Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Simple Cucumber and Tomato Salad Recipe with juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, sliced red onion and fresh dill will become your go-to side dish year round. It goes with everything!

It’s a staple in our house along with tomato cucumber bell pepper salad and lettuce salad.

This cucumber and tomato salad is something I ate every other day during the summer as a child. Grandma also loved to make creamy cucumber tomato salad when she had sour cream on hand and this simple cucumber salad just to add a variety to meals.

This is the most popular summer salad in Ukraine, Russia and many other Slavic countries. I also believe this fresh salad combination is incredibly popular all over the globe. With its own regional twist, of course.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s healthy and affordable.
• Easy to make any time of the year. There is nothing more cheerful on a dreary rainy winter night than a bowl of fresh tomato cucumber salad.
• I especially love to make this easy recipe during summer with my homegrown cucumbers and tomatoes or farmer’s market produce.

Ingredients for Cucumber and Tomato Salad

The key to making this salad recipe is to select ripe tomatoes and crispy cucumbers at the grocery store. And I am also using one ingredient that makes salad special but you can omit it.

• Cucumber: I like to use long English cucumber, Persian cucumbers or pickling cukes because you don’t have to peel skin of a cucumber. Select firm, plum and fresh cucumbers.
• Tomatoes: My preferred store-bought kind of tomatoes is “tomatoes on the vine”. During summer, any heirloom tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes or Roma tomatoes in season will be great. Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes are great too.
• Onion: I prefer to use red onion or shallots in fresh salads, as they aren’t as harsh. But yellow onion or white onion would also work. Alternatively, you could omit it entirely.
• Dill: It’s a classic herb in Ukrainian cooking. Alternatively use fresh parsley, fresh cilantro, fresh basil leaves or scallions for a punch of fresh flavor.
• Olive oil: I like good quality extra virgin olive oil for a simple dressing. Bonus is we do not have to make it separately.
• Toasted sesame oil: This is one of my secret dressing ingredients that is reminiscent of unrefined sunflower oil we always used to dress up this refreshing salad. You can omit it and use more of olive oil, it’s not a deal breaker.
• Salt and black pepper.

How to Make Cucumber and Tomato Salad

The key to making this salad is to prep it right before serving. That’s when its fresh ingredients truly shine!

• Chop the tomatoes and cucumbers into same sized pieces, ensuring the even distribution of ingredients in every bite.
• Then, finely slice the red onion and transfer all three to a large serving bowl. Chop the dill.
• Add the oils, salt and pepper to the bowl and toss lightly. We never made the dressing separately, there is no need.
• Then gently mix and taste it, adjust any of the seasonings, if necessary.

Tips for Best Results

• Make sure your knife is sharpened: There is nothing worse than a dull knife squishing juicy ripe tomatoes.
• On peeling cucumbers: I do not peel regular cucumbers unless it is full grown garden cucumber that has thick and bitter skin. Or any cucumber with a tough skin. No fun to eat that.
• Mixing: With soft salads like this cucumber tomato salad, it’s best to toss them gently with a large spoon rather than using tongs. This will help you avoid squashing the tomatoes or bruising any ingredients.
• Eat right away: I have to stress that it’s best to eat this salad within a few hours of making it. That’s when it tastes fresh and crunchy!

Variations and Add-Ins

Because of the simplicity of this salad recipe, there are tons of ways to adjust it and use as a foundation to layer other fresh and tasty ingredients!

• Acid: Add a splash of your favorite vinegar like red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Or squeeze fresh lemon juice or lime juice for a zing.
• Creamy: Make it creamy with plain yogurt or sour cream and omit the oils like I do in creamy cucumber salad.
• Cheese: Toss in crumbled feta cheese or mini bocconcini (mozzarella balls) like I do in Italian chopped salad.
• Seasonings: Add 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning to the dressing.
• Avocado: Add diced avocado and make it a cucumber tomato avocado salad. The sky’s the limit!
• Bell peppers: They add crunch, fiber and nutrients. Use one chopped yellow bell pepper or red bell pepper to add sweet and fruity flavor. Green bell pepper adds grassy, more bitter taste I personally love.

What to Serve Cucumber and Tomato Salad with?

Honestly, this salad is one of the most versatile salads on my website and can be served with practically any main dish.

Here are some of my favorite suggestions:

• With mashed potatoes and grandma’s chicken burger recipe (“kotlety”), that’s how I remember this salad most of the times!
• With turkey burgers, grilled shrimp skewers, Instant Pot ribs recipe or crock pot pulled pork at a BBQ.
• During a holiday meal with boneless leg of lamb.

To enjoy leftovers, I recommend using some rye bread or other crusty bread to dip into all the juices at the bottom of the bowl. I did that all the time as a child and my goodness, it’s delicious!

How Long Will It Last in the Fridge?

As both cucumber and tomatoes have high water content, this fresh vegetable salad can quickly go limp. For that reason, it’s best to enjoy it at soon as possible.

Though it can last 1-2 days in the fridge. If you want it to last as long as possible, only season the salad with oils, salt and pepper just before serving.

FAQs

More Salad Recipes to Try

• Cucumber tomato feta salad
• Traditional Greek salad
• Thai cucumber salad
• My favorite coleslaw
• Avocado corn salad

You might also enjoy my list of 52 healthy salad recipes!