Cucumber Tomato Salad is a classic salad, light, cooling, and oh-so refreshing. This easy salad is made with sliced cucumbers & juicy tomatoes and enhanced with slivers of red onion and a tangy vinaigrette dressing.

Serve cucumber tomato onion salad next to grilled or roasted meats or fish, such as marinated beef or chicken kabobs, grilled salmon, or pork tenderloin.

Overhead picture of Cucumber Tomato Salad in a wooden bowl

How to Make Cucumber Tomato Salad

When the farmer’s markets start overflowing with juicy garden fresh veggies, I take my cue to make a big bowl of cucumber tomato salad.

  1. Combine all dressing ingredients (per recipe below).
  2. Slice all vegetables and toss with the dressing.

I love using a combination of fresh or dried oregano and basil in this salad to bring out its Mediterranean essence. Chopped fresh dill and-or parsley deliver equally excellent herbal notes.

Overhead shot of Cucumber Tomato Salad ingredients in a bowl before mixing together

English cucumber is ideal for this recipe. The peels are tender enough that there’s no need to remove them, and the seeds are virtually nonexistent. If you only have regular salad cukes on hand, those are perfectly suitable as well. Just peel them, and, if the seeds seem tough, scoop them out and then slice.

Dressing for Cucumber Tomato Salad

Honestly, this salad really doesn’t need much, a simple dressing allows the flavor of the veggies to shine and keeps the salad light and fresh.

A splash of vinegar and a bit of olive oil with salt & pepper. I most often use red wine vinegar but you can use your favorite (infused oils and vinegars are great here too).

Pouring dressing over Cucumber Tomato Salad in a wooden bowl

Can I Make it Ahead?

This salad tastes great served cold and can be made ahead. Of course it’s best made the day you’re serving it but you can keep it for a couple of days and drain any juices. Whenever I’m planning this dish and need to get a jump on dinner, I partially prep the tomato-cucumber salad.

  1. In the same bowl you plan to make the salad, whisk together the wine vinegar, olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper.
  2. Peel and cut the onion into slivers and toss in the vinaigrette.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for up to a day in advance.

The onions will stay crunchy while helping the dressing mellow and develop flavor. To assemble the salad, all you have to do is slice the cucumbers and tomatoes, toss with the onion and vinaigrette mixture, and briefly refrigerate before serving.

More Fun Additions

You can have a lot of fun with this recipe, by treating it as a foundation. Go ahead and layer in other fresh and tasty ingredients like crumbled feta, mozzarella balls, avocado chunks or chopped fennel bulb. Got stale bread? Even better, turn this into a Panzanella Salad to make it a meal!

The options are limited only by your own creativity!

Salads with a Cucumber Crunch

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Overhead picture of Cucumber Tomato Salad in a wooden bowl
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Cucumber Tomato Salad

Crisp cucumbers, juicy ripe tomatoes, and simple seasonings come together in just minutes to create the best fresh summer salad. Delicious and healthy, this side pairs with almost any meal.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4
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Ingredients  

  • 1 English cucumber sliced
  • 2 to 3 large ripe tomatoes diced
  • ½ medium red onion thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh herbs any combination of parsley, basil and/or dill, optional
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss well.
  • Refrigerate at least 20 minutes before serving.
5 from 618 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 104 | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 296mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 591IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Salad
Cuisine American
Cucumber Tomato Salad in a wooden bowl with a title
Overhead shot of Cucumber Tomato Salad in a wooden bowl with a title
Cucumber Tomato Salad with a title

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. So good! I used half lemon juice and half red wine vinegar and added a little chiffoned basil and Italian parsley. Loved the addition of the Dijon.
    A hit all around!5 stars