatoes perfectly. But, a simple Greek salad dressing with lemon juice, olive oil, and oregano is a great choice. You can also try a vinaigrette made with apple cider vinegar or lime juice for a different tang.
To avoid excess water, you can place cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle them with a little salt, letting them sit for about 10 minutes before assembling the salad. Rinse with cold water and pat dry to remove excess salt.
This Mediterranean cucumber salad is a versatile side dish that pairs well with lots of main courses. Serve it as a side salad alongside grilled chicken, fish, or lamb for a complete meal, or as a side to pasta (goes great with my Dump and Bake Casserole With Frozen Meatballs or this simple Black Truffle Pasta. It's also a wonderful addition to summer lunches or picnics. For a more substantial meal, you can toss this salad with cooked quinoa or couscous.
If you try this Simple Chopped Mediterranean Cucumber Salad Recipe With Tomatoes, let me know what you think of it in the comments below. And don't forget to tag me @frontrangefed on Instagram with a pic of your masterpiece!
More Easy Salad Recipes
- Pear, Arugula And Goat Cheese Salad
- Kale Crunch Salad Recipe
- Burrata Salad With Cherries And Hot Honey
- Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe With Goat Cheese And Candied Walnuts
- Nectarine And Quinoa Salad With Feta
- Chickpea Salad With Veggies And Dill Dressing
- Peach Caprese Salad With Roasted Pistachios
- Healthy Chicken, Pomegranate, And Arugula Crunch Salad
- Chopped Zucchini Salad With Parmesan And Herbs
Recipe
Chopped Mediterranean Cucumber Salad With Tomato
Ingredients
For The Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon honey
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
For The Cucumber Salad
- 3 cucumbers chopped
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- ¼ cup fresh mint chopped
Instructions
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, dried oregano, honey, salt, and pepper.
- Prepare the Vegetables. Chop the cucumber by slicing it down the middle lengthwise, then slicing each half down the middle again to form quarters. Slice each quarter into pieces. Halve the cherry tomatoes, then thinly slice the red onion.
- Chop the fresh parsley and mint. and add them to the veggies.
- Drizzle the dressing over the top of the salad and toss gently to combine the ingredients.
- Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese over the top of the salad.
- Chill the salad in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- This salad tastes best after letting it chill for about 15-20 minutes.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
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JennW says
Great recipe! I needed a salad FAST for Sunday dinner. The person bringing a salad got sick and didn't bother to tell me until right before dinner started. I scrambled to find items in the fridge. Then put in the ingredients into google and found your recipe. It was perfect! And best of all, it got a ton of praise from the Sunday dinner crowd. I changed it up just a little and tossed in some sliced black olives. So good.Thanks for the recipe.
Sarah Jenkins says
Thank you! And I LOVE the addition of black olives - good thinking!