Crisp cucumbers, sweet cherry tomatoes, and quick-pickled red onion tossed in a simple red wine vinaigrette. This is my go-to salad when I want something fresh on the table without turning on the stove, and it comes together in about 20 minutes start to finish.
More Summer Salads
The Keys to Nailing This Recipe
This is an easy salad, but there’s a short window where it’s at its best. Get these three things right and you’ll hit it every time.
✦ Salt your tomatoes lightly. A pinch draws out their sweetness and helps them season the dressing from the inside.
✦ Let the onion sit in lemon juice first. Ten minutes takes the harsh bite out so it doesn’t run over everything else in the bowl.
✦ Use an English cucumber. Thin skin, small seeds, less water. No peeling and no scooping needed.
The Dressing
Four ingredients do the real work here, and one of them is going in at a ratio you might not expect.
Use equal parts vinegar and oil. Most vinaigrettes run three parts oil to one part vinegar. Cucumbers and tomatoes are mild and full of water, so a standard vinaigrette disappears into them. The extra acidity is what keeps this salad tasting like something.
Red wine vinegar is best. It’s bright and a little fruity, and it works with the tomatoes instead of over them. Three swaps if you don’t have it on hand:
- Lemon juice for the freshest, most citrus-forward version
- White wine vinegar for something a touch milder
- Apple cider vinegar for a slightly sweeter, rounder finish
Don’t skip the honey. One teaspoon isn’t there to sweeten the salad. It pulls the sweetness out of the tomatoes and takes the sharp edge off the vinegar.
Garlic, salt, and pepper round the whole thing out, and a pinch of red pepper flakes adds a little heat at the back end if you want it.
How to Make Cucumber Tomato Salad
There’s no cooking here, so the whole thing is prep and timing. Start with the onion and everything else falls into place while it sits.
1. Quick-pickle the red onion
Thinly slice half a small red onion and toss it with a tablespoon of lemon juice in a medium bowl. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.
This is the step I feel strongest about. Raw red onion has a sharp, lingering bite that takes over a salad this mild. Ten minutes in acid softens it and turns it a nice pink at the same time.
2. Prep the vegetables
Halve a pint of cherry or grape tomatoes and slice the cucumber into half moons. Chop the parsley. Add everything to a large bowl along with the onion and whatever lemon juice is left in it.
Thicker Slices: Cut the cucumber a little thicker than you think you need. Thin slices go limp fast.
3. Whisk the dressing
In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper until it comes together.
Taste it on its own before it goes anywhere near the salad. It should taste slightly too sharp by itself, because the vegetables will soften it.
4. Toss and top
Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss gently until everything is coated. Top with crumbled feta if you’re using it and serve.
Add the feta at the end rather than tossing it in. It breaks down and clouds the dressing if it gets stirred around too much.
Variations and Add-Ins
This salad takes to changes well, so treat the recipe as a starting point.
Swap the herbs: Parsley is what I use most, but dill, mint, and oregano are all good here. Dill leans it Greek, mint makes it taste even fresher, and oregano works well if you’re already adding feta.
Make it a meal: Chickpeas, quinoa, or farro turn this from a side into lunch. Add them once the vegetables are dressed so they pick up some of the vinaigrette.
Lean Mediterranean: Kalamata olives alongside the feta take it in an obvious direction, and it’s a good one. Diced avocado is the other add-in worth trying, though it adds creaminess rather than brightness so use a light hand.
What to Serve It With
This goes with nearly everything, which is most of why I make it so often. My favorite pairing is grilled chicken or salmon, where the salad does the work of a side and a sauce at the same time and the whole plate stays light.
It’s also the thing I bring when someone tells me to just bring a side.
Try with…
Storage and Make-Ahead
To store: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The cucumbers will soften, so it won’t be quite what it was on day one, but it’s still good.
Make-ahead: Prep the vegetables and whisk the dressing up to a day in advance, but store them separately. Pour the dressing on just before serving and you’ll get the same result as making it fresh.
Salting the cucumbers: If you’re prepping ahead, this is worth doing. Toss the cucumber slices with ¼ teaspoon of salt and set them in a colander over a bowl for 15 to 30 minutes, then pat them dry with a paper towel to pull off the excess moisture and salt. If you’re serving right away, skip it.
Freezing: Don’t. Cucumbers and tomatoes both turn to mush once thawed.
Yes, and plenty of people do. You’ll lose the control over acidity that makes this version work, and most bottled dressings run sweeter and more heavily seasoned than what’s here. If you go that route, use less than you think you need and add more after tossing.
The homemade version takes about two minutes, so it’s worth trying at least once.
Partly. Drain off the liquid in the bottom of the bowl, then add a small splash of fresh olive oil and vinegar and a pinch of salt to bring the seasoning back. The cucumbers won’t crisp back up, but it’ll taste right again. Next time, hold the dressing until you’re 30 minutes out.
You can. Regular cucumbers have thicker skin and bigger seeds, both of which work against you here. Peel the cucumber, slice it lengthwise, and scrape the seeds out with a spoon before cutting your half moons. That gets you most of the way there.
More Summer Sides and Salads
- Cowboy Caviar
- Macaroni Pasta Salad
- Country Creamy Coleslaw
- How To Grill Corn In The Husk
- Summer Fresh Burst Fruit Salad
Recipe
Cucumber Tomato Salad
Ingredients
Method
- Add the red onion and lemon juice to a medium bowl and toss to combine. Let the onion sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, and the onion along with any remaining lemon juice to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using, until well combined. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Add red pepper flakes if using.
- Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
- Top with feta, if using, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Dress it late: Add the dressing no more than 30 minutes before serving. The vegetables start releasing water as soon as it goes on.
- Don’t skip the onion soak: Ten minutes in lemon juice takes the sharp bite out of raw red onion and turns it pink.
- English Cucumbers are best: Thin skin and small seeds mean no peeling, no seeding, and less water in the bowl. Regular cucumbers work, but you should peel, halve lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds before slicing.
- Vinegar swaps: Lemon juice, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar all stand in for red wine vinegar.
- 1:1 ratio: Equal parts vinegar and oil give enough acidity to carry mild, watery vegetables.
- Making it ahead: Prep the vegetables and dressing separately up to a day in advance and combine just before serving.
- Salting for make-ahead: Toss cucumber slices with ¼ teaspoon salt, drain in a colander 15 to 30 minutes, then pat dry. Only needed if prepping ahead.
- Add-ins: Chickpeas, quinoa, or farro make it a meal. Olives and feta lean it Mediterranean. Diced avocado adds creaminess.
- Herb swaps: Dill, mint, or oregano in place of parsley.
- Storage: Up to 2 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Don’t freeze it.
Comments
No Comments