The aroma from this salad is the most deliciously fresh scent of cucumbers, parsley, and crunchy green peppers, and it’s beyond delightful. The only thing better than the aroma is the flavor. In short, this Super Fresh Cucumber Salad is one big bowl of cold, crunchy, juicy, loveliness.
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Cucumber and tomato salads really aren’t anything new (definitely check out our Creamy Cucumber Salad, too), but sometimes I like to post the small variations on classics that I’m currently crushing on. This week when I took a look in my refrigerator and saw leftover red onion and leftover feta, I knew immediately that I needed to pick up a couple of cucumbers and tomatoes to make this Super Fresh Cucumber Salad.
Make it Your Own
This is a great base salad that can take a number of different add-ins. You can get a little fancy by adding some kalamata olives or roasted red peppers, add some protein like tuna or beans, or even add some cooked orzo or bowtie pasta to bulk it out a bit. There are a lot of options, so keep this recipe on hand for using up leftovers and filling out your dinner menu with tons of super fresh vegetables!
What to Serve with Cucumber Salad
This super fresh salad makes a great side dish for: Mediterranean Turkey Burgers, Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken, or Yogurt Marinated Chicken.
Super Fresh Cucumber Tomato Salad
Servings 6 1-1.25 cups per servingIngredients
RED WINE VINAIGRETTE
- 1/4 cup olive oil ($0.52)
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar ($0.20)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.06)
- 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked pepper ($0.03)
SALAD
- 2 cucumbers ($1.58)
- 4 Roma tomatoes (about 1 lb.) ($2.08)
- 1/2 small red onion ($0.38)
- 1 green bell pepper ($0.98)
- 1/4 bunch parsley ( $0.23)
- 2 oz feta ($1.12)
Instructions
- Prepare the vinaigrette first to let the flavors blend as you prepare the rest of the salad. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Set the dressing aside.
- Peel the cucumbers if desired. Dice the cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell pepper. Thinly slice the red onion*. Pull the parsley leaves from their stems, then give them a rough chop. Crumble the feta cheese.
- Place the cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, parsley, and feta in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over top, and toss to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat. This salad holds up well over a few days in the refrigerator. Be sure to stir briefly to redistribute the flavors before serving.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Cucumber Tomato Salad – Step by Step Photos
Make the red wine vinaigrette first to let the flavors blend a bit while you prepare the rest of the salad. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Set the dressing aside.
These are all the vegetables (and feta) that I used in the salad. Two cucumbers, one green bell pepper, 4 Roma tomatoes, 1/2 small red onion, about 1/4 bunch parsley, and 2 oz. feta. Peel the cucumber if you like. Dice the cucumber, bell pepper, and Roma tomatoes. Slice the red onion VERY thinly. Pull the parsley leaves from the stems, then roughly chop them. Crumble the feta. To take the bite off the red onions, make sure to slice them very thinly and you can soak them in ice water for 5-10 minutes before adding them to the salad.
This is how I chop my cucumbers. A chunky dice is nice for this salad because it helps them hold up a little better in the refrigerator. Peeling stripes into the skin first gives them a cool visual effect once chopped. Then cut the cucumbers into about 1/2-inch wide rounds, and cut each round into quarters. That gives me nice chunky pieces of cucumber.
Place your cucumbers (those are on the bottom), bell pepper, tomato, red onion, parsley, and feta in a large bowl.
Stir the dressing one more time, then pour it over the salad.
And then simply toss to combine. You can serve it immediately or refrigerate for later.
And when you do open your refrigerator later, you’ll be all like, “Ahhhhhhhh SUPER FRESH!” Or at least I did. :P
Love your recipes very much. I am little confused about the measurements in your recipes.
Example:
1.33 cucumbers ($1.58)
2.67 Roma tomatoes (about 1 lb.) ($2.08)
0.33 small red onion ($0.38)
0.67 green bell pepper ($0.98)
Not sure how much is0.67 bell pepper is that in gams? In pounds.
What amount is 0.33 red onion?
Thanks I appreciate your explanation of the amounts
Hi Alana! It sounds like you may have changed the serving amount in the recipe card! The recipe serves six, but when that number gets adjusted, it also changes the amount of ingredients to reflect that number. To get the true recipe measurements, you can change the serving back to six.
Really Delicious!!
Very yummy
Think fresh mozzarella would be ok in this? I’m not a huge feta fan. Any other cheeses you think would work instead?
Cucumbers are my favorite so I’m always looking for new ways to use them. Thanks for posting this I love it.
This looks so good and I can’t wait to try it. One question – How do you keep the olive oil in the dressing from getting solid as it sits in the f
Hi! It should come back to temp fairly quickly. However, to prevent it from solidifying, it helps if you store it in a stoneware container. XOXO -Monti
Loved this! I feel like I’m going to be relying on this salad a lot this summer!
I made this today and it was so good and fresh. I ate it with some grilled chicken and tzatziki.
This is a good recipe, but it definitely needs some fresh garlic or a hit of spice or something. Maybe I just don’t like cucumbers that much, but it felt like it was missing something. I added garlic powder and some extra salt (I didn’t measure my salt though) and it was better! Next time I will add some fresh minced garlic :)
I make this salad almost every week. Sometimes I change it a little based upon what I have (extra pepper, no onion, etc). I love to put it on a pita with so e hummus and falafel. Yum!
I made this tonight with the turkey burgers. It was so delicious.
I made it today it tastes like heaven! I have added some roasted peanuts to get some crunch to it .
LOVED IT! Great tip on soaking the onions. I made this as a side to go with falafel and also made some tzatziki sauce…an amazing combo.
What brand of grocery store feta do you like or recommend?
Thanks!
I usually just buy the store brand from wherever I’m shopping, whether it be ALDI, Kroger, or any store. I don’t have a preference. :)
Somehow I didn’t have oregano, so I used thyme instead. It was great! My husband is not a salad guy, and he had seconds.
Looks and sounds suspiciously like Greek Salad!
So yummy! I added dried mint to mine for a twist!
I left out the feta to keep it vegan and it was still great!
Happy to hear it Amanda!
Try the Violife feta, it’s fantastic
Great, easy recipe. I used queso fresco instead of feta because I had some left over from the Creamy Salsa Chicken Skillet and added mint as an excuse to cut some unruly growth off the plant in my kitchen. I also grilled some chicken tenders with dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and added that in for protein. The only change to the actual recipe I would make is to use less onion. I love red onion, but it was a little too prevalent here.
Oh that sounds perfect! Thanks for sharing!
Any idea how many calories are in this salad…it is very yummy!
Thanks for the request! I do get that request a lot, but unfortunately I don’t have a reliable source for the nutrition information. The calculators and databases that most bloggers and websites use to calculate the info can be extremely inaccurate, and for something that can so severely impact the health of people with health conditions, I just don’t feel comfortable publishing unreliable numbers. I prefer to leave it up to the reader to use the database or calculator they trust. I’m sorry and I wish accuracy were easier than shipping the food off to a lab for analysis!
Great use for all the cucumbers!!
I make a salad almost identical to this. I sometimes add chickpeas and bring it to work for lunch. It is so summery and fresh. :D
Do you recommend if making a day ahead to just prep/chop and wait to add the feta and dressing? I am bringing this to easter tmrw and I would make fresh but I have a large amount and short time to make it so it would be ideal to do tonight. What are your thoughts? Thanks!
I would definitely wait to add the dressing until the day of. :) Sorry I didn’t get to this comment before Easter! I hope it turned out well.
This salad was amazing!! It’s like Olive Garden, but better! I added some romaine but otherwise kept the recipe as is. The dressing is so easy and mouthwatering. Thank you!
This is a really popular salad in Bulgaria, called Shopska salad. I’m so glad to see it here ^_^
Such a great recipe! It’s so fresh and healthy!
Great recipe! And it keeps well (I’m an empty nester so I’m the only one eating). Had to sub Italian season for the oregano (I was out) but it was still good.
One note … I saved this in Pinterest. Used to get the recipe when I tapped Make It. Now it goes to an error page on this website and I have to search for it here. That is, can no longer access. Note that I even deleted it from Pinterest and resale’s using the Save button above … so it seems like the link issue is here.
Regardless … I still come back, it’s good!!!
Hmm, thanks for letting me know about the link issue! Do you know what URL the your PIN is trying to link to?
Sooo good. I added chopped kalamata olives and left out the parsley. I love when a few simple ingredients come together to make something awesome!
Made this for my family and they loved it especially my husband who hates salad. This recipe is a keeper
I’ve made this recipe twice (within a week — it’s just that good). Both times I drained/rinsed a can of chickpeas and added most of it into the salad. It’s a great addition because it provides another dimension of color and texture, as well as protein. The first time I didn’t have feta or lemon and I actually liked the salad better without the cheese (and I’m a pretty h-core cheese lover). Italian seasoning works well too in place of the oregano. There are lots of options for customizing. A+!
Just made the salad last night/had some for lunch today and it was excellent. I used a little more feta than the recipe lists (I picked up some good feta for a really low price so I treated myself) and substituted yellow onion for red b/c it was a bit cheaper but top marks all around – I have to say the vinaigrette really helped tie everything together. And I was able to use cucumbers and parsley from my garden which added a degree of freshness that was really lovely.
This salad was one of the best
I don’t like parsley, would fresh basil be a good substitute?
Basil would probably be awesome. :) Different, but awesome.
I am making this today, Thursday to take away with me for a weekend outing! Hope it holds up well, does anyone know for sure?
Simple but refreshing!! An easy side salad that’s perfect for summer.
My niece made this for Father’s Day and everyone loved it!!!! Would you happen to have the nutritional information per serving ? I log everything into My Fitness Pal app! Thanks
Thanks for this recipe, Beth! I made it last night for the family and they loved it :D
Since my most recent blood test came back with high triglycerides I’ve been trying to find new, healthier recipes. This one looks delicious. Thanks Beth!
Hi Beth! If I want to double this, do I double everything in the dressing, including the lemon juice?
Yep, to double this one just double every ingredient. :)
This salad is exceptional. I initially made it exactly as described and it was perfect. Then today I made a huge batches for this week’s lunches but added a whole bunch of chopped peppers and Romaine that I had and it’s incredible!
I made this salad for 120 people. They all loved it, but it was really cheap to buy. At the end it costed me only €50.
I’ll remember this one!
I LOVE this! I literally ate the whole thing by myself lol no one even got to try it! I don’t like parsley so I didn’t use it and I used those baby cucumbers instead of regular ones. Also good with Parmesan cheese if you run out of feta like me. Also! Use it in a wrap with hummus! Kind I’d runny but it’s so so good!!
What would be a good substitute for the parsley
I don’t like parsley so I just didn’t use it, still great!
I just made this salad for the falafel hummus bowl you posted a few Sundays ago, and it was just perfect for these hot August days. I enjoyed the textures of the vegetables, the tang of the feta, and the acidity of the dressing. What a well balanced side salad that I can easily convert into a pasta salad or entree salad.
Hi!, This may be said elsewhere, but this is my first time looking at your blog. I am wondering where you grocery shop. Thanks
The answer to that has changed over the eight years that I’ve been blogging, but for the past 4-5 years I shop mostly at a local grocery chain called Rouses, but I also hit up Whole Foods on a regular basis. Sometimes I go to different Ethnic markets to get specialty items.
I know tomatoes are kind of integral to this salad, but what would be a good substitute, if possible? I have family members that can’t eat tomatoes, but the rest of the salad sounds delicious!
Hmm, maybe a red bell pepper? You won’t have the acidity of the tomato, but the dressing has plenty, so it would probably still be good.
This salad was easy to prepare and delicious! This will be a repeat to our table.
Every time I open your website a very annoying ad from chase comes on in Spanish. I would like that to stop.
I have been using your site for several years and this has started happening.
Thank you for letting me know! If you could email me with a little more info, we can try to get that ad blocked. Where on the page is it showing up? Is it a video ad? Can you get a screen shot of it? If you have any of that information, please send it to budgetbytes@gmail.com. Thanks!
I’m going to make this tonight for a family get together. Looks so light and refreshing. Thanks for sharing!
Great 🥗 served for family potluck excellent with potato salad. Everyone commented on how much they liked it. It did seem watery though, I’m thinking it may be how I prepped and cleaned the veggies.
Try this recipe with 2 fresh jalapenos (seeded) instead of the green peppers. Delicious!!
What if you can’t use wine in the vinegar eye? Would any pre made vinegarette like Greek way work?
Yes, a Greek style vinaigrette would be awesome with this. Even something as simple as Italian dressing would also be good.
I made just the dressing tonight to put on a simple green side salad (romaine, carrot, red pepper, croutons) and it was awesome! I might just keep it stocked in my fridge.
This is Greek salad basically
Loved this salad! Easy to make and delicious. It’s good for meal prepping too since it lasts all right in the fridge for a few days.
This is good! It reminds me of Middle Eastern fattoush salad. I kept mine for days and it held up well. I used curly parsley because it bulked it up more and seems to stay fresher.
Loved this salad! Subbed cotija cheese and added olives. Super yum!
This was delicious! Tastes great, was something fun and different than my usual green salad, and super easy to make. I added some chopped romaine (not a ton, just a handful or two) and a can of chickpeas to bulk it up a bit. I also added more than 2 oz of feta. I’ll definitely be making this again when summer tomatoes are at their peak!
This was fantastic – especially the vinaigrette. I’m thinking this might also be good over some hummus, and serves with some pita chips as a dip.
Love this! The one thing I deal with a little differently is the red onions. I rest them with a few lemon juice ice cubes and a pinch of salt. If I’m in the mood, I add a little apple cider vinegar for a light pickle without losing the yummy fresh crunchiness.
I made this with cherry tomatoes (always the best option at my grocery store) and a touch more feta because CHEESE. It was awesome – thanks for the recipe!
Having this right now and it’s making crave pita bread to sop up the dressing/juice!
I’m looking forward to making this! You are my go to person for recipes. I have a budget to stick to and you sure help me with that. By the way, I made your lemon Poppy Scones the other day …….4 adults and 1 toddler finished then off in a little over an hour. : ). It was a nice treat.
Yum! That sounds amazing!
Kari
This is an authentic Greek salad–exactly what we lots hundreds of times during our years living in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean. We never ate a “salad” with lettuce, just chopped cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, feta, onions, and a lemon and oregano flavored dressing. They usually, but not always, included a handful of Kalamata olives and sometimes some garlic in the dressing. They were usually more coarsely chopped so i could easily pick out the onions
This is delicious! I’m excited to eat this for lunches this week. I did make some modifications, but I love your recipes because it’s easy to know what I can modify without “breaking” the recipe. I added more feta (4 oz instead of 2 oz) because I love feta, and I used balsamic vinegar because I like it more than red wine vinegar. And I just realized I completely forgot to add parsley, so I may bring some with my lunches to sprinkle on top. I also added some cooked orzo per your suggestion (it was 1/2 cup dry), though I think in the future I might use a bulkier pasta to better match the chunky size of the vegetables. This is also a pretty dressing-heavy salad, so I think it could stand up to bigger pasta pieces. This is exactly the kind of fresh, vegetable-y thing I’ve been craving, so thank you!
We really enjoyed this salad. My husband is on a reduced sodium diet, so I left salt out of the dressing. The combination of red wine vinegar and lemon juice really brightens the flavor
10/10, this salad is bomb! Making it for a second time already to take to work this week.
How long will this keep in the fridge? Thanks!
Awesome recipe! My husband even had seconds!
This salad is making my mouth water! So absolutely beautiful and I too like a salad without greens for a different treat. Beth–thank you for really expanding my horizons in the kitchen but you have probably helped me in other rooms too :) My husband thinks I have improved my “chef skills” 100% and it is true. I’m from a long line of FUN ladies……but cooking was not our “passion” ahahah. Thank you and my husband thanks you too. He was the chef but now…….I’m better and more well rounded with my cusine due to YOU! I can’t THANK YOU ENOUGH!!!!
My pleasure, Sharon! :)
Just got it on my computer. Don’t know if you re-loaded. But my iPhone was print challenged
I think there are issues with the recipe plugin’s print feature for mobile devices. I will be switching to a new plugin soon. Thanks for letting me know!
This looks SO perfect. Loving the freshness of the cukes and tomatoes. Need to make this next week!
http://odessadarling.co
Printable recipe seems challenged for first time. Wonder if it has to do with your upload. First time this has occurred from your site and your print button. When I go to print it comes up as a blank page.
Your offerings are amazing. Thank you.
add olives & a bit of pasta and my boys would devour this in one sitting! yum. tysm for sharing xo
I love salads that don’t have greens in them (I can’t eat greens). Will be making this for lunch next week.
That salad looks exactly as it’s billed – fresh, tasty, and economical. Just right for Spring and dining outdoors, so thanks for posting. And glad another food blogger sometimes goes against SEO rules – I think the content of the recipe speaks for itself!
Oooooh, looks delicious and refreshing…I’m antsy for spring to come up here in the north. It’s still grey and cool where I live. :(
Personal tip about the cucumbers – I like to cut off a big chunk, cut it into quarters lengthwise, then put them all side-by-side (I keep the quarters together, so it looks like just two halves laid side-by-side), and *then* slice as thinly or as chunkily as I like. I find that when I have a lot of cucumber to chop, this way is a little faster than stacking and quartering circular slices (which I also do at times). :)
True! Thanks for the tip!