Everyday Mediterranean Cucumber Tomato Salad

When I am not making Cacik, I make this Mediterranean Salad practically every day for a very good reason. That’s because it’s simple. What makes it so simple? The only vegetables you need are cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions.

The salad dressing is straightforward, consisting of a hefty squeeze of lemon juice, rich fruity olive oil, and pantry herbs and spices.

This dish is available in nearly every restaurant in Turkey and is usually the salad of choice whether entertaining guests or cooking for the family. What you won’t find in this salad is feta cheese. That’s because cheese is saved for breakfast.

Mediterranean Salad Ingredients

Cucumber: use Persian cucumbers because of their thin skin. I generally peel the skin off my cucumbers in a zebra pattern so that there is less of it. If you can only get your hands on an American cucumber, peel the skin off completely, and scoop out the seeds.

Tomato: use your favorite tomatoes. Discard any excessively juicy seeds.

Onion: I change it up. Sometimes I use white, yellow, and red onions.

Fresh herb: more than often I use fresh parsley, but it can definitely be swapped for fresh mint or even dill.

Mediterranean salad dressing: consisting of olive oil, lemon juice, herbs, garlic, and sumac.

Tips for this Mediterranean Salad

1. Dice the vegetable into the same size. That way each bite has a little bit of everything.
2. If you are hosting guests, you can dice the vegetables ahead of time but do not pour the dressing until right before serving.
3. If you want a lemony pop, add the zest of a lemon.
4. Don’t skip the garlic in the dressing. It adds too much flavor to leave out.

My favorite thing to do is take some rustic bread and dip it into the salad’s juices. It’s really tasty and satisfying!

More Crave-Worthy Recipes

Everyday Mediterranean Cucumber Tomato Salad

Mediterranean Salad with diced cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion all covered in an easy Mediterranean dressing.

Author: Ashley Altan Cooking Method: Mixing Cuisine: Mediterranean Courses: Mediterranean Cravings, Salads, Sides Recipe Keys: G Gluten Free

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Prep Time 15 min Total Time 15 mins

Ingredients

Servings

• 4 Persian cucumber, small dice
• 2 medium-size tomatoes, small dice (seeds discarded)
• 1 onion, small dice
• ¹⁄₂ cup lightly packed chopped parsley (about half a bunch)

For the Mediterranean Dressing

• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 garlic, finely chopped
• 1 generous tablespoon of (Pomegranate Molasses)
• 2 teaspoon mint
• 1⁄2 teaspoon oregano
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sumac
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• crack black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Make the Dressing

   Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, chopped garlic, pomegranate molasses, and all of the herbs and spices in a mixing bowl. Whisk until everything is combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk once more and place aside. 

2. Gather the Vegetables

   Add all of the diced vegetables and parsley into a large bowl. Pour all of the salad dressing and toss with large spoons. 

3. Serve

   Garnish with more parsley and enjoy immediately. 

Keywords: Mediterranean Salad