Mediterranean Tomato Cucumber Salad

This Mediterranean tomato cucumber salad is light, refreshing and super delicious, making it perfect for summer. 

It makes for a great vegan and gluten free side dish to almost any of your mains, and is super easy to put together too! 

Just 10 minutes of kitchen time and a few simple ingredients is all you need to put this mouthwatering salad together. 

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Summer is all about putting fresh produce to use, and this Mediterranean tomato cucumber salad is the perfect way to do just that! 

The ripe and juicy tomatoes are teamed up with the pungent red onion and the refreshing cucumber, and come together beautifully with the simple, tangy dressing, making this super simple salad a total hit! 

The salad is low carb, dairy-free, dense in nutrients but low in calories, making it tick almost all the boxes.

Jump to:

• What's So Great About the Recipe?
• Ingredients
• How to Make the Mediterranean Tomato Cucumber Salad
• Substitutions & Variations
• 💭Top Tip
• Equipment
• How to Store the Leftover Mediterranean Tomato Cucumber Salad
• Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
• How to Serve the Mediterranean Tomato Cucumber Salad
• FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Mediterranean Tomato Cucumber Salad

What's So Great About the Recipe?

I love how it needs a very simple vinaigrette, and lets the actual flavors of the tomatoes and cucumber shine through. 

The salad is super versatile too- I love teaming it up with my summer BBQ favorites, and it turns out to be a total crowd pleaser every single time. 

I also love the fact that I can actually tweak it a bit too, if I want to, and add other fresh ingredients that I might have at hand, but more on that later!

With minimally processed ingredients and lots of clean, fresh, plant-based ingredients, this recipe fits perfectly into a wholefood diet.

Ingredients

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Cucumber: English cucumbers are a great choice for this recipe, since they can be used with their skin on, and have a nice crunch factor too. You could, however, use any other cucumber of your choice. 

Tomatoes: You can use any ripe and juicy tomatoes for the salad. I would recommend using Roma tomatoes or cherry tomatoes. 

Onion: I would recommend using red onions, since they have the perfect balance of pungent flavor and sweetness. 

Mint leaves: Mint leaves add a nice freshness to the salad. I would recommend not skipping this one, because the minty flavor it brings to this Mediterranean tomato cucumber salad is unmatched. 

Cilantro: Cilantro is another must have for this recipe. It freshens up the salad and adds a nice pop of color to it too. 

Olive oil: Olive oil acts as a base for the simple salad dressing. You can use extra virgin olive oil too! 

Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice brightens up this rather simple salad and makes it nice and tangy, enhancing the flavors of the other ingredients at the same time. 

Salt and pepper: I’ve used a simple seasoning of salt and pepper for the salad. You can use Kosher salt and any other seasonings of your choice. 

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make the Mediterranean Tomato Cucumber Salad

Substitutions & Variations

You can bring in several interesting variations to this rather simple tomato and cucumber salad. Here are a few good ideas to get you going. 

• To lend the salad a bit of protein and some extra tanginess, you can add some crumbled feta cheese towards the end, right before you serve. 
• You can also add some capers or olives into the salad to bring in some of that delicious saltiness. 
• Chopped garlic can also be a great addition to this Mediterranean tomato cucumber salad. 
• If you can get your hands on heirloom tomatoes, you would totally want to add them to the mix- they have really bright flavors and colors, which can take this simple salad to the next level. 

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Equipment

• Pressure Cooker
• Ladle
• Non Stick Frying Pan
• Stainless Steel Frying Pan
• Cast Iron Skillet
• Stainless Steel Pot
• Mixing Bowls
• Chopping Board
• Food Processor
• Mason Jars
• Serving Spoons

How to Store the Leftover Mediterranean Tomato Cucumber Salad

This salad tastes best when enjoyed within a few hours of putting it together- pretty much like most other salads. This is because this Mediterranean salad has fresh ingredients and veggies, which hold and retain their shape and texture best for a few hours. 

If you do have any leftovers, you can transfer them to an airtight container or a meal prep container and refrigerate them for up to 2 days. 

You can also choose to portion out the salad and the dressing in separate containers, and just put them together when you want to. 

If you want the Mediterranean tomato cucumber salad to last longer, core the tomatoes and the cucumber before you put this salad together.

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Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe

• To lend some extra flavor to this Mediterranean tomato cucumber salad, you can add a dash of sumac, which is a spice crafted using ground berries. I recently tried using sumac to season my simple sliced onions, and it turned out absolutely fantastic. 
• I’ve used a sharp knife to slice and cut the veggies for the salad. If you want nice, uniform and thin slices, you can use a mandolin slicer. 
• To make the veggies in the salad extra crunchy, chill them in the refrigerator for a few hours before you chop them. 
• If you love the tanginess of lemon, you can amp that up in this salad by adding some lemon zest into the mix. 
• Chopped or minced garlic can also be an excellent addition to the salad dressing, and can lend it more of that unique, Mediterranean flavor. 
• If you want to bring some heat into this salad, you can add some chili flakes or a pinch of cayenne into it. 
• To make this salad more filling and nutritious, you can add some canned chickpeas into the mix, and increase the amount of seasoning you’re adding to lend it a bit more flavor. 
• Another good way to bulk up this salad is to mix boiled pasta into it. And of course, you’ll need to increase the amount of dressing too!

How to Serve the Mediterranean Tomato Cucumber Salad

When it comes to serving this simple yet ultra delicious Mediterranean tomato cucumber salad, the options are endless. 

As a Light Meal

While this salad is best served as a side dish, you can easily transform it into a light yet filling meal by simply adding some couscous or quinoa or any other cooked grain into the mix. 

With Grilled Meat

This tomato and cucumber salad is super refreshing and filled with flavor and texture, which makes it a great side for any of your grilled meats and proteins this summer. 

Inside Wraps

This crunchy and flavorful salad can be a great addition to your homemade wraps. In fact, this is the best way to utilize your leftover salad that seems to be losing its crunchiness. 

In Sandwiches

This salad can also amp up your sandwiches and lend them some of that bright, light flavor and a bit of texture. You can choose to chop up your veggies finely if you’re planning to use it for sandwiches. 

FAQs

Related Recipes

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