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All of the best summer produce! This cucumber tomato onion salad is an easy side dish that highlights the red, juicy tomatoes and the crisp, cool cucumbers of the season. Dressed with fresh basil, olive oil, and vinegar, it’s a simple and healthy recipe that you can stir together in minutes.
Table of Contents
- How to Make Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad | 1-Minute Video
- Ingredients for Cucumber Tomato Salad Recipe
- How to Cut Tomatoes for Salad
- How to Make Cucumber Tomato and Onion Salad
- Tomato and Onion Salad Benefits
- Serving Suggestions
- Preparation and Storage Tips for Tomato-Cucumber Salad
- Recipe Variations
- Tips for the Best Cucumber Tomato Onion Salad Recipe
- Cucumber Tomato Onion Salad Recipe
How to Make Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad | 1-Minute Video
When faced with an abundance of summer veggies, nothing beats the fresh flavors of a cucumber tomato onion salad. The tomatoes and cucumbers are enhanced by slivers of zesty red onion and dressed in a basic tangy vinaigrette. The simple dish is perfect as is, but it’s also delicious with extras like feta cheese, mozzarella, or avocado. A refreshing side salad to enjoy all season long!
Serve it with grilled hamburgers, fried chicken, pulled pork, pasta, or fresh seafood. While we add the salad to a regular weeknight menu, it’s also a nice make-ahead option for potlucks, parties, and picnics.
Ingredients for Cucumber Tomato Salad Recipe
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for an easy tomato cucumber onion salad. As always, specific measurements and complete preparation instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Ripe tomatoes: choose the best, in-season tomatoes that you can find. You can try heirloom tomatoes, larger Beefsteak tomatoes, or smaller cherry tomatoes.
- Cucumbers: we prefer English cucumbers, which are seedless and have a thinner skin. You can peel them if you like, but it’s not necessary. If necessary, you can also use regular cucumbers — just peel off the tough outer skin before slicing.
- Red onion: for a zesty bite that pairs nicely with the tomatoes and cucumbers. Substitute with sliced green onions for a mild flavor, white onions, or sweet onions (like Vidalia) if you prefer.
- Fresh basil: the perfect companion for sweet summer tomatoes. You can also add other fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, chives, oregano, or parsley, if available.
- Olive oil: pick a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil for this salad dressing, since it adds a great fruity flavor to the dish. With only two dressing ingredients (oil and vinegar), the quality is important!
- Vinegar: we use a classic Mediterranean ingredient, red wine vinegar, in this dressing. You can substitute with other vinegars such as apple cider vinegar, champagne vinegar, or balsamic vinegar. White vinegar is not my top choice, since it has a strong, harsh flavor.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper: to enhance the other flavors in the salad.
The Best Salad Tomato
The best tomato for a salad is always the freshest, ripest garden tomato that you can get your hands on. In fact, I wouldn’t even bother making this dish during the winter or early spring months when it’s hard to come by a sweet, juicy, local tomato. Instead, save this one for the late spring, summer, and early fall, when gardens are overflowing with bright red, flavorful tomatoes.
Fresh-from-the-vine medium tomatoes are shown here, but you can substitute with about 20 ounces of smaller cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved, if that’s what’s available. Heirloom tomatoes or larger Beefsteak tomatoes are also great options.
How to Cut Tomatoes for Salad
If using cherry tomatoes, simply slice each tomato in half. If you have larger tomatoes, remove the stems and core the tomatoes first. Then slice each tomato in half from top to bottom. Slice each half into wedges from top to bottom, scooping out the seeds with your fingers.
How to Make Cucumber Tomato and Onion Salad
When our garden started overflowing with the cucumbers that Casey planted a couple of months ago, I knew that I better get to work and stir together this easy cucumber tomato salad. It’s made with basic ingredients that I generally keep on hand at this time of year, so it was ready for the dinner table in just minutes (no grocery shopping necessary)!
- Place Vegetables and Herbs in a Bowl. Toss together the tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and basil in a large bowl.
- Make the Dressing. In a separate bowl or jar, whisk or shake together the olive oil and vinegar until combined. The simple dressing is as basic as it gets — highlighting the natural flavors of the produce without overwhelming the dish.
- Dress the Salad. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss to coat. Season liberally with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Marinate. Allow the salad to sit and marinate for about 30 minutes, then stir and enjoy!
Tomato and Onion Salad Benefits
This healthy cucumber tomato salad is loaded with nutritional benefits! Tomatoes are a powerful antioxidant, rich in Vitamin C and lycopene. Cucumbers are hydrating, low in sodium, and a good source of potassium. Similarly, raw onions are also full of antioxidants and Vitamin C. You can find out more about the benefits of these ingredients in this helpful article.
Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad Calories
Each generous portion (1/6th of the dish) has about 194 calories, 18 grams of fat, 7 grams of carbs and 2 grams of protein. This is just an estimate, and will vary depending on how much dressing is actually consumed.
Serving Suggestions
This versatile cucumber tomato onion salad is delicious alongside almost any of your favorite entrees. Here are a few ideas that go well with fresh dish:
- Deep-Dish Cast Iron Skillet Pizza, French Bread Pizza, Pizza Quesadillas, or other homemade (or takeout) pizza
- Chicken Dijon
- Baked Meatballs, Chicken Meatballs, Spaghetti and Meatballs, or Meatball Casserole
- Penne alla Vodka or Easy Bolognese Sauce
- Classic Meat Lasagna, Skillet Lasagna, Spinach Lasagna, or Vegetable Lasagna
- Stuffed Shells or Spinach Stuffed Shells
- Grilled Salmon or Grilled Scallops
- Whole Roasted Chicken or Roasted Chicken Thighs
- Grilled Shrimp
- Spinach Stuffed Chicken
- Grilled Chicken Thighs, Garlic and Herb Grilled Chicken or Grilled BBQ Chicken Breast
- Smothered Pork Chops, Oven Fried Pork Chops or Grilled Pork Chops
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin or Roasted Pork Tenderloin
- Cast Iron Skillet Filet Mignon, Grilled Steak Tips, New York Strip Steak or Grilled Flank Steak
- Baked Salmon or Oven-Fried Fish
- Crab Cakes or Virginia Crab Imperial
Preparation and Storage Tips for Tomato-Cucumber Salad
- Make Ahead: This salad is best when it has a chance to marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. You can let it sit at room temperature while it marinates, or you can put it in the refrigerator if you prefer a cold salad.
- The flavors come together, the cucumbers marinate, and the onions pickle (giving them a more mild taste) while the salad rests. Don’t skip that step!
- The salad will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, but it’s best when enjoyed within about 24 hours. After a day or so, the vegetables get soft and the salad loses that satisfying crunch.
Recipe Variations
- Tomato Cucumber Chickpea Salad: For more staying power, bulk up the salad with a can of drained, rinsed chickpeas. The extra protein and fiber can turn the dish into a satisfying vegetarian entrée.
- Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad: This Mediterranean-inspired dish is delicious with some crumbled feta cheese added to the mix.
- Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad: Stir in 1 pitted, diced avocado. The fruit will add a nice, creamy texture and richness. If you’re not serving the salad within 30 minutes, wait to add the avocado until the last minute. The avocado will turn brown if it sits out for too long.
- Cucumber Tomato Mozzarella Salad: Add diced fresh mozzarella or miniature mozzarella balls to the dish for a creamy addition.
- Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad with Italian Dressing: Instead of making your own vinaigrette with olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper, you can substitute with about ½ cup of your favorite store-bought Italian dressing.
Tips for the Best Cucumber Tomato Onion Salad Recipe
- Use the freshest, sweetest, in-season tomatoes and cucumbers. The simple salad gets all of its great flavor from the best produce.
- Pick a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil for the best flavor in your dressing.
- Allow the salad to marinate in the dressing for at least 30-60 minutes (or overnight).
- Garnish with additional herbs, such as fresh dill, thyme, rosemary, chives, parsley, or oregano for even more fresh flavor. A sprinkling of feta cheese, diced fresh mozzarella cheese, or shaved Parmesan cheese is also a nice finishing touch.
- Replace some of the vinegar with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for some bright citrus flavor.
More Cucumber Salad Recipes to Try
Cucumber Dill Salad
30 minutes mins
Cucumber Salad with Vinegar
1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Creamy Cucumber Salad
40 minutes mins
Cucumber Tomato Onion Salad
Ingredients
- 4 medium ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, and sliced into wedges
- 2 English seedless cucumbers, peeled (if desired) and sliced into half-circles
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons snipped fresh basil
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and basil.
- In a separate bowl or jar, whisk or shake together olive oil and vinegar. Pour over vegetables and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Allow the salad to marinate for about 30 minutes – 1 hour at room temperature or in the fridge (if you prefer a cold salad).
Video
Notes
- Tomato Cucumber Chickpea Salad: For more staying power, bulk up the salad with a can of drained, rinsed chickpeas. The extra protein and fiber can turn the dish into a satisfying vegetarian entrée.
- Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad: This Mediterranean-inspired dish is delicious with some crumbled feta cheese added to the mix.
- Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad: Stir in 1 pitted, diced avocado. The fruit will add a nice, creamy texture and richness. If you’re not serving the salad within 30 minutes, wait to add the avocado until the last minute. The avocado will turn brown if it sits out for too long.
- Cucumber Tomato Mozzarella Salad: Add diced fresh mozzarella or miniature mozzarella balls to the dish for a creamy addition.
- Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad with Italian Dressing: Instead of making your own vinaigrette with olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper, you can substitute with about ½ cup of your favorite store-bought Italian dressing.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in July, 2020. The photos were updated in June, 2022.
wauw, dat ziet er geweldig uit
looks so yummy and tasteful. Can’t wait to try this.
This recipe is easy to follow and uses simple ingredients to create a delicious and healthy salad. The dressing is zesty and refreshing, making it perfect for summer meals or as a light side dish. I would definitely recommend this recipe to anyone looking for a tasty salad option.
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Thank you!
I followed the recipe for the dressing. It left a very greasy, oily texture in tasting it. Added more vinegar, but it did not help. Let it sit overnight, but it did not help. Do not plan to make this again.
We’re sorry to hear this, Toni. The dressing will naturally be a bit oily. However, you could definitely include less dressing for a more subtle flavor.