Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Combine two summer favorites and a simple vinaigrette to create this refreshing cucumber tomato salad. It’s the perfect easy side to pair with just about any entrée!
How long it takes: 15 minutes (plus 15 minutes marinating)
Equipment you’ll need: bowl, whisk
Servings: 4
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Pin ItAn Easy Summer Salad
It’s a warm summer evening and you’ve got dinner on the grill. So what do you serve on the side with your grilled chicken thighs or California burger? One of my favorite options are easy make-ahead salads that can be in the fridge, ready to go when the grilling’s done—and this cucumber tomato salad is perfect!
This is a salad recipe that keeps things simple because with fresh summer produce, there’s no need to make it complicated! Juicy vine-ripened tomatoes are tossed with crisp cucumber and red onion, with a tangy red wine vinaigrette and fresh herbs. It’s light, refreshing, and the flavors work well with all kinds of mains, from honey garlic pork chops to air fryer salmon.
Simple Cucumber Tomato Salad Recipe
A cinch to put together. I don’t like to spend a lot of time cooking in the summer, and I’m sure you don’t either, so I appreciate that this salad takes just a few minutes to assemble, and I can make it ahead of time if I need to. It actually tastes better if you give it at least a half hour or so to marinate.
Fresh, seasonal ingredients. This is a great farmers’ market salad to add to your menu at the peak of the season, when you know you’ll be able to easily find all the ingredients you need from local farmers. This recipe is a perfect way to showcase the superior flavor of in-season tomatoes. If you can get your hands on colorful heirloom tomatoes, even better!
Light and hydrating. Cucumbers and tomatoes both contain a lot of water, which is what makes this Mediterranean-style salad so refreshing on a summer day. It’s crisp, cool, and light! It won’t make you feel overly full like rich potato salad or pasta salads.
Ingredient Notes
- Olive oil and red wine vinegar: These two ingredients form the base of the vinaigrette. You can swap in another vinegar if you’d like, but I love a red wine vinaigrette, especially with fresh herbs. White wine vinegar would be my second choice, or a white balsamic vinegar.
- Salt and black pepper: I use kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Tomatoes: If you use large tomatoes, squeeze out the pulpy seeds to keep your cucumber tomato salad from getting too juicy or soupy.
- English cucumber: Any tender-skinned cucumber will work (and you don’t have to peel them!). If you want to use regular garden cucumbers, you’ll probably want to peel them first, then slice them in half lengthwise and scoop the seeds out with a spoon.
- Red onion: Onion adds a pungent bite to balance the sweetness and acidity of the salad. The strong flavor of the onion is tempered by briefly marinating it in the vinaigrette.
- Fresh parsley and dill: Sometimes fresh herbs are added as an optional garnish to recipes, but they are essential to this simple salad, and I wouldn’t skip them.
How to Make Cucumber Tomato Salad
Make the dressing. Whisk the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl large enough to contain the entire salad.
Add the onions. Stir in the onions and set the bowl aside while you prep the rest of the salad. This step has two purposes: it infuses the dressing with flavor and mellows the bite of the onions. It’s similar to a quick pickle (like my pickled red onions).
Prep the rest of the ingredients. Rinse and trim the tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh herbs. Chop the tomatoes and cucumbers into similarly-sized pieces, small enough so they’ll fit comfortably on a fork. I quarter the cucumbers lengthwise, then dice the quarters about ¼ inch thick. Add the chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and minced herbs to the bowl with the dressing, and gently toss. Taste the salad to check the seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
Marinate. Cover the bowl and let the salad sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes, or refrigerate for up to a day before serving. If the salad is chilled, take it out of the refrigerator 15 minutes ahead of time so it can warm up a little before serving it.
Easy Recipe Variations
- Add more veggies. Sliced bell peppers and radishes will add extra texture and flavor to this cucumber tomato salad. If you add a lot of extra vegetables, be sure to make extra vinaigrette, too.
- Sweeten it. If your tomatoes are on the acidic side, you can whisk a pinch of sugar or a small amount of honey into the vinaigrette. It will balance out the flavors and make the salad slightly sweeter.
- Add cheese. Tangy feta is perfect for this salad, adding Greek salad vibes. Fresh mozzarella would also be a good choice, or small cubes of your favorite aged cheese.
- Give it an Asian spin. Swap in rice vinegar instead of red wine vinegar and add basil, mint, cilantro, or a combination of these instead of dill and parsley.
Serving Sugggestions
- Grains. Serve cucumber tomato salad on top of or alongside quinoa, Israeli couscous, farro, or brown rice for an amazing (and easy) grain salad.
- Grilled foods. Pair the salad with grilled halloumi kebabs or grilled chicken shawarma drumsticks.
- Mediterranean foods. Add this salad to a mezze platter with olives, pita, and homemade hummus. Tabbouleh salad would go well with this, too.
- Other picnic and backyard salads. If you’re putting together a party spread, serve this salad alongside favorites like dill potato salad and summer pasta salad.
If you have leftover salad, add it to a meal bowls like this BBQ chicken bowl. You can also make an amazing wrap with deli lunchmeat and a scoop of this salad, or stuff a pita pocket with avocado chicken salad and top it with a scoop of cucumber tomato salad.
Store leftover cucumber tomato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. (If you’re making it for a party, I don’t recommend making it more than a day in advance.) After a day or so in the fridge, the cucumbers will be pickled; they won’t have the crispness of fresh anymore, but the salad will still be delicious! Stir everything well before serving.
More Summer Salad Recipes
Cucumber Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes, seeds and extra pulp squeezed out (2 large or 3 medium tomatoes)
- 1 large English cucumber, sliced into ¼-inch thick half-moons (see note)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl that's large enough to contain the entire salad, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Add the sliced onions to the vinaigrette, stir to combine. Set aside to marinate while you prep the rest of the salad.½ small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
- When you have the tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, and dill prepped, add them all at once to the bowl containing the onions and vinaigrette. Toss gently until ingredients are combined.2 cups chopped tomatoes, seeds and extra pulp squeezed out, 1 large English cucumber, sliced into ¼-inch thick half-moons, ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- Taste the salad to check the seasoning, adding more salt or pepper, if desired.
- Cover the bowl and let the salad marinate for 10 to 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to develop. The salad can be refrigerated for up to 1 day, if you prefer. If the salad is refrigerated, take it out of the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving to warm up slightly.
Notes
- Onions: You don’t have to add the onions to the dressing first but we recommend it because it takes the strong bite out of the onions and gives them a slightly pickled flavor.
- Tomatoes: The salad tastes best with vine-ripened tomatoes. Choose whatever type of tomatoes look the best; a variety of tomatoes would be wonderful too. For larger tomatoes, it’s best if you remove the seeds and juicy pulp. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise, and gently squeeze out the seeds. You may have to help it along by using your finger or a spoon to scoop out the majority of the seeds. Chop the tomatoes into the desired size.
- Cucumbers: Any tender-skinned cucumber is fine; there’s no need to peel them or remove the seeds. If you use a regular garden cucumber, peel it and scoop out the center to remove the large seeds and the pulp.
- Possible add-ins: Feel free to add extra vegetables if you like. Chopped bell peppers and radishes are good choices. You could stir in feta cheese, fresh mozzarella, or finely cubed aged cheese. If you add a lot of extras, you may need to increase the amount of vinaigrette.
- Serving ideas: This salad is an excellent side salad but you could also mix it into your favorite cooked grain, like quinoa, barley, or farro. I also like to serve a scoop of the tomato salad over mixed greens for an easy tossed salad.
- Storage: Leftover salad can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. The cucumbers will become a bit softer. Stir well before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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