Cucumber salad is one of those side salads that I just can’t seem to live without, and this slightly more substantial version sure hits the spot!
Cool as a Cucumber Salad
Cucumber salad is something that I grew up eating a lot of, and I thoroughly enjoy it to this day. My parents are immigrants from Eastern Europe where it is commonly enjoyed as a light, crisp, clean, and refreshing side salad with many different types of meals, lending that bit of cool crunch and a hint of tanginess that refreshes the palate.
A typical cucumber salad recipe is usually pretty basic consisting of cucumbers, a squeeze of lemon, some salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
But I take my own recipe a bit further and load it with fresh and tasty extras such as tomatoes, chickpeas, red onions, fresh herbs, and feta cheese. The dressing I make for it is a light and easy combination of lemon and olive oil. It’s so refreshing, so healthy, and so delicious! This version ends up being the perfect recipe for anyone looking for a cucumber tomato salad as well.
How to Make Cucumber Salad
A basic cucumber salad is one of the easiest and most delicious salads to make. I love the convenience of adding all of the ingredients to one bowl, and then simply dressing everything with a generous drizzle of olive oil, a good squeeze of lemon juice, and some sea salt.
For my recipe, I like to use fresh Persian cucumbers, because they don’t have the large seeds and their skin is very thin, so there’s no need to peel them.
I also love using sweet cherry tomatoes, along with some red onion, feta cheese (for savory creaminess), and some chickpeas for added texture and protein.
This cucumber salad is hearty, healthy, and delicious enjoyed on its own, straight out of the bowl, spoonful by spoonful, or as a fresh and flavorful side to your favorite main dish.
Here’s a glance at my cucumber salad recipe:
- First, I prep my cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, and herbs (I reserve some herbs for finishing).
- Then, I combine the diced/chopped ingredients into a large bowl with the chickpeas and feta cheese (I put some of the cheese aside as well).
- Next, I simply dress the salad with a combination of fresh lemon, good olive oil and some seasoning, gently tossing it all together.
- To serve, I top the salad with the rest of the cheese and herbs.
(The full recipe is below…)
Tips and Tidbits for Cucumber Salad:
- Persian cucumbers work great: I’m a huge fan of Persian cucumbers, as they can be eaten whole—no seeding or peeling necessary, and absolutely delicious!
- Fresh herbs for extra flavor: I love the combination of fresh parsley, dill, and mint for this hearty salad—it creates a really fresh and cool flavor. But you can use any one of these as opposed to all three, or even substitute cilantro.
- 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 toss ’em in!
- Substitution for fresh lemon juice: You can substitute red wine vinegar for the lemon juice if you prefer, as this is also adds a nice subtle and tasty tang!
- Make 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.
- Leftovers: Any leftovers from this salad are just as delicious the next day—simply cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge!
Feast your eyes on these, or just jump to the recipe:
Recipe
Cucumber Salad
by Ingrid Beer
Print Recipe
Category: Salad
Cuisine: American
Yield: Serve 6
Nutrition Info: 174 calories
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
• 8 Persian cucumbers, diced into chunks
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup chickpeas (rinsed)
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup finely sliced red onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (juice of about 1/2 medium lemon)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt, to taste
Preparation:
-Place the diced cucumbers, the cherry tomatoes, the chickpeas, the red onion, 1/4 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 1/4 cup of feta cheese and the remaining herbs, and serve.
Hungry for more salads? Check out this Broccoli Salad, this Greek Salad, or this Quinoa Salad as well!
Hi, Ingrid. About how many English cucumbers would I need to substitute for Persian? They aren’t available where I am. Thanks!
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!
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
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!
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.
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!
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?
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!
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.
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!
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!!
Hi Mardee, so glad you enjoyed and prepared it to your liking. Thanks so much for sharing!
Making tonight. It’s getting hot in Florida so this will be great!
Hey Randy, hope you enjoy this healthy & hearty salad!