The most gorgeous cucumber tomato salad is made with tons of fresh herbs, an easy vinaigrette, quick pickled red onions, and feta cheese. We make this recipe year-round, but it’s especially delicious in the summer when you can literally turn to your garden for everything in this recipe.
We have a running joke at the studio that Linley and Emily are obsessed with “herb salad.” No matter what they are eating, they add herbs — because herbs just make it better. Including this herby cucumber tomato salad.
We added a handful of fresh garden herbs (basil, mint, and dill) and a simple vinegar-forward dressing to give it our own addicting twist and truly believe it is better than any other cucumber tomato salad on the internet!
Plus, you can use any kind of tomato you want, making this a versatile “garden salad.” And, it wouldn’t be a salad without the cheese, so we topped ours with feta.
- Tomatoes: we use cherry tomatoes for this version of a cucumber tomato salad. Be sure you half the tomatoes before tossing them in salt.
- Cucumbers: as long as you chop the cucumbers thin and bite-sized, any cucumber will work.
- Red onion: thin slices of red onion add a bite of flavor and a bit of sweetness, especially tossed with vinegar.
- Vinegar: we use a mixture of white wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar as the vinegar for this salad. We toss the onions with the vinegar and use the whole darn mixture for the dressing.
- Feta: adding feta to this salad cuts the tartness of the salad. If you aren’t a cheese person, feel free to omit the feta.
How do you keep cucumber salad from getting watery?
We found that if you salt the cucumbers and tomatoes before making the salad, it will draw out the moisture and you can discard it before making the salad. That will reduce the liquid!
- Make the dressing.
- Quick pickle the onions.
- Salt the tomatoes + cucumbers to remove moisture.
- Toss everything together.
Ingredient Swaps
- Tomatoes: don’t have cherry tomatoes? It’s ok to use any kind of tomato for this salad, but be sure to cut them into bite-sized pieces. Never skip salting the tomatoes. It draws out the liquid in the tomatoes so you don’t end up with a watery salad.
- Cucumbers: English cucumbers, Persian cucumbers, and regular cucumbers will all work for this recipe. Be sure to cut the cucumbers into half moons or bite sized pieces. We also like to leave the skin on the cucumbers for a bit of texture, but feel free to peel them if you want to.
- Vinaigrette: Feel free to swap the white wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar for any combination of vinegars. You can use white vinegar, rice vinegar, or balsamic vinegar.
What else can I add to cucumber tomato salad?
- Beans
- Olives
- Bell pepper
- Artichoke hearts
- Microgreens
- Watermelon
Store this salad in a sieve to allow the excess water to drip from the salad. Store the salad in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
How long will leftovers last?
This recipe will last around 24 hours in the fridge. Because it’s made with fresh herbs and a vinaigrette, it’s best eaten fresh so that the greens don’t get soggy.
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Add the white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, honey, and ¼ teaspoon salt to a mason jar and cover. Shake the jar until all the ingredients are combined and the honey is no longer stuck to the bottom of the jar.
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Next, add the sliced onion to a bowl and pour the vinegar mixture over the onions and mix. Set the onions aside.
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Add the cucumbers and cherry tomatoes to a colander and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and toss the ingredients together. Set the colander on a mixing bowl to catch the liquid that is drawn out of the tomatoes and cucumber. Let the vegetables sit for about 15 minutes.
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Discard the excess liquid from the tomatoes and cucumbers and add them to a salad bowl. Add the onions and vinegar to the tomatoes and cucumbers and mix.
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Add the basil, mint, and fresh dill and toss to combine.
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Top the salad with feta cheese and serve.
- You can use regular cucumbers for this recipe, as well. We recommend that you slice them into half moons.
- You can swap out any of the vinegars used with red wine vinegar, rice vinegar, etc.
- Don’t skip salting the cucumbers before making the salad. This is a very important step, so we are reminding you.
- Store this salad in a sieve. Storing this salad in a sieve in the refrigerator will or a salad spinner will keep your salad fresher (aka crunchier) for longer.
- Add 4-oz. of pasta to this cucumber tomato salad to make a simple and delicious pasta salad.
Calories: 118 kcal, Carbohydrates: 21 g, Protein: 5 g, Fat: 3 g, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 11 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
