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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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