If you have midday cravings, instead of reaching for snacks or sweets, give this colorful, flavorful bowl of salad a try. Our cucumber tomato salad recipe is incredibly easy to make, with only a few simple ingredients, and comes together in less than 10 minutes.
Ingredients You Will Need
Guess what, you’ll only need a total of nine ingredients for whipping up this easy tasty salad—cucumber, tomato, red onion, and 6 more for the sauce. Let’s take a closer look.
- Cucumber
While you can go with any type of cucumber you have on hand, we opt for Japanese cucumbers for our salad.
This type of cucumber is usually less bitter than the other common types. Japanese cucumber is mildly sweet and yields a palatable melon-like taste. Their skin is thinner and their seeds are also fewer and smaller. When choosing cucumbers, go with less spiky ones as they are less bitter.
You can also try baby cucumber if you like a crispier texture.
Whatever kind of cucumber you decide to go with, look for those with a nice even green color and a firm, heavy feel—they’re perfectly ripe. If the cucumbers are underripe, they will likely be more bitter. If they are overripe, with their skin starting to turn yellow, then they will be spongy and squashy.
- Tomato
We choose beef tomato for our salad. This type of tomato has a sweeter taste compared to other common types.
You can also try other alternatives, such as baby tomatoes or cherry tomatoes for a more concentrated umami flavor and less prep work.
When choosing tomatoes, pick the ones with an even red color. It’s all the better if the tomatoes still have the stems on them, meaning that they’re freshly picked.
- Red Onion
We add slices of red onion to give our salad a slight kick of flavor and a contrast in texture.
If you want to tone down the sharp flavor of red onions, simply soak the slices in water for about 10 minutes before tossing them with other salad ingredients. This simple step gives them a nice crispy texture and a sweeter, more mellow taste.
- Sauce
Simply mix up these six ingredients: olive oil, pepper, parsley, salt, red wine vinegar, and oregano. The taste is one that is both savory and tangy with a slight peppery hint and herby notes.
Is Cucumber Tomato Salad Healthy?
Yes, our cucumber tomato salad makes a healthy and hydrating dish that packs a bunch of vitamins.
As both cucumbers and tomatoes have a high water content, our salad is absolutely refreshing and can give your body an instant hydration boost.
Plus, with cucumber being rich in water and low in calories, adding it to your eating routine on a regular basis can help promote weight loss. On top of that, this green vegetable also contains a considerable amount of antioxidants needed for fighting harmful free radicals and protecting your body from certain types of cancers and diseases.
In addition to cucumbers, tomatoes are an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C. Eating tomatoes are known to bring tons of health benefits to your body, especially skin health and heart health.
In a nutshell, this salad makes a healthy and highly refreshing dish, which can keep you full and satisfied in midday periods to avoid cravings for unhealthy snacks.
How to Store the Leftovers
It’s best to consume your cucumber tomato salad right away after you have dressed it. The longer you leave your dressed salad uneaten, the more watery it will get, as there is salt in the dressing that brings out the water in the cucumbers and tomatoes.
If you haven’t drizzled the sauce over the salad, then you can keep the tomatoes, the cucumbers, and the sauce in separate containers in the fridge for about 2 to 3 days.
Cucumber Tomato Salad Recipe
Today's cucumber tomato salad makes a refreshingly delicious snack or side dish. In less than 10 minutes, you'll have a colorful bowl of salad bursting with wonderfully savory and tangy flavors!
- prep TIME 7 mins
- total TIME 7 mins
- COURSE Side Dish
- CUISINE American
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 125 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 12 oz cucumber (sliced)
- 12 oz beef tomato (sliced)
- 2 oz red onion (sliced)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 2 tbsp parsley (chopped)
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep:
Slice the cucumber: Slice off the stem ends of the cucumber and cut it in half crosswise. Cut each half in halves again lengthwise, then place those two halves cut-side down side-by-side, and make 1/2" slices across the halves.
Slice the tomato: Cut the tomato in half lengthwise and cut off the stem in both halves. Place one half cut-side down, and cut it in half crosswise. Hold and turn 90 degrees, and make 1/2" slices across the halves.
Slice the onion: Half the onion lengthwise and slice off the root and head. Grip the half by the side and make 1/8" slices across the half.
Finely chop the parsley.
Cook:
Make the sauce: Add 3 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 2 tbsp parsley, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, and 1/2 tsp oregano. Stir to combine.
Mix the salad ingredients: Add 12 oz cucumber, 12 oz beef tomato, and 2 oz red onion along with the sauce. Mix well.
Plate and serve.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Head Chef, Culinary Consultant
Luna Regina
Writer, Author
- Noble RedmondRefreshing and simple cucumber tomato salad