Cucumber salad is an incredibly refreshing side salad that goes deliciously with pretty much any main dish. Filled to the brim with Persian cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, a sprinkle of feta cheese, chickpeas, plus a trio of fresh herbs, my cucumber salad recipe brings lots of fresh flavor and crunchy textured to meal time!
Cool as a Cucumber Salad
Cucumber salad is something that I grew up on, and I absolutely adore it to this day.
My parents were immigrants from Eastern Europe, where cucumber salad is one of those very common staples that are enjoyed as a light, crisp and refreshing side with many different types of meals, lending that bit of cool crunch and a hint of tanginess that refreshes the palate.
Cucumber salad pairs perfectly with so many different types of cuisines and entrees!
My recipe here is a much more textured and hearty than the typical version, with a tasty little surprise in every bite.
Loaded the the brim with tomatoes, red onions, chickpeas, fresh herbs and feta cheese, then dressed in a light and easy combination of lemon and olive oil, it has a bit of a Mediterranean twist, and is wonderfully healthy and bright!
My Recipe for Cucumber Salad with the Works!
Cucumber salad is one of the easiest and most delicious salads that one can toss together.
I love the convenience of adding all of the ingredients to one bowl, then simply dressing everything with a generous drizzle of olive oil, a good squeeze of lemon juice, some sea salt (my favorite!), plus a twist of freshly cracked black pepper.
I like to use fresh Persian cucumbers, as these do not contain the large seeds and their skin is very thin so there's no need to peel them. Yummy and easy? I'm in!
I also love using sweet cherry tomatoes for added juiciness, along with a sprinkle of red onion for sweet kick, some feta cheese for salty-sharp creaminess, and some chickpeas for added texture and protein.
Here's a sneak peek at my cucumber salad recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)
- To get started, I add my sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, chickpeas, half of my feta cheese and half of my herbs to a large bowl.
- Next, I dress the cucumber salad with good olive oil, some fresh lemon juice and sea salt, then toss gently to combine.
- I sprinkle the remaining feta cheese and fresh herbs over top of the salad, and serve straight out of the bowl, or spoon into a serving dish to be served with my entree.
Recipe
Cucumber Salad
by Ingrid Beer
This cool cucumber salad is loaded with cherry tomatoes, red onions, chickpeas, feta cheese and fresh herbs, with a bright, lemony flavor!
Category: Salad
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Yield: Serve 6
Nutrition Info: 214 calories per serving
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 10 Persian cucumbers, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup chickpeas (rinsed)
- ¼ finely sliced red onion
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Sea salt, to taste
- Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
- Place the diced cucumbers, the cherry tomatoes, the chickpeas, the red onion, ¼ cup of the feta cheese, half of the dill, half of the parsley and half of the mint into a large bowl; add the lemon juice and the olive oil, along with a couple of good pinches of sea salt, and gently toss together to combine.
- Spoon the salad out onto a serving platter or into a salad bowl, and sprinkle over top the remaining ¼ cup of feta cheese and the remaining herbs, and serve.
Tips & Tidbits for Cucumber Salad recipe:
- Persian cucumbers work great: I'm a huge fan of Persian cucumbers, as they're absolutely delicious, with a nice thin skin (they do not need to be peeled) and have virtually no seeds. However, feel free to use traditional cucumber, and if the skin is very waxy, peel it off before using.
- Cherry tomatoes for sweetness: Bright little cherry tomatoes add a bit of juicy sweetness, but feel free to use whatever tomatoes you have on hand, or that you prefer. Simply dice them up and add 'em in.
- Fresh herbs for extra flavor: I love the combination of fresh parsley, dill, and mint for this hearty salad, as this trio creates a really fresh and cool flavor. But you can use any one of these as opposed to all three, or even substitute cilantro, if you prefer.
- Substitute red wine vinegar for fresh lemon juice: You can substitute red wine vinegar for the lemon juice, if you prefer—it also adds a nice subtle and tasty tang.
- Make your cucumber salad ahead: If you'd like to prep the salad ahead of time, simply add all of your chopped veggies, feta, chickpeas and herbs to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and keep cold. Then, when you are ready to serve the salad, drizzle in the olive oil and the lemon juice, sprinkle in the sea salt, and toss everything together.
Hungry for more refreshing recipes? Check out this Tuscan-style White Bean Salad, this Avocado Salad with Zesty Lime Dressing, this Israeli Couscous Salad, this Bok Choy Salad, or this Italian Chopped Salad!
Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2018, and has been updated with even more love!
Anna
Hi, Ingrid. About how many English cucumbers would I need to substitute for Persian? They aren't available where I am. Thanks!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Anna, that's fine! If they're large ones, I'm "guess-timating" that you could use 1 and a half of those. The Persian cucumbers aren't that big or wide, so I think a nice large English plus another half should work.
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Diana copeland
Ingrid
I wanted you to know I made the cucumber salad for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it. I especially like all the herbs: dill, mint and parsley that are in the recipe. It really is a Fantastic recipe. Thank you for posting it.
Diana
The Cozy Apron
Diane, I'm so happy to read that! Love it when a recipe is a hit for folks! 😉
Yes, those herbs really make this a refreshing and flavorful salad—very simple, yet healthy and filled with texture, color and a little something extra.
So glad you and your loved ones enjoyed it, and that it was a little part of your special holiday meal!
Lenora Jackson
Made this with English cucumbers as a salad (not eating romaine) compliment to salmon patties and potatoes. It was delicious. My guests raved about it the entire evening. So glad I came across this easy recipe.
The Cozy Apron
I'm so glad you came across the recipe, too, Lenora!
So happy you received rave reviews from your guests—it truly is a refreshing and simple salad, and the perfect substitution for more traditional leafy greens.
Thank you for sharing!
nancy wernecke
Nummy cucumber salad ! Thanks
The Cozy Apron
Fantastic, Nancy! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed. 😉
Sarita
Hi Ingrid,
This salad looks amazing. I would like to take this to a company potluck. My boss is vegan, could I leave out the feta cheese? Would it still taste alright?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Sarita, this is a great salad to take to a potluck!
You can absolutely leave the feta off, or, I think a good compromise is to serve it on the side with a little spoon. That way, if someone enjoys cheese and would like some, they can spoon some over top. 😉
Hope everyone enjoys this!
Jewel
Just wanted to add that you could make vegan tofu feta cheese, great substitute for feta cheese.
Lisa Titus
Dear Ingrid,
I made this salad but adjusted a little according to the ingredients I had. I only had cilantro for fresh herbs so I used that. I only had limes, not lemons so I added a tad of sugar. It was sooo good! I’ll be making this again and again. I had it for lunch today with a mini can of tuna.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Lisa, that's great!
Using what you have on hand is the best way to adapt a recipe and make it your own, and I'm so glad you enjoyed the "base" recipe for this salad. Tuna sounds like a great side-kick too! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Mardee S.
Was looking for a cuke salad to use up left overs and came across this one. Fab-u-lous!! Used lemon olive oil and mimosa vinegar instead of regular oil and lemon. And used garlic sea salt, too. Will make for next potluck for sure!! Thanks!!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Mardee, so glad you enjoyed and prepared it to your liking. Thanks so much for sharing!
Randy D6
Making tonight. It's getting hot in Florida so this will be great!
The Cozy Apron
Hey Randy, hope you enjoy this healthy & hearty salad!
Tina Williams
Loved it. My husband does not think it is salad without lettuce. I haven't ever made a cucumber salad even though I have seen a lot of recipes and always show them to him but he always says I want lettuce lol. This recipe was different than most others. I made it for 2 so I could have it tomorrow for lunch. I love it. My store just had dill but it worked. Will make this just for me all the time. Thank you for posting.
The Cozy Apron
Tina, your comment made me chuckle—no lettuce, not a salad! 😉
Well, at least you find this to be a salad (haha), and I'm thrilled you enjoyed it so much. And yes—make it just for you to enjoy!
Thanks for sharing with me.
Olga
It looks awesome! So much flavors packed on this recipe that makes this simply irresistible, definitely having this on my table!
Darlene Thompson
DELICIOUS! I had this at a friend's house, she then gave me the recipe. My daughter loves this salad, we're both working on our weight and this salad makes our veggie eating experience lovely. The herbs bring such a robust flavor to the palate. Thank you so much for sharing your table with ours.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Darlene, it's my pleasure!
I'm so glad my recipe can make eating healthy a pleasure, and I thank you so much for sharing this with me. I hope you can find many more recipes on the site to fit your needs—there are lots of other tasty salads and soups there! 😉
Mary Christensen
I am not sure what kind of cucumber I have. But could you give me a measure quantity? I was thinking 2 cups? But maybe more? Help!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Mary, Persian cucumbers are typically 5 to 6 inches long, and more narrow than a traditional English cucumber (typically wrapped in plastic). I'd say that we're talking roughly 4 cups here. It's a guess-estimation, but that's probably pretty close.
Mary Christensen
THANK YOU!
Maureen Muzikar
I made it exactly and I couldn’t believe how much I loved it. It sounded good (and light) but I am not a lover of fresh herbs. I usually make a first time recipe ‘as is’ if possible. And now…I won’t change a thing!
The Cozy Apron
Maureen, that's fantastic! Happy to read that you won't change a thing!
Gale
Is this better to make the day before or the day off? Some things are better if they meld overnight. Thanks!
The Cozy Apron
Day of is best, but you can prep the day before and "dress" the salad the day of (to maintain crunch), which will be fine. Hope you enjoy!