This cucumber tomato salad is full of fresh sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion and green peppers, all tossed in an herb dressing. The perfect light and refreshing side dish for any summer meal!
Cucumber salad is a mainstay of summer parties. It’s inexpensive, easy to make and so refreshing on a hot day. My version is a mixture of cucumber, tomato, red onion and green bell pepper for an amazing combination of flavors and textures.
I am in love with summer salads like this cucumber tomato salad. Not only are they easy to make, but they’re just so fresh, and you can eat a lot of salad without feeling weighed down! I especially love when there’s a summer get together and I get to make more than one delicious chilled salad like this one.
HOW DO YOU MAKE CUCUMBER TOMATO SALAD?
Start by slicing your fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers and red onions and place them in a bowl. In a separate bowl, add the ingredients for your tasty herb dressing and mix well. Pour the dressing over the top of your fresh vegetables, toss to mix, and you have a perfectly light salad that goes with any summer meal!
Tips for the perfect salad
- Any type of cucumber is fine for this tomato salad as long as you remove the seeds before slicing. I’ve made this salad with standard waxed cucumbers, English cucumbers and little Persian cucumbers and it comes out great every time. If you’re using the waxy type of cucumber, you may want to peel them first.
- Red, yellow, or orange bell peppers work just as well as green bell peppers and add a great burst of color. I like to use cherry tomatoes, but diced ripe tomatoes are also a good choice.
- This salad stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store it in an airtight container until you’re ready to eat.
Cucumber Tomato Salad Flavor Variations
This salad is great as-is, but you can absolutely add other ingredients to customize it to your tastes.
- Greek: Add 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese and 1/4 cup sliced kalamata olives.
- Mexican: Stir in a diced avocado, 3/4 cup corn kernels and 1 cup black beans. Swap out the parsley for cilantro.
- Italian: Add 1/2 cup small mozzarella balls along with 1/4 cup diced marinated artichoke hearts. You can also add diced salami and white beans.
- Pasta: Turn this into a pasta salad by adding 3 cups of cooked pasta, be sure to double the dressing amount if you’re going this route.
WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF CUCUMBERS?
Cucumbers are full of vitamins and nutrients, and are low calorie, low sodium and low in carbohydrates. This veggie contains Vitamin C, Vitamin K, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Cucumbers are primarily made out of water, which means that consuming cucumbers will help you stay hydrated.
I make this salad all summer long. It uses simple ingredients that I always have on hand, and pairs perfectly with salmon, roasted chicken and steak for a healthy and hearty meal.
MORE SALAD RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Black Bean and Corn Salad
- Chickpea Salad with Avocado
- Cucumber Feta Salad
- Asian Cucumber Salad
Cucumber Tomato Salad Video
Cucumber Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups sliced cucumbers seeds removed
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper cored, seeded and diced
- 1/4 cup chopped herbs such as parsley, dill, chives or green onion
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Place the cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper and herbs in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and oregano.
- Pour the dressing over the vegetables. Toss gently to coat. Serve.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on June 21, 2018 and was updated on May 20, 2020 with new content.
Millie says
Have made this salad many times and many different herbs. Always a smash hit.
Connie Cortinas says
Does apple cider vinegar or white vinegar work, I font have red wine vinegar…??
Sara says
Yes, either should work just fine!
Elizabeth Cain-Walker says
I have made this salad so many different ways one of my favorites is to use hot pickled banana peppers or pepperoncinis yum yum I also love it with mozzarella pearls
Ashley says
Cucumbers tomatoes onions and Italian dressing
Rhonda says
I’ve never made this the same way twice – doesn’t matter – that herb dressing makes anything delicious!!!
Maggie says
I used fresh basil, oregano, parsley, thyme and marjoram from my garden for the herbs, came out great! Thank you!
Ed Miller says
Why do you recommend coring or removing seeds of cucumbers. I’ve had various cucumber salads without removing and they seemed fine. Is there some health concern with the seeds? Thanks!
Sara says
There’s no health concern, it’s just that cucumber seeds can sometimes be bitter, and they also contain a lot of liquid which will make the salad more watered down.
Michele A Dove says
Can this salad be prepared a day in advance?
Sara says
Yes it can, you may want to add the tomatoes right before serving though as they’re soften a bit in the fridge!
Melissa Griffiths says
Mmm….perfect summer side dish! Can’t wait for all these ingredients to start coming from my garden so I can throw this tasty salad together!
Debbie says
I’m growing my own tomatoes this year and this looks so yummy for my harvest!
Carol Cassara says
It looks amazing! I love salads in the summer because they’re light but also quite filling! This is something that I don’t mind making.
Dogvills says
Looks like the perfect side or fish and poultry. I am adding this to our menu plan for next week. I am planning on making parmesan crusted salmon on Monday, and of course this cucumber tomato salad too.
Kiwi says
I am obsessed with cucumbers lately! I would love to try this refreshing salad!
Albert Bevia says
I love summer salads too! this one looks so beautiful, nice touch adding the green bell peppers, and that herb dressing…oh yeah!!
Annemarie LeBlanc says
Wow. So easy to make and perfect for the hot summer days. I would love to have this as a side when we grill our favorite meats and seafood.
Theresa says
Yum! I love a good summer salad. I am going to print off this recipe right now to use with my garden fresh veggies
Makeba Giles says
This salad looks so amazing! I love the vibrant colors. A great summertime recipe.
Kimberly K Croisant says
Two of my favorite foods to put in a salad. Now I’m craving this salad. It looks so delicious!!
Estelle says
I love summer salads and this one looks so delicious and easy to make. I think I can even have my nine year old daughter make it.
Stacie says
That sounds so good! This is the perfect light salad for a hot Georgia day. I have to give this a try!