This Mediterranean tomato and cucumber salad is super quick and easy to make. Full of crispy veggies and packed with flavor from the zesty dressing, creamy and salty feta cheese and olives. A family favorit!
This Mediterranean tomato and cucumber salad is one of my family’s favorit healthy sides at lunch or dinner time. It is so easy to make, fresh and delicious and full of Mediterranean flavours. To make it vegan, use a vegan feta cheese alternative.
I love to serve this salad alongside some roasted potatoes like these Roasted Greek Potatoes with Lemon Tzatziki.
Another of my favourite salads is this Lentil and chickpea salad or this fresh and protein packed Fava bean chickpea salad.
Ingredients
All that’s needed to make this Mediterranean salad are just a few simple ingredients. Take a look at the ingredient list below.
For the full recipe with the quantities, see the recipe card below.
- Seedless cucumber, (also know as Persian or English cucumber). I don’t peel or deseed this cucumber, everything can be eaten. Cut it into bite size chunks.
- Cherry tomatoes, halved. 2 large chopped tomatoes can also be used.
- Red onion, thinly sliced. A tip for a milder onion taste is to let the onion slices marinade for 10 minutes in the dressing before adding them to the salad.
- Olives, kalamata or a mix of olives. Sliced or whole olives, but preferably without pip. Use your favourite.
- Feta cheese, crumbled or cubed. To make this salad vegan, use a vegan feta cheese alternative.
- Parsley, fresh flat leaf parsley tastes best in this salad. Another alternative is to use fresh basil or oregano.
Dressing
- Lemon juice, fresh squeezed is always best. Lime juice is a great alternative.
- Extra virgin olive oil, a good quality olive oil will add a lot of flavor to this lemon vinaigrette dressing.
- Spices, dried oregano, sea salt and crossly ground black pepper. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Making this healthy Mediterranean salad is fast and easy. Just follow along with the step-by-step photos below.
For the full written instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom.
Start by stirring together the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl, set aside.
In a salad bowl, add all the chopped vegetables, olives, parsley and half the feta cheese.
Pour over the dressing and gently mix.
Top with the remaining feta cheese and serve immediately.
Hint: Don’t mix the salad with the dressing and feta cheese until you are ready to serve. The veggies will start to wilt and go soggy once the dressing is added. If you like a lot off dressing, double this recipe to have some extra on the side.
Substitutions and Variations
- Vegan – To make this salad vegan, use a vegan feta cheese alternative. Fried cubes of firm tofu is another great option.
- Onions – Instead of using raw onions, try this recipe for Pickled Red Onions.
- Peppers – Either red, yellow of orange bell peppers can be used. Some canned roasted red peppers also tastes great.
- Protein – Add some canned beans, lentils or chickpeas for some added plant-based protein.
- Cheese, this recipe uses crumbled or cubed feta cheese. Another great option is crumbled goat cheese, shaved parmesan cheese or fried cubes of hallomie cheese.
See this Lentil and chickpea salad for a protein packed salad.
Storage
This Mediterranean tomato and cucumber salad tastes best eaten right away. The lemon vinaigrette dressing will cause the veggies to wilt and and release liquid. If you have leftovers, it’s best to store the vegetables and dressing in separate containers. Pack up the salad and dressing in separate airtight containers and store in the fridge for up to two days.
Salad does not freeze well so I don’t recommend freezing leftovers.
Top tip
Add some cooked pasta to this Mediterranean salad to make it a pasta salad! Cooked quinoa, bulgur or canned chickpeas are other great options.
This salad in lightly coated in a lemon vinaigrette style dressing. If you like a lot of dressing, I recommend that you double the recipe and serve extra on the side.
More salads to try:
Pairing
Why not make it a soup and salad combo! Here are some great recipes to try:
I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!
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This Mediterranean tomato and cucumber salad is super quick and easy to make. Full of crispy veggies and packed with flavor from the zesty dressing, creamy and salty feta cheese and olives. A family favorit!
- 1 large seedless cucumber, chopped
- 400 g (2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ red onion, sliced
- ½ cup olives
- ½ cup feta cheese, crumbles
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon crossly ground black pepper
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Start by stirring together the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl, set aside.
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In a salad bowl, add all the chopped vegetables, olives, parsley and half the feta cheese.
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Pour over the dressing and gently mix. Top with the remaining feta cheese and serve immediately.
Toni E Pellerin
I adore this cucumber tomato salad! It is perfect for Florida weather any time of the year. My fav ingredients too. 😍
Helena
Thanks so much Toni!
Francesca
Hi, Helena. I made this for our office potluck & it was a big hit. I had so many compliments. I shared the recipe & your website. I loved it as well! Thanks to your tips I added orange and red bell peppers adding even more color. I made it the night before but as you suggested, I waited to add the dressing just before serving. Thank you so much. <3
Helena
Glad to hear it was a hit at the potluck Francesca, thanks for sharing!