Name: Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 200 grams cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes (approx. 2 cups)); 3 to 5 cucumber (see notes); 1 small red onion (diced); 1 sprig fresh mint leaves (chopped); 2 sprig fresh parsley (chopped); 100 grams feta cheese (crumbled); 2 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin); 1 tbsp white vinegar (see notes); Salt and pepper to taste

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This easy cucumber tomato feta salad is ready in 10 minutes, with one bowl and no cooking. Juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, salty feta, red onion and fresh herbs are tossed with just olive oil and vinegar. It's light, tangy and fresh, and it works as a side or a light meal on its own.

Cucumber Tomato Feta cheese Salad served in a platter.

This is the salad I make when it's too hot and humid to think about cooking. I chop everything, toss it with olive oil and a little vinegar, and one batch becomes three days of solo lunches for me. For a spicier version, try my sweet and sour cucumber salad.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Variations
Storage
Top tip
Questions, Answered
Related
📖 Recipe Card
💬 Comments

Ingredients

The salad in these photos was made with snack cucumbers because that's all I had in the kitchen that day. I still prefer Persian cucumbers for this.

Cucumbers: You can use any kind of cucumbers that are not too seedy, like English, Persian, or Garden varieties. Depending on the variety, you may or may not choose to peel the skin.

Tomatoes: Any fresh garden tomatoes would be great. Here I have used a mix of cherry and grape tomatoes. These tend not to become too soggy too soon.

Red onion: We Indians love red onions, which pair great with feta cheese. You can skip this and still make the salad yum.

Feta cheese: For ease, you can buy tiny cubed or crumbled feta cheese. I had this big block of feta cheese because we cannot get enough baked feta pasta! You can use goat cheese as the closest substitute.

Fresh herbs: I have used parsley and mint, but the salad will be great with just cilantro or dill too. If you love parsley and mint together, try my tabbouleh

Green chillies: Again, an optional ingredient. I only added one for the kick of spice.

Extra virgin olive oil: For the best taste, I recommend extra virgin. You can use avocado oil instead.

White Vinegar: As it is a summer salad, lemons are abundant, but I must say a good white vinegar works great. You can use fresh lemon juice too.

Salt and pepper: As feta cheese is already salty, try not to add too much salt.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

How to make cucumber tomato feta salad?

Try to use a serrated paring knife to halve the cherry tomatoes. It is the best way to chop tomatoes without making a mess. Now, let's look at the instructions...

A platter with chopped veggies for the cucummber tomato salad.

Halve the cherry or grape tomatoes. A serrated paring knife keeps them from squashing. Dice the cucumbers into bite-sized pieces and the red onion finely. Chop the mint and parsley, then add everything to a large bowl, or straight onto the serving platter as I do.

A shallow bowl of Cucumber tomato salad with dressing poured all over.

Drizzle over the olive oil and vinegar, then add a pinch of salt and pepper. Go easy on the salt because the feta adds its own.

Toss gently and taste.

Crumble the feta over the top and fold it in once or twice. Serve right away.

I enjoyed this recipe portion for three days as my delightful solo light lunches.

This salad is a great option to serve alongside grilled chicken tikka skewers or a harissa chicken traybake.

Variations

There are endless ways to make this tomato salad, and I am sure you may already have some great ideas! Here are mine:

Add sliced kalamata olives and red bell peppers for a Greek salad with a Mediterranean flair.
Add a diced avocado and sweet corn for a creamy and crunchy texture.
Combine diced watermelon or strawberries for a sweet and savoury balance.
Mix in cooked quinoa, chickpeas, bulgur or couscous for added heartiness.
Sprinkle toasted and chopped walnuts for a satisfying crunch.
Toss in some diced jalapenos or chilli flakes for a fiery kick.
Add minced garlic for a different flavour.

These variations are just the starting point. Get creative and let your culinary imagination explore new flavours and combinations for your Cucumber Tomato Salad.

Storage

I stored the salad bowl covered with cling film and refrigerated it. While this tomato feta salad stays fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days, it might get slightly soggy towards the end due to the salt drawing out veggie liquids. To tackle this, I stirred in a few teaspoons of fine bulgur to absorb the excess moisture. Avoid using any bulgur for a gluten-free version.

Top tip

If planning to serve for guests, mix the veggies and hold off adding feta cheese and dressing until the time of serving. This way the salad will look fresh and crisp.

Questions, Answered

How do I stop cucumbers from tasting bitter?

Persian, English and snack cucumbers are rarely bitter, but it can happen with the variety we get in India. My roommate Shoba, back in my twenties, taught me this trick. Slice off both ends, then rub each cut end against the cucumber until white foam appears. Keep rubbing until the foam stops, then wash, slice and eat. It's what works for me.

What dressing goes best with cucumber tomato feta salad?

I keep it simple with extra virgin olive oil and a little white vinegar, and that's all this salad needs. The feta is already salty and tangy, so a heavy dressing would only cover it up. Lemon juice works well too if you want something brighter. Balsamic gives a slightly sweeter finish, so it's a good pick if your tomatoes are on the tart side. Whichever you use, dress the salad before adding the feta, and taste before adding any salt.

Looking for other recipes using similar ingredients? Try these:

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