We’re pleased to welcome Carol Borchardt from A Cookbook Obsession back to Mediterranean Living to share another delicious and healthful recipe. Her Cucumber, Tomato and Red Onion Salad is a fresh and flavorful Mediterranean Diet Recipe that’s perfect for serving alongside almost any Mediterranean meal. With crisp cucumber, juicy tomatoes, red onion, creamy Greek yogurt, feta, and plenty of fresh mint, this salad has many of the bright, satisfying flavors we love in a traditional Greek Salad. It’s easy enough for a weeknight side dish and substantial enough to enjoy for a refreshing, satisfying lunch.
There is a reason simple salads like this one remain favorites year after year. When you start with fresh, flavorful vegetables, you don’t need a complicated recipe to make something delicious. This Cucumber Tomato Salad is especially appealing when the weather is warm and tomatoes and cucumbers are at their best. It requires no cooking and can be on the table in about 15 minutes. The yogurt-based dressing gives the vegetables a creamy coating while lemon and fresh mint keep the flavors bright.
The combination also makes this salad very similar to a crunchy traditional Greek Salad. While a classic Greek Salad is generally dressed with olive oil and lemon and often includes olives, this version takes a slightly different approach. The Greek yogurt dressing creates a creamy texture, while the generous amount of fresh mint adds an extra layer of freshness.
This is also a wonderfully flexible salad. Serve it as a side dish with a Mediterranean meal, spoon it onto a plate with grilled chicken or fish, or enjoy a larger portion for lunch with some crusty or whole grain bread. It’s the kind of recipe that can easily become a regular part of your summer cooking.
How to Make Cucumber Tomato Salad
One of the best things about this Cucumber Tomato Salad is how easy it is to prepare. There is no cooking involved, and most of the work consists of chopping vegetables and blending the dressing.
Start with the cucumber. An English cucumber works particularly well because it is long, crisp, and relatively mild. Quarter the cucumber lengthwise, remove the seeds, and slice it into ½-inch pieces. Removing the seeds helps keep excess moisture from watering down the finished salad.
Next, seed and chop three medium tomatoes. Choose tomatoes that are ripe and flavorful. Since the tomatoes are one of the primary ingredients, their quality will have a noticeable effect on the finished dish.
Chop half of a red onion and combine it with the cucumber and tomatoes in a large bowl. The red onion provides a sharp bite that works particularly well with the sweet tomatoes and cool cucumber.
The dressing is what gives this salad its distinctive character. Combine Greek yogurt, two large cloves of garlic, the juice of half a large lemon, fresh mint, salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a mini food processor or blender. Process until smooth.
The fresh mint is especially important here. Instead of adding just a small amount as a garnish, this recipe uses a generous half cup of loosely packed mint leaves in the dressing. The result is fresh, aromatic, and full of flavor.
Pour the dressing over the chopped vegetables and toss gently to coat everything evenly. Add the crumbled feta cheese and toss again.
Finish with thinly sliced fresh mint leaves as a garnish and serve immediately.
The salad comes together quickly enough that it is easy to make right before lunch or dinner. If you’re serving it as part of a larger meal, you can prepare the individual components ahead of time and combine them just before serving.
Helpful Tips and Tricks
Use ripe, flavorful tomatoes. This is one of the most important tips for making a great Cucumber Tomato Salad. Look for tomatoes that feel ripe but aren’t overly soft. During tomato season, farmers market tomatoes can be particularly delicious.
Remove the cucumber seeds. Cucumbers contain a lot of water, and removing the seeds helps keep the salad from becoming too watery. It also gives the cucumber pieces a pleasant, crisp texture.
Seed the tomatoes. The same principle applies to the tomatoes. Removing the seeds and some of their excess juice helps the yogurt dressing maintain its creamy consistency.
Don’t hold back on the mint. The plentiful fresh mint is one of the things that sets this salad apart. It adds extra sparkle and gives the creamy yogurt dressing a wonderfully fresh flavor.
Use fresh garlic. Since the garlic is blended directly into the dressing, fresh garlic provides a much better flavor than garlic powder. Two large cloves give the dressing a noticeable garlic flavor without overpowering the other ingredients.
Taste the dressing before tossing. Feta cheese can be fairly salty, so taste the yogurt dressing before adding additional salt. You can always add more seasoning, but it is difficult to take it away.
Don’t overmix. Once the dressing is poured over the vegetables, gently toss the salad. You want the cucumber and tomatoes to remain intact rather than becoming soft or crushed.
Make the components ahead. If you’re entertaining or preparing lunch in advance, chop the vegetables and make the dressing up to an hour ahead. Refrigerate them separately. Combine everything just before serving.
Serve it fresh. This salad is at its best shortly after it is dressed. The vegetables are crisp, the yogurt dressing is creamy, and the fresh mint has its brightest flavor.
What to Serve with Tomato Cucumber Salad
This Cucumber Tomato Salad is a natural side dish for almost any Mediterranean meal. Its cool, crisp vegetables and creamy dressing pair particularly well with grilled meats, fish, and poultry.
For a simple summer dinner, serve it alongside Chicken Souvlaki and warm whole grain bread. The salad provides freshness and acidity while the chicken makes the meal more substantial.
It is also delicious with grilled or baked fish, like our Fennel Crusted Branzino. The lemon, garlic, and mint in the dressing complement mild fish especially well without overpowering it.
For a vegetarian Mediterranean meal, serve the salad with hummus, pita bread, olives, and roasted vegetables. You can also pair it with falafel or another bean-based dish.
This salad makes an excellent lunch, too. Enjoy a generous serving with whole grain bread or pita. If you’d like to make lunch more substantial, add chickpeas, beans, or a simply prepared protein.
Because the vegetables are so fresh and flavorful, you don’t need many additional dishes to create a satisfying Mediterranean meal. A protein, a grain or piece of bread, and this salad can be all you need.
For entertaining, consider serving it family-style in a large shallow bowl. The colorful vegetables and fresh mint make a beautiful presentation, especially when finished with crumbled feta and additional mint leaves.
Storage and Leftovers
This salad is best served immediately after the vegetables and dressing are combined. Cucumber and tomatoes naturally release water as they sit, which can thin the dressing and soften the vegetables.
For the best make-ahead results, prepare the vegetables and dressing separately. Both can be refrigerated for up to an hour before serving. Combine them with the feta just before serving.
If you have leftovers that have already been dressed, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate. The salad will still be flavorful the next day, although the cucumber and tomatoes won’t be quite as crisp.
If you know you’re going to have leftovers, consider dressing only the portion you plan to eat. Keep the remaining vegetables and dressing separate in the refrigerator and combine them when you’re ready for another serving.
This recipe is not suitable for freezing. The high water content of the cucumber and tomatoes would significantly change their texture after freezing and thawing.
Fortunately, this is such a quick recipe that making a fresh batch is easy. A few minutes of chopping and blending is all it takes.
Health Benefits
This is a truly health-packed dish, filled with superfoods and other healthy ingredients. The vegetables provide a variety of vitamins, minerals, water, and beneficial plant compounds, while Greek yogurt and feta contribute protein and calcium.
Tomatoes are a particularly nutritious foundation for this salad. They provide vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, and the carotenoid lycopene. Lycopene is a naturally occurring plant compound responsible for the red color of tomatoes and has antioxidant properties.
Cucumbers contribute plenty of water and a refreshing crunch. They’re also a simple way to add more vegetables to your meal without making the salad feel heavy.
Red onion provides flavor as well as naturally occurring sulfur-containing compounds and other plant compounds. Its sharp flavor is especially useful in a salad because it adds complexity without requiring a complicated dressing.
Fresh mint brings more than just flavor. Fresh herbs contain a variety of plant compounds and can make vegetable-forward dishes much more appealing. In this recipe, the generous amount of mint gives the dressing its distinctive fresh character.
Greek yogurt contributes protein and calcium and creates a creamy dressing without requiring a large amount of mayonnaise or another rich ingredient. You can use fat-free, low-fat, or regular Greek yogurt depending on your preference.
Garlic contains sulfur-containing compounds and adds plenty of flavor to the dressing. Because it is blended with the yogurt, lemon, and mint, its flavor is distributed throughout the entire salad.
Lemon juice brightens the dressing and provides vitamin C. Its acidity also balances the creamy yogurt and salty feta.
Feta cheese adds protein and calcium along with a concentrated salty and tangy flavor. A relatively small amount goes a long way toward making the salad satisfying.
The overall combination makes this a wonderful example of how healthy ingredients can also be delicious ingredients. Mediterranean Living’s approach to Mediterranean cooking emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole foods, and flavorful ingredients, with salads playing an important role in everyday meals.
This salad can therefore fit beautifully into the Mediterranean Diet when enjoyed as part of an overall eating pattern that includes plenty of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, fish, and other minimally processed foods.
FAQs
Can I make this Cucumber Tomato Salad ahead of time?
Yes. The vegetables and dressing can each be prepared up to an hour ahead and refrigerated separately. Combine them with the feta just before serving.
What kind of cucumber is best?
English cucumber is ideal for this recipe. It is crisp and mild, and removing the seeds helps prevent excess moisture in the finished salad.
Why do I need to seed the tomatoes?
Seeding the tomatoes removes some of their excess moisture. This helps keep the yogurt dressing thick and creamy rather than watery.
Can I use regular yogurt?
Yes. The recipe specifically allows for fat-free, low-fat, or regular Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is preferred because of its thicker consistency.
Can I use dried mint instead of fresh?
Fresh mint is highly recommended. The generous amount of fresh mint is one of the defining characteristics of this salad and provides a much brighter flavor than dried mint.
Is this a traditional Greek Salad?
This salad is very similar to a crunchy traditional Greek Salad because it combines cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, and feta. The main difference is the creamy Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon, and mint dressing used here.
Can I add Kalamata olives?
Yes. Kalamata olives would be a delicious addition if you want to make the salad even more reminiscent of a traditional Greek Salad. The Mediterranean Living Greek Salad recipe also uses Kalamata olives along with cucumber, tomato, red onion, feta, lemon, and olive oil.
Can I serve this as a main dish?
Definitely. This salad makes a satisfying lunch, especially when served with whole grain bread or pita. For a heartier meal, add chickpeas, beans, grilled chicken, or fish.
How long will leftovers last?
For the best texture and flavor, enjoy dressed leftovers within a day. The vegetables will soften and release liquid the longer they sit.
Why is this considered a Mediterranean Diet recipe?
The recipe emphasizes fresh vegetables, herbs, yogurt, lemon, and feta, all ingredients that work naturally within a Mediterranean-style eating pattern. More broadly, the Mediterranean Diet focuses on an overall pattern of eating rather than individual foods or recipes.
What makes this salad different from other cucumber and tomato salads?
The fresh mint and creamy Greek yogurt dressing are the distinguishing features. The mint adds extra sparkle, while the yogurt, garlic, and lemon create a creamy, tangy dressing that makes the salad more substantial.
This Cucumber Tomato Salad is a bright, flavorful, and health-packed recipe that’s easy enough for everyday meals but special enough to serve alongside a Mediterranean feast. Inspired by the fresh flavors of a crunchy traditional Greek Salad, it combines crisp cucumber, juicy tomatoes, red onion, creamy Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon, plentiful fresh mint, and salty feta. Whether you’re searching for new Mediterranean Diet recipes, a satisfying lunch, or a colorful side dish for dinner, this salad is an excellent choice. Best of all, it shows how a handful of fresh, healthy ingredients can come together to create a dish that’s simple, refreshing, and genuinely delicious.
Enjoy!
Here is Carol Borchardt’s Cookbook Obsession page. Find Carol cooking up a great collection of creative recipes!
And, here is her Facebook page. Stop by and give her a like. You’ll be treated to delicious recipes on the regular.
Cucumber-Tomato Salad with Feta and Fresh Mint
Ingredients
- 1 large English cucumber, quartered lengthwise, seeded and sliced into ½-inch pieces
- 3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt, fat-free, low-fat or regular
- 2 cloves large garlic
- 1/2 large lemon juice
- 1/2 cup mint leaves, loosely packed plus more sliced leaves for garnish
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Combine chopped cucumber, tomatoes and red onion in a bowl. Set aside.
- Combine yogurt, garlic, lemon, mint, and salt and black pepper in a mini food processor or blender. Process until smooth.
- Pour over vegetables, add feta cheese and toss.
- Garnish with thinly sliced mint leaves and serve immediately.
- TO MAKE AHEAD: Chop vegetables and make dressing up to an hour ahead; refrigerate. Just before serving, combine and serve immediately.
Nutrition
About the Author: Carol Borchardt
