This Greek cucumber tomato feta salad is the perfect way to enjoy fresh produce on a hot summer day. Bursting with summer’s bounty while staying traditional, I serve this salad throughout the warm weather season.
If you are a fan of fresh summer salads, make Tomato Cucumber Caprese Salad, Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Feta, and Strawberry Spinach Salad.
Ingredients for Greek Tomato Cucumber Salad
You will need just a few simple ingredients to make this Greek tomato and cucumber salad with feta. Feel free to experiment with substitutions and tips provided to suit your taste and what you have on hand. Below is what you’ll need:
The dressing Ingredients:
- Olive oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for a buttery, fruity and smooth flavor.
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice makes a light, bright dressing. If you prefer more acidity, you can also use red wine vinegar.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic gives us an extra punchy bite. If you do not have any fresh garlic cloves on hand, swap them out for ¼ – ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Oregano: Fresh oregano is deliciously aromatic and makes you feel like you’re on the cobblestone streets of the Mediterranean. If you grow oregano in your backyard, this is a great use for it. If you prefer a mild oregano taste, use half the amount of dried oregano.
- Seasonings: An easy and simple seasoning of Kosher salt and black pepper enhances those fresh summer vegetables.
Salad Ingredients:
- Fresh Cucumbers: I love Persian cucumbers for their delicate flavor, crunchy texture, and thinner skin. That being said, English cucumbers have fewer seeds and can also be used in this cucumber tomato feta cheese salad recipe. If you can’t find either one, regular cucumbers can also be used.
- Fresh Tomatoes: This recipe would work with any type of tomato. During the summer months, I usually use cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or colorful heirloom tomatoes. However, other tomatoes, such as vine-ripened or Roma tomatoes, would also work.
- Onions: Thinly sliced red onion provides color and flavor. If you do not prefer the taste of raw onion, thinly slice one bunch of green onion for a milder onion flavor.
- Olives: Greek Kalamata olives are a classic when making this Mediterranean cucumber tomato salad, but black olives are a great substitute. If you are not a fan, you can leave them out.
- Fresh herbs: I kept it simple with fresh parsley, but you can toss in any fresh herb available in your kitchen, including fresh mint, fresh dill, or fresh basil.
- Crumbled feta cheese: Tangy feta cheese is the crowning glory of this healthy feta salad and it adds a creamy, salty brininess. Fresh feta can be found in the cheese section of the grocery store. If you are not a fan of salads with feta cheese, you can leave it out.
Optional Add-Ins and Variations
As it is with any iconic recipe, the authentic Greek Salad everyone seems to love can be customized with various (optional) add-ins and substitutions. Below are a few that I tried and recommend:
- Dressing: While my Greek cucumber salad dressing is pretty basic, you can take it up a notch by using my Lemon Salad Dressing (with Dijon mustard), Red Wine Vinaigrette, or Lemon Balsamic Dressing.
- Sweetener: Adding a small amount of sugar helps with balancing out the acidity. I like adding a small amount of honey or maple syrup. If that sounds good to you, make this recipe with my Mediterranean Salad Dressing.
- Bell pepper: Toss in thinly sliced green or red bell peppers, or roasted red peppers.
- Capers/Pepperoncini: Toss in a handful of drained and rinsed capers or sliced pepperoncini.
- Salad greens: While leafy greens are not traditionally added to classic Greek salad, you can certainly pile all the ingredients on top of your favorite salad greens, such as romaine lettuce, mixed greens, or baby spinach.
How to Make Greek Cucumber Salad?
I love making this Greek cucumber tomato feta salad because all it takes is a quick whisk of the easy homemade Greek salad dressing and a few minutes of chopping the fresh veggies. Here are the step-by-step instructions:
- Make the salad dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice (or vinegar), garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper until combined. Alternatively, you can place everything in a mason jar and shake vigorously.
- Assemble salad ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, place sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, olives, parsley, and crumbled feta cheese.
- Toss: Drizzle it with the dressing and gently toss to combine.
- Serve: Enjoy immediately or cover and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
This tomato cuke feta salad is great for making ahead as long as you store the ingredients properly. Prep the ingredients a couple of hours (or up to a day) ahead of time to maintain the integrity of the vegetables. Here’s how I do it:
- Make Ahead: Dice the vegetables into bite-sized pieces, then store them separately in an airtight container in the fridge. Crumble or cube the feta and store it in a separate container in the refrigerator. Assemble the dressing and keep it refrigerated in a mason jar. When ready to serve, assemble the prepared veggies and cheese, give the dressing a good shake, toss, and enjoy.
- Storage: Leftover dressed cucumber Greek salad can be stored for 2-3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
What to Serve with this Cucumber Tomato Greek Salad?
This is a great side dish to bring to all your summer barbecues, yet equally delicious to enjoy at home as a main course with grilled protein for a full meal. Some of my favorite ways to serve this cucumber tomato and feta salad include:
- Grilled Meats: This easy salad makes a flavor-packed side dish when served alongside Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes. It also complements the flavors, herbs, and seasonings of the region, including dishes like my Shish Tawook, Grilled Harissa Chicken, Shawarma Chicken, and Turkish Meatballs. You can also use it as a topping for making DIY CAVA Bowls with harissa and honey chicken.
- Fish and Seafood: The bright flavors of the salad perfectly balance the richness of the fish and seafood dishes like my Baked Sockeye Salmon or Grilled Shrimp Skewers.
- Grains: Pair this Greek cucumber tomato salad with my Herbed Quinoa to turn it into a balanced vegetarian meal packed with crunchy vegetables, healthy fats, and protein. If you need a pairing that continues the Mediterranean flavors, try serving it with Lebanese Rice.
- With Pita Bread: Use it as a filling for pita bread, along with some hummus and tzatziki sauce for a Mediterranean-inspired sandwich.
Aysegul’s Expert Tips
While this recipe is pretty straightforward and easy, I’d like to point out a few helpful tips for the best results on your first try:
- Cut vegetables roughly the same size: Slicing and dicing the vegetables about the same size ensures you get each one of the vegetables in every bite.
- Rest for 15 minutes: For the best flavor, let the cucumber and tomato salad rest for 15 minutes before enjoying it to allow the ingredients to meld together.
- Pay attention to feta cheese and salt: Different brands of feta cheese will be saltier than others. I like to make the dressing, add the feta, toss it all together, then taste and add any additional salt, if necessary.
- Tomatoes and cucumbers will release their juices: The water from the fresh tomatoes and cucumbers will naturally release when you add the dressing. If you prefer, you can serve the salad with a slotted spoon to hold back the excess water.
FAQs
The traditional Greek salad dressing is made with good-quality extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice (or red wine vinegar), fresh garlic, fresh oregano, salt, and black pepper.
Greek salad focuses on simplicity, using fresh vegetables, a simple dressing, salty feta cheese, and olives. Italian salad is more herbaceous and savory, thanks to a wider variety of vegetables, a more complex dressing, and different cheese options.
Similar Salad Recipes You Might Like:
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Piyaz (Turkish White Bean Salad)
- Jennifer Aniston Salad
Diet Key
This Recipe is:
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Greek Cucumber Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For The Dressing:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, or red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, or ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For The Salad:
- 6 Persian cucumbers, peeled and diced or 1 English cucumber
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half or 4-5 Roma tomatoes – 15 oz.
- ¼ cup sliced red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- To make the salad dressing, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice (or vinegar), garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until well combined. Alternatively, you can put everything in a mason jar and shake vigorously.
- Place cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, olives, parsley, and feta cheese in a large bowl.
- Drizzle it with the dressing and give it a gentle toss to combine.
- Serve right away or store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
- Yields: This recipe (depending on the size of your vegetables) makes about 6-7 cups of cucumber and tomato salad, which is ideal for four servings. The nutritional information below is per serving.
- Adding Salt: Be sure to taste your feta cheese before adding more salt to the recipe. Some brands tend to be saltier than others, so it is best to give it a taste.
- Storage: Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is a fantastic salad that can be made all year round.