I’m a firm believer that side dishes should be kept simple. I like my main dish to be the star of the show, and who wants to make dinner any more complicated than it needs to be? Keep it simple. So, when I was contemplating a side for my Lemon Pepper Chicken with Orzo this week, I knew I wanted something simple and fresh. This Simple Tomato Cucumber Salad, one of my favorite summer salads, was a perfect match. The light and bright flavors of fresh tomato and cucumber perfectly contrast the deep simmered flavors of the Lemon Pepper Chicken with Orzo.
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Other Salad Add-Ins & Variations
I love showcasing very “basic” recipes like this for the new cooks in my audience. Why are simple recipes like this great? Because they’re SO easy to build on! The salad presented below is bare bones and, while delicious as is, can be taken to the next level with any number of add-ins. Try these delicious variations:
- Make it creamy! Creamy Cucumber Salad is a summer classic and the simple creamy dressing is a breeze to make.
- Give it a Greek flare with some feta, olives, or even toasted pieces of pita bread (Panzanella style!) to soak up that delicious dressing.
- If you’re feeling adventurous, try adding some cubed watermelon for a nice sweet-salty contrast.
- Got fresh herbs? Toss them in there.
- And of course, you can customize the dressing by using different kinds of vinegar or lemon juice, infused oils, or by adding fresh garlic.
Learning a basic recipe like this is the first step toward getting creative in the kitchen.
So back to the basic formula…
Cucumber Tomato and Onion Salad
Servings 4 to 6 servingsIngredients
DRESSING
- 1/4 cup olive oil ($0.64)
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar ($0.08)
- 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked pepper ($0.03)
SALAD
- 4 Roma tomatoes (or two medium tomatoes) ($1.48)
- 1 cucumber ($0.34)
- 1/2 red onion ($0.36)
Instructions
- Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper in a bowl, or combine them in a jar and shake until mixed. Set the dressing aside to allow the flavors to blend.
- Thinly slice* the tomato, cucumber, and red onion. Place them in a large bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the sliced vegetables and toss to coat. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to eat. The onions will become more mild as they marinate in the dressing.
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make A Tomato Cucumber Salad – Step by Step Photos
Begin by making the dressing to allow the flavors a little time to blend. In a small bowl or jar, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. You can customize this dressing by adding some fresh minced garlic, changing up the dried herbs, or even using a different type of vinegar. I wanted this salad to have a REALLY light and fresh flavor, so I kept the ingredients simple and didn’t complicate the flavors.
Shake or whisk the ingredients until combined. This very simple dressing does not contain an emulsifying agent, so it will begin to separate as it sits. That’s quite alright. It will still taste great once it’s coating the vegetables. Give the dressing a taste and add more salt, pepper, or herbs, if necessary. If the dressing is too bitter or tart for your liking, you can always add a 1/4 tsp sugar to help mellow it out (I like my dressing to have a bite).
I try to get equal amounts of tomato and cucumber, with about half as much onion. So, I used 4 Roma tomatoes (because they were the best deal at the store that day), one cucumber, and half of a small red onion. Thinly slice the cucumber, tomaotes, and onion, and place them in a bowl (you can cut them into a large dice if that’s easier).
Give the dressing a quick stir or shake, then pour it over the vegetables.
Then toss until everything is coated in the dressing. All done! You can serve it immediately, or refrigerate it for later. I find that the onions tend to mellow out a bit as they marinate in the dressing. So, if you have a hard time with fresh onions, making this ahead of time may help.
Simple Tomato Cucumber Salad — the BEST summer salad!!
Wow…thanks! I made this last night, and it was delicious. Thanks for including simple recipes like this as well as the more complicated stuff. Unlike many commenters, I wasn’t familiar with this salad (or ones like it)…probably because I’m a stubbornly meat-and-potatoes kind of girl. :c) This is a great way to get more veggies into my diet. Thanks!
You’re welcome! I always doubt myself when posting the simple recipes, but I KNOW there has to be people out there who are missing out on them. :) Thanks for confirming that!
We keep it even more simple… tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, cut into bite sized pieces, throw them in a bowl, add salt and pepper, oil of choice, toss together. No need for vinegar as tomato has plenty of acidity. Can add dill for extra flavor or my favorite, use mayonaise in place of the oil… the juices of tomato mix with the mayo to make the most amazing dressing ever! I pour the left over dressing over everything!
Loved the recipe! Though the dressing solidified when I put it in the fridge. Has anyone else had this issue? Will the oil return to a liquid state if I leave it out at room temperature?
Yep, that’s perfectly normal. Olive oil will sometimes gel up and get cloudy in the refrigerator, but it returns to normal when it warms up.
What I don’t get is the same recipe, same brand ingredients …sometimes gels up and other times does not.
If I’m in a hurry, I put my jar of dressing in a pan/dish of warm water vs waiting for it to come to room temp.
With this recipe you’re also halfway to Israeli salad, which is my favorite summertime salad! (Red bell pepper, cukes, tomatoes, green bell pepper, red onion all diced and tossed with EVOO, fresh squeezed lemon juice, salt and fresh parsley).
@Sarah – I was thinking this was Israeli salad without the dicing :) … although I don’t use add the red and green bell peppers as you do. I am always surprised how much flavor is in this simple mix – and so refreshing on a hot day!
I grew up with a similar salad in my family. Love the idea of red onion instead of just a regular yellow onion though. Such a perfect summer salad.
I made tomato cucumber salad for breakfast this morning, and it was lovely. I’m not a big fan of raw onions, so I finely chopped 1/8 of an onion and added it to the dressing.
I love the combination of tomato, cucumber and onion. It is definitely a summer dish and so easy to make. Thank you for your recipe and the reminder, that simplicity is mostly better :-)
We have a similar recipe without the tomato. Our next door neighbor has been gifting us with cucumbers lately, so this might be on the menu soon.
In Greece, this is known as a “horiatiki (hor-ree-AH-tee-kee) salata,” or village salad. Just add copious amounts of feta cheese and it is perfection!
Soaking the red onions in cold water for 10 minutes after cutting them gets rid of some of the bite but leaves the flavor.
I love simple dishes, I dice my veggies a little smaller and add chickpeas. It’s one of my favorite summer time salads.
My dad makes a very similar salad. It tastes so good on hot summer days.
I love how easy and scrumptious this is. I have a ton if basil that I need to use up that would be perfect in there too :)
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This is almost identical to my Italian mother’s tomato cucumber salad. We usually use cherry/grape tomatoes, as they tend to be sweeter, and chop everything into more cube like shapes.
Want to take this salad to the next level? Add some fresh bocconcini pearls to the mix. It will take the price up a bit, but it’s totally worth it!
I make something very similar all the time in the summer! Sometimes I add feta and/or black beans. It’s great!