Mediterranean cucumber salad is a light and refreshing side salad to pair with your favorite summertime meals. This quick and easy side dish is delicious and a great way to get your veggies in!
This cucumber tomato salad recipe is a great alternative to your typical green salad. It pairs nicely with a wide variety of proteins, and can be made into an entrée all on its own (see the ‘Recipe Variations and Substitutions’ section).
So what makes this a Mediterranean salad? A few of the key ingredients, such as the kalamata olives, feta cheese, and olive oil are all staples of the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. A few fun facts for you: feta cheese originates from Greece. Italy and Spain are the world’s top two olive producers. And Spain, Italy, and Greece are the top three exporters of olive oil.
Make sure to add these ingredients to your weekly shopping (or Farmer’s Market) list so you can enjoy this delicious Mediterranean cucumber salad today!
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love This Mediterranean Tomato Cucumber Salad Recipe
- Ingredients Needed
- Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Step-By-Step Instructions
- How to Serve Mediterranean Cucumber Salad
- Possible Dietary Restrictions?
- Storage
- Helpful Equipment
- Recipe FAQs
- Love This Recipe? You May Also Enjoy
- 📖 Mediterranean Cucumber Salad
Why You’ll Love This Mediterranean Tomato Cucumber Salad Recipe
Quick and easy side dish option. This easy vegetable side dish is ready in about 20 minutes. Chopping up your veggies is the toughest part.
Light, fresh, and full of flavor! You can really taste all the ingredients in this light and fresh tomato cucumber feta salad.
Great for parties or day-to-day enjoyment! This cucumber Mediterranean salad is a great healthy healthy side dish to bring to potlucks or tailgates. Add it a spread at a bridal or baby shower. Or make a batch to enjoy with your family alongside your favorite protein.
Ingredients Needed
- English Cucumber – English cucumbers have a thinner skin, fewer and smaller seeds (no deseeding needed!), and a slightly sweeter taste than regular cucumbers. They are the perfect choice for this Mediterranean cucumber salad with feta cheese and tomatoes.
- Cherry Tomatoes – Cherry tomatoes are sweet, juicy, and packed with flavor. I personally like using these because they’re easy to slice in half and toss in your salad.
- Red Onion – Red onions deliver a milder flavor, and are enjoyed by many raw, making them great for salads.
- Kalamata Olives – Adds a briny, juicy, bitter-sweet pop to this salad. Kalamata olives are a staple in Mediterranean foods.
- Crumbled Feta Cheese – Adds a nice, salty, and creamy pop to this light and fresh salad recipe. Another staple in Mediterranean cooking.
- Fresh Parsley – You can use either flat leaf or curly leaf parsley in this salad recipe. Whichever you prefer, or have easy access to in your garden, market, or grocery store.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, White Wine Vinegar, Salt, and Pepper – Used to make a quick and easy homemade vinaigrette (along with the fresh parsley).
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Use larger-sized, heirloom tomatoes. This is a great salad recipe to use those gorgeous heirloom tomatoes in when they’re in season! Cut the tomatoes into smaller, bite-sized wedges when preparing them for your salad.
- Add chickpeas. Want to add some protein to your Mediterranean cucumber salad? Drain and rinse 1, 15oz can of chickpeas and mix them in! This is a great option if you’d like to enjoy this Mediterranean salad as a main dish. A great option for a light lunch!
- Add lemon juice. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice onto your salad (either in the serving dish, or over individual servings) for a pop of freshness.
- Try different fresh herbs. You can add additional herbs to this recipe, try different herbs, or create your own mix! Other fresh herbs you could try include basil, mint, dill, or cilantro.
- Add a grain. If you’d like to extend your tomato cucumber feta salad, try mixing in cooked and chilled grains. Pearl couscous, orzo pasta, or quinoa would all be good options.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Note: you can also shake all ingredients together in a small jar.
- Make the salad. Place chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, parsley, and feta into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Pour dressing over the vegetables and stir until all vegetables have been coated.
- Let salad marinate. Let the dressed salad sit for 10-15 minutes (either at room temperature or in the fridge, based on personal preference) to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Stir, serve and enjoy!
How to Serve Mediterranean Cucumber Salad
This cucumber and tomato salad is a great summer side salad for a variety of dishes. A few ideas include:
- Serve with grilled chicken or fish.
- As a side dish for BBQ chicken.
- Bring this Mediterranean cucumber salad along as a side dish for a picnic.
- Enjoy as a light lunch (see ‘Recipe Variations and Substitutions’ section for how you can add more protein and make this into a great vegetarian main dish).
Possible Dietary Restrictions?
This Mediterranean cucumber and tomato salad recipe is vegetarian and gluten free as written. One quick swap can make this into a vegan and dairy free salad too:
- To make this healthy cucumber salad vegan and dairy free, simply leave out the feta
Storage
This salad is best when eaten within 24 hours of making. However, leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Helpful Equipment
Using a large mixing bowl to stir everything together helps prevent things from flying over the edge.
I almost exclusively shake up homemade dressings in a mason jar, but you can also whisk everything together in a small mixing bowl if preferred.
Be sure to have a sharp chef’s knife to chop your veggies!
Recipe FAQs
Adding salt to cucumber slices can help to draw out the extra moisture in the vegetable (through a process called osmosis).
To do this, simply toss your sliced cucumber with a pinch or two of salt. Place the salted cucumber slices in a colander or strainer for 20-30 minutes to release water. Most of the excess salt will flow off with the liquid, but if desired, rinse the cucumber with cold water before tossing into your salad.
There is no need to peel a cucumber for salad (just be sure to rinse them well). Leaving the peel on helps to maximize the nutrient content of the vegetable, helping you add fiber, vitamins, and minerals to your diet.
An English cucumber (also known as seedless cucumbers) has a thinner skin, fewer and smaller seeds, and a slightly sweeter taste than regular cucumbers. They are also long and straight in shape.
Standard cucumbers are generally shorter, have a thick and dark skin, and very large seeds.
Love This Recipe? You May Also Enjoy
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📖 Mediterranean Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 large English cucumber, washed and diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoon minced red onion (about ⅛ of a small red onion)
- ¼ C chopped parsley (curly leaf or flat leaf)
- ¼ C crumbled feta cheese
- ⅓ C halved Kalamata olives
Dressing
- ¼ C olive oil
- 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Make the dressing by stirring together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.*
- Make the salad by placing the chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, parsley, and feta into a large mixing bowl and stirring to combine.
- Pour dressing over the vegetables and stir until all vegetables have been coated.
- Let the dressed salad marinate for 10-15 minutes (either at room temperature or in the fridge, based on personal preference) to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Stir, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Use larger-sized, heirloom tomatoes: this is a great salad recipe to use those gorgeous heirloom tomatoes in when they’re in season! Cut the tomatoes into smaller, bite-sized wedges when preparing them for your salad.
- Add chickpeas: want to add some protein to your Mediterranean cucumber salad? Drain and rinse 1, 15oz can of chickpeas and mix them in! This is a great option if you’d like to enjoy this Mediterranean salad as a main dish. A great option for a light lunch!
- Add lemon juice: squeeze some fresh lemon juice onto your salad (either in the serving dish, or over individual servings) for a pop of freshness.
- Try different fresh herbs: you can add additional herbs to this recipe, try different herbs, or create your own mix! Other fresh herbs you could try include basil, mint, or cilantro.
- Add a grain: if you’d like to extend your tomato cucumber feta salad, try mixing in cooked and chilled grains. Pearl couscous, orzo pasta, or quinoa would all be good options.
Victoria says
Since my garden is producing so many cucumbers this year, I have been trying different cucumber salad recipes and this one is a winner! I added a little more feta than the recipe called for, and also added the fresh squeezed lemon juice. I will make this again and again! Thank you!
ourlovelanguageisfood says
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed this cucumber salad Victoria! Extra feta is always good in my book 🙂
Constance says
Like
ourlovelanguageisfood says
so glad to hear you liked this recipe – thank you!