Tomato, Cucumber and Onion Salad
This easy Tomato, Cucumber and Onion Salad is a delicious summer recipe! This versatile side dish pairs well with almost anything.
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This Tomato, Cucumber and Onion Salad makes for a delicious – and easy – side dish next to grilled meats or chicken skewers. This salad truly goes with almost anything! Thanks to the addition of fresh basil and fresh dill, this salad is bursting with summer flavor.
The main ingredients in this Tomato, Cucumber and Onion Salad are listed right in the title. The fresh veggies alone are tasty, but there is a flavor boost here in the form of a tangy salad dressing. It only takes about 10-15 minutes to make this recipe, but it does need to rest in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. Letting the salad chill allows the dressing to add its flavor. And because this salad is made in advance, it means this is a great recipe to make ahead of time.
Tomato, Cucumber and Onion Salad
This recipe is uncomplicated and easy, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in flavor! So when those midsummer tomatoes are on sale at the grocery store, grab a few and make this salad!
Ingredients
- Tomato. Feel free to use any type of tomato you’d like in this recipe. I used some tomatoes on-the-vine that were on sale at the store. We’ve also made this recipe with halved cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes. A fun twist would be to make this Tomato, Cucumber and Onion Salad with heirloom tomatoes. Roma tomatoes are also a great option, too. If you’re using larger tomatoes, I recommend slicing them into 6 wedges and then slicing each wedge in half.
- Cucumber. I recommend using English cucumbers as they have thinner skins and are a bit sweeter than ‘regular’ cucumbers. I still like to partially peel the cucumbers – this removes some excess skin as well as gives the cucumbers a fun visual appearance.
- Onion. While you can use any type of onion you’d like in this recipe, I recommend using a Vidalia onion. Vidalia onions are a bit sweeter and milder than other onions. Yellow onions, red onions or white onions would all be fine as substitutes, but just be aware that these onions will bring a stronger flavor that could overpower the salad.
- Vinegar and Olive Oil. White vinegar and extra virgin olive oil form the base of the marinade. For a sweeter version, feel free to use red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar. And traditional vegetable oil can be used in this recipe, but I find that olive oil brings more flavor.
- Water. Water in a marinade? I like to add ~1 cup of water to this marinade so that it fully covers all of the veggies in the bowl. Don’t worry – the water doesn’t dilute the marinade too much. This salad still has plenty of flavor!
- Fresh Basil and Fresh Dill. Since we’re highlighting the flavors of fresh summer veggies, I like to use fresh herbs in this salad. The freshness really pops with each and every bite. Of course, feel free to use dried herbs if you’d like. (If using dried herbs, use ⅓ of the amount of fresh herbs.)
- Sugar. A bit of sugar really helps balance the tanginess of the marinade without making the salad itself too sweet.
- Garlic, Lemon Juice, Salt and Pepper. This classic combination adds extra flavor to the marinade. Don’t skip it!
How to Store Leftovers
This Tomato, Cucumber and Onion Salad is great as leftovers! The salad itself needs to rest in the fridge for a couple of hours anyways, and I find that leftovers taste even better on Day 2. The tomatoes might lose a bit of their texture after a day or two, but I still find the leftovers to be quite tasty. Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
As the salad sits in a fair amount of liquid to marinate, I recommend serving this salad with a slotted spoon. Another alternative would be to go ahead and strain off the liquid before serving.
Other Ideas
This cucumber tomato salad is quite versatile! We love serving it by itself next to grilled chicken or even hotdogs and hamburgers. However, the vegetables can be strained and mixed in with cooked pasta for a delicious summer pasta salad. Another idea would be to add cubes of stale bread to this recipe to turn it into an easy Panzanella Salad. (Make sure to strain the liquid off first!)
My wife suggested adding feta cheese and kalamata olives for a different spin on this recipe, too. Smaller fresh mozzarella balls would be a tasty addition instead of feta. Be creative and have fun with the recipe. Enjoy!
Did you make this Tomato, Cucumber and Onion Salad recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Tomato, Cucumber and Onion Salad
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 tomatoes cut into wedges and halved
- ½ Vidalia onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil can substitute vegetable oil or canola oil
- ½ Tbsp chopped fresh basil
- ½ Tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Using a large bowl, add sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and onions; stir until well combined. Set bowl aside.
- Using a small mixing bowl, add remaining ingredients (water, vinegar, olive oil, basil, dill, sugar, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper); whisk together until well combined.
- Pour mixture into bowl with vegetables and stir until well coated.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
- Strain off marinade before serving, or just serve with a slotted spoon.
Looking for more summer salad recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
I need to try this soon for me BTW cant wait to make your recipes soon for me
This is a great (and easy) recipe for summer, Ramya – I hope you get a chance to try it!
Delicious.
Thanks, Mimi!
I think Laura and I must have been twins separated at birth because, last night, I made a salad with onion, tomato, cucumber AND feta cheese and kalamata olives! Such a fantastic combo! The only thing missing was the fresh basil and fresh dill! I have to make your dressing next time! Awesome salad, David! I love quick and tasty recipes like this!
Ohhh…feta and kalamata would be such good additions to this salad! Definitely try this dressing next time you make this. It’s such an easy side dish for summer. Thanks, Shashi!
yep definitely add fetta and olives – et voila – a Greek salad :=) I am not a huge fan of tomatoes as you may recall but i can manage to get some down in a tasty salad like this! I tend to add capsicum these days instead.
cheers
sherry
You know, I bet you could just use bell peppers (capsicums) instead of the tomatoes here. It would still be quite delicious! Of course, you’re in cold season down there, but this is a great recipe for when it gets hot again. 🙂
Simple and delicious salad. I usually go without marinating, but I like this method for the added flavour.
I hear ya, Ben – this salad can be made both ways!
This looks so refreshing, David. Just the thing for the sweltering weather we’ve been having around here. And that dressing sounds really tasty.
It’s been brutally hot here in the mountains, too, Frank! I do love the summer months, but I have to say that I’m looking forward to autumn at this point. This salad is a great way to enjoy the summer produce season, though!
Nice salad! The water is an interesting inclusion. I love that the salad has a longer shelf life than I’d expect for dressed veggies, because leftovers rule in my house.
The water helps dilute the vinegar a bit. You need a fair amount of liquid for the marinade, but without the water, the flavors might get too intense. Leftovers rule around here, too! Give this salad a try!