Crispy Cucumber Tomato Salad

Summer produce season means one thing in my house: this cucumber tomato salad makes an appearance at every backyard barbecue, potluck, and weeknight dinner. It’s the kind of recipe I don’t even need to look at anymore because I’ve made it so many times.

What I love most about this salad is that it comes together in about ten minutes, and I usually have everything on hand. No fancy ingredients or complicated steps. Just fresh vegetables, a simple dressing, and you’re done. The apple cider vinegar gives it a nice tang without being too sharp, and the red onion adds just enough bite to keep things interesting.

This is one of those recipes that tastes even better the next day after everything has had time to sit together. Make it in the morning, let it chill in the fridge, and you’ve got a side dish ready to go whenever you need it.

What Kind of Tomatoes Should I Use?

The beauty of this salad is that you can use whatever tomatoes look best at the market or in your garden. Beefsteak tomatoes are a classic choice because they’re juicy and meaty, while Roma tomatoes work well if you prefer less liquid in your salad. If it’s summer and you can get your hands on heirloom tomatoes, go for it – their complex flavors really shine in simple recipes like this. The most important thing is to choose tomatoes that are ripe and smell sweet at the stem end, since underripe tomatoes won’t have much flavor. Whatever variety you pick, just make sure they’re at room temperature rather than cold from the fridge, as this brings out their best taste.

Options for Substitutions

This simple salad is easy to customize based on what you have in your kitchen:

• English cucumber: Regular cucumbers work just fine here. Just peel them and scoop out the seeds with a spoon before slicing, since they tend to be more watery and have tougher skins than English cucumbers.
• Red onion: You can use white or yellow onion instead. If raw onion is too strong for your taste, soak the sliced onion in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry before adding to the salad.
• Fresh herbs: While fresh herbs add nice flavor, you can skip them entirely or use about 1 teaspoon of dried herbs instead. Just remember that dried herbs are more concentrated, so you’ll need less.
• Red wine vinegar: White wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or fresh lemon juice all work well as substitutes. Start with the same amount and adjust to your taste.
• Olive oil: Any neutral oil like avocado oil or vegetable oil will do the job, though olive oil does add a nice flavor to this salad.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with cucumber tomato salad is adding salt too early, which draws out moisture from the vegetables and leaves you with a watery mess at the bottom of your bowl – wait to season until just before serving, or add salt at the table instead.

Another common error is skipping the step of removing excess seeds from the tomatoes, especially if you’re using regular tomatoes instead of Roma or cherry varieties, as those seeds add even more unwanted liquid to your salad.

To keep your salad crisp and fresh, make sure to slice the cucumber and onion as thinly as possible (a mandoline works great here), and if raw onion is too sharp for your taste, soak the sliced onion in cold water for 10 minutes before adding it to the mix.

Finally, don’t overdress the salad – you can always add more olive oil and vinegar, but you can’t take it away once it’s mixed in.

What to Serve With Cucumber Tomato Salad?

This fresh salad is perfect alongside grilled chicken, steak, or fish since it adds a cool, crisp contrast to hot proteins. I love serving it at summer barbecues with burgers and hot dogs, or as a side dish for Mediterranean meals like gyros, falafel, or grilled lamb. It also pairs really well with pasta dishes, especially creamy ones like fettuccine alfredo or baked ziti, since the acidity from the tomatoes and vinegar helps cut through the richness. For a light lunch, you can even stuff it into pita bread with some hummus and grilled chicken for a quick and easy meal.

Storage Instructions

Store: This salad is best enjoyed fresh, but you can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Just know that the cucumbers and tomatoes will release some water as they sit, so the salad will be a bit more watery the next day.

Make Ahead: If you want to prep this ahead, chop all your veggies and store them separately in the fridge. Mix everything together with the dressing right before serving so it stays crisp and fresh. The onions can actually sit in the vinegar ahead of time to mellow out their bite a bit.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 180-220
• Protein: 4-5 g
• Fat: 14-16 g
• Carbohydrates: 17-20 g

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1 large cucumber (thinly sliced into 1/4-inch rounds)
• 3 large tomatoes (cut into 1-inch wedges)
• 3/4 cup red onion (thinly shaved for a milder bite)
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley (finely chopped)

For the dressing:

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp Heinz Apple Cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Step 1: Prepare and Slice the Vegetables

• 1 large cucumber
• 3 large tomatoes
• 3/4 cup red onion
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley

Thinly slice the cucumber into 1/4-inch rounds and cut the tomatoes into 1-inch wedges, placing them in a large mixing bowl.

Thinly shave the red onion to keep the bite mild and pleasant—I recommend using a mandoline or vegetable peeler for paper-thin, even slices that soften slightly as they sit.

Finely chop the fresh parsley and set aside.

Step 2: Make the Vinaigrette

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp Heinz Apple Cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dried oregano, granulated sugar, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper until the sugar and salt are fully dissolved and the dressing emulsifies slightly.

Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed—I find that a touch more vinegar can brighten the salad if your tomatoes are particularly mild.

Step 3: Combine and Chill

• prepared vegetables from Step 1
• vinaigrette from Step 2
• parsley from Step 1

Pour the vinaigrette from Step 2 over the prepared vegetables in the large bowl and add the chopped parsley.

Gently toss everything together until the vegetables are evenly coated and the flavors begin to meld.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving—this rest time allows the vegetables to soften slightly and absorb the dressing flavors while the onion mellows considerably.

Crispy Cucumber Tomato Salad

Delicious Crispy Cucumber Tomato Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 27 minutes mins

Servings 5 servings

Calories 200 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the salad

• 1 large cucumber (thinly sliced into 1/4-inch rounds)
• 3 large tomatoes (cut into 1-inch wedges)
• 3/4 cup red onion (thinly shaved for a milder bite)
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley (finely chopped)

For the dressing

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp Heinz Apple Cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

 

• Thinly slice the cucumber into 1/4-inch rounds and cut the tomatoes into 1-inch wedges, placing them in a large mixing bowl. Thinly shave the red onion to keep the bite mild and pleasant—I recommend using a mandoline or vegetable peeler for paper-thin, even slices that soften slightly as they sit. Finely chop the fresh parsley and set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dried oregano, granulated sugar, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper until the sugar and salt are fully dissolved and the dressing emulsifies slightly. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed—I find that a touch more vinegar can brighten the salad if your tomatoes are particularly mild.
• Pour the vinaigrette from Step 2 over the prepared vegetables in the large bowl and add the chopped parsley. Gently toss everything together until the vegetables are evenly coated and the flavors begin to meld. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving—this rest time allows the vegetables to soften slightly and absorb the dressing flavors while the onion mellows considerably.