This crisp Cucumber Tomato Salad is the ultimate celebration of fresh garden flavors, featuring juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and a fragrant blend of fresh mint, parsley, and chives. Tossed in a zesty splash of apple cider and red wine vinegars with rich extra-virgin olive oil, it’s an effortlessly vibrant side dish that elevates any meal.
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🥒 The Ingredients
This vibrant dish brings together crisp farm-fresh produce and aromatic garden herbs, all tossed in a perfectly balanced, tangy dressing. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.
📝 Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Cucumbers: English or Persian cucumbers are ideal because they have thin skins and fewer seeds, meaning no peeling required! If using standard garden cucumbers, be sure to peel them and scoop out the seeds so the salad doesn’t get watery.
- Tomatoes: Ripe, firm tomatoes give the best flavor and texture. Vine-ripened, Roma, or sweet cherry and grape tomatoes work wonderfully—just make sure they aren’t overly soft so they hold their shape.
- Red Onion: Adds a lovely pop of color and a pleasant bite. If raw red onion is too strong for your taste, soak the sliced onions in ice water for 10 minutes to mellow them out, or substitute mild shallots or green onions.
- Fresh Herbs (Mint, Parsley & Chives): Fresh herbs are the star of the show here, so skip the dried versions! If you don’t have all three on hand, fresh dill or basil make fantastic additions or swaps.
- The Vinegars: The dual punch of fruity apple cider vinegar and robust red wine vinegar gives the dressing incredible depth. In a pinch, white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, or freshly squeezed lemon juice make great substitutes.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Because the dressing is raw, quality matters—use a good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil for a rich, silky finish.
- Salt & Pepper: Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper enhance all the fresh flavors. Adjust to taste right before serving!
📌 Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Summer Salad
- Prevent a Watery Salad: Cucumbers and tomatoes naturally release a lot of moisture. To keep your dressing from getting diluted, slice your cucumbers and tomatoes, toss them with a pinch of salt in a colander, and let them drain for 15–20 minutes before dressing the salad.
- Let the Flavors Meld: While this salad can be enjoyed immediately, letting it sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes after dressing allows the vegetables to absorb that delicious, tangy vinaigrette.
- Keep It Uniform: Chop your cucumbers and tomatoes into similar-sized, bite-sized pieces. Not only does this make the salad look beautiful, but it ensures you get a little bit of every delicious flavor in every single bite.
- Mellow out the Onions: If you want to tone down the sharpness of raw red onions, submerge your slices in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry before adding them to the bowl.
- Fun Delicious Add-ins: This salad is wonderfully versatile! Feel free to toss in crumbled feta or goat cheese, pitted Kalamata olives, or diced avocado right before serving for a fun twist.
How to Make Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Step 1: Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces.
- Step 2: Partially peel the cucumber and then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Step 3: Add the two vinegars, oil, salt, and pepper in a jar with a lid and shake vigorously.
- Step 4: Toss the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and herbs in a large bowl. Toss with the vinaigrette. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with chopped parsley.
🍽️ How to Serve
- This salad is perfect for an outdoor BBQ. We love serving it with our Marinated Grilled Chicken alongside our Zesty Black Bean and Corn Salad.
- As mentioned, the salad is really best served soon after putting it together.
- If desired, you can prep all the components up to 12 hours in advance, and then assemble them the next morning. Keep everything covered and refrigerated until ready to assemble.
Expert Tip:
If too much liquid has accumulated, then tilt the salad to the side and spoon some of the liquid out. As the salad rests, the tomatoes and cucumbers will release some liquid. Even with the extra liquid, the salad is still amazing.
🙋🏽♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! While it is best enjoyed the day it’s made, you can prep the ingredients a few hours in advance. For the freshest results, store the chopped vegetables and dressing in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator, then toss everything together 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
Salting your chopped vegetables in a colander for 15 minutes before assembling lets them release excess liquid so it doesn’t dilute your dressing. Opting for low-moisture varieties like English or Persian cucumbers and firm vine-ripened tomatoes also helps maintain that perfect crunch.
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The vegetables will soften slightly and release more juices as they sit, but the flavors will continue to marinate—just give it a gentle toss and use a slotted spoon to serve!
🥗 More Amazing Summer Salad Recipes
Ready to make the summer salad in town? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Cucumber Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 4 large cucumbers peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4 large tomatoes beefsteaks or heirlooms, stemmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ red onion chopped
- ¼ cup mint fresh, chopped
- ¼ cup chives finely chopped
- ½ cup parsley fresh, chopped, plus extra for garnish
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ teaspoon Kosher salt or more, to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add the cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, mint, chives, and parsley to a large bowl.4 large cucumbers, 4 large tomatoes, ½ red onion, ¼ cup mint, ¼ cup chives, ½ cup parsley
- Make the dressing by adding the apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper to a jar with a lid. With the lid on, vigorously shake for about 1 minute, until fully combined and emulsified.2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1½ teaspoon Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Pour the dressing over the salad. Use two large spoons, or your hands, to mix the salad until all components are coated with the dressing.
- If desired, transfer to a serving platter, garnish with extra chopped parsley, and serve at once. Or, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for up to 1 hour. Drain excess liquid with a spoon, if necessary.
Gerry says
yes i found this to be a good salad
Kris Longwell says
Awesome!
Jennifer says
This was a delicious summer recipe. I added a teaspoon or two of honey because I am sensitive to foods that are a little acidic. Absolutely wonderful! Hubby loved it!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Jennifer! Woo hoo! We are so happy you enjoyed the salad and the addition of honey sounds wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing and for the GREAT review! That means the world to us!