Crunchy, fresh, and vibrant, this classic cucumber tomato salad recipe is a MUST! Mix in a light dressing of sunflower oil, vinegar, and salt and it’ll be perfect!
Don’t know what to do with cucumbers from the garden? This salad is our #1 way to use up garden fresh cucumbers and tomatoes!
What Makes This Salad So Great?
Why is this tomato & cucumber salad recipe so great? It’s the fresh flavor, of course! The combination of fresh garden vegetables combined with sunflower oil, vinegar, and salt is flawless. The sunflower oil enhances the flavors of the tomato and cucumber, while the vinegar adds a special tang. We love it!
How To Make Cucumber Tomato Salad
Cucumber tomato salad takes a quick 15 minutes to make — all it takes is cutting up the veggies, mixing up the dressing, and combining the two. Take out a large bowl and let’s get to it!
- Cut the vegetables: Cut the tomatoes into wedges, and the cucumber and white/red onions into thin slices. Finely chop the fresh dill.
- Toss in the dressing: Add the dressing ingredients straight into the salad or whisk the dressing in a separate bowl, then pour over the salad. Toss until well combined. Serve!
Hot tip: If you’re looking to further limit your calorie intake, simply decrease the amount of dressing in the salad!
Tomato & Cucumber Salad Ingredient Variations
A great perk of this fresh salad is that it is super versatile. Add these to the salad or the dressing to help switch up the flavor.
- Feta: Add in crumbled feta cheese to give this salad a Greek spin!
- Avocado: Looking to make this salad more filling? Add in avocados for extra healthy fat and protein.
- Basil: Add in some rough-chopped, fresh basil leaves to the salad for a subtle minty taste.
- Green onions: Love onions? Add in sliced green onions.
- Parsley: Add in fresh parsley if you are craving more fresh herbs and an earthy flavor.
- Lemon juice: For a differently flavored tang, switch the vinegar with lemon juice.
- Red wine vinegar: If you’re looking for a slightly less strong vinegary taste, opt for red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Olive oil: We prefer sunflower oil for this salad, but if you don’t have it on hand, feel free to use extra-virgin olive oil.
- Kalamata olives: For you olive-lovers, add a handful of olives to the salad for a Mediterranean vibe!
Tips for Making the Ultimate Salad
We’ve compiled a few tips and tricks to make sure your salad has the best flavor and texture from the first get-go. Follow these tips to make this salad your signature dish.
- Choose heirloom tomatoes: There seem to be a million different tomatoes to choose from, but for this cucumber tomato salad recipe, choose heirloom tomatoes. These tomatoes add the best flavors to the salad. In a pinch, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or any other variety works too. If using small tomatoes, slice them only once to prevent them from making the salad too watery.
- Slice the tomatoes into wedges: Cut the tomato into wedges by first removing the stem, then cutting the tomato in half. Next, place the tomato flesh slide down and cut in half again. Repeat until you reach your desired thinness.
- Use a sharp knife (or serrated): To avoid messy tomato slices and tomato juice squirting out everywhere, cut the tomato with a very sharp knife or a serrated knife.
- Hold off on the dressing and salt: Prevent the salad from becoming too watery by adding the dressing and salt right before serving. Salt tends to draw out the water from cucumbers and tomatoes, so it is best to hold the salt until ready to serve.
- Opt for less liquidy cucumbers: Regular cucumbers are generally full of water, which may make the salad extra watery. Opt for a less watery cucumber such as Persian cucumbers. English cucumbers are popular, but they tend to have more water.
- Dry out the cucumbers (optional): if you have extra time, slice your cucumber and salt the slices in a separate small bowl. After 10-15 minutes, drain the excess liquid, rinse off the salt from the slices, then add the slices into the salad.
Hot tip: This salad is seriously healthy! It’s low-fat, carbohydrate-free, and full of fiber and vitamins. Go you!
Serving Cucumber Tomato Salad
Cucumber tomato salad is a great side dish to pair with virtually any dish — it’s impossible to go wrong here! We love how the freshness of this salad pairs so well with more dense dishes such as buckwheat with mushrooms, Uzbek plov, and slow-cooker beef and barley. If you’re looking for a range of side dishes, serve this salad alongside a side of easy air fryer baked potatoes, air fryer sweet potato fries, or air fryer chicken wings.
FAQ
Is it okay to mix tomatoes and cucumbers together?
Mixing cucumbers and tomatoes in a salad has great benefits. There is an enzyme in cucumbers that destroys the amount of vitamin C in the tomatoes, but if the salad has a vinegar dressing, this stops the reaction.
Should cucumbers be peeled for salad?
Cucumbers do not have to be peeled for salad unless the peel is bitter. Taste the cucumber before adding it into the salad and make your choice.
More Crunchy Salads
- Tomato Mozzarella Salad — Simple lettuce salad with a balsamic oil dressing
- Ultimate Garden Salad — The best foundational salad for all your new variations
- Caesar Salad — Crispy lettuce leaves mixed in with homemade Caesar dressing
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad — Fresh veggies mixed with yummy bacon and sunflower seeds
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs tomatoes
- 2 lbs cucumbers
- 1 small yellow onion
- 2 tbsp dill chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp white vinegar
Instructions
- Prepare all salad ingredients.
- Slice tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion into bite-sized pieces and add to large bowl. Finely chop dill.
- Toss all the ingredients together with salt, sunflower oil, and vinegar.
- Serve the salad while it's fresh.
Instead of w vinegar, I generally use plain yoghurt or if you want, some other lightly flavored yoghurt. Especially if there is some spicy curry around.
Thank you for the tips!!