Mediterranean salad made with diced cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions, and dressed in a simple Mediterranean dressing. Enjoy it as a side salad with your favorite meals.
The refreshing combination of flavors in this simple cucumber tomato salad is perfect for those hot summer days. The crispness of the cucumbers, the juiciness of the tomatoes, and the slight sharpness of the onions create a delightful medley that pairs well with a variety of dishes.
Furthermore, when I am not making our family's favorite Turkish cucumber yogurt salad (also known as cacik), I always fall back on this cucumber tomato salad because it's simple.
When I lived in Turkey, this cucumber tomato salad was a dish available in nearly every restaurant. It's also 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
The salad dressing is straightforward. A hefty squeeze of lemon juice, olive oil, herbs, and spices.
- Cucumber: Use Persian cucumbers because of their thin skin. I generally peel the skin off my cucumbers in a zebra pattern so there is less. 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 be swapped for fresh mint or even dill.
- Mediterranean salad dressing: Consisting of olive oil, lemon juice, herbs, garlic, and sumac.
Tips to Make the Best Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Dice the vegetable into the same size. That way each bite has a little bit of everything.
- If you are hosting guests, you can dice the vegetables ahead of time but do not pour the dressing until right before serving.
- If you want a lemony pop, add the zest of a lemon.
- 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 delicious and satisfying!
More Crave-Worthy Recipes
Chicken Salad Recipe. Chicken salad with crisp vegetables and a creamy, herby dressing prepared with marinated roasted chicken.
Cacik (Turkish Cucumber Yogurt Sauce). Turkish-style cacik made with creamy yogurt, crunchy cucumbers, fragrant garlic, and fresh herbs. Serve as a side dish to all of your Mediterranean meals.
Authentic Kisir (Turkish Bulgur Salad). Authentic Turkish Bulgur Salad made with bulgur, fresh vegetables, and herbs. The perfect salad to make for lunch, dinner, or a side dish to impress friends and loved ones.
Cucumber Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 4 medium persian cucumbers, small dice
- 2 medium tomatoes, small dice seeds discarded
- 1 small onion, small dice
- ½ cup lightly packed fresh chopped parsley
Mediterranean Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 large lemon, juice of
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 2 teaspoons dried mint
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon sumac
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 pinch coarse black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, pomegranate molasses, herbs, sumac, salt, and pepper. Whisk to incorporate.
- Add the diced cucumber, tomato, onion, and parsley into a large bowl.
- Pour the salad dressing over the vegetables. Toss to combine.
- Garnish with more parsley and enjoy immediately.
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