Mediterranean Salad with Tomato and Cucumber

Take it from a true daughter of the Mediterranean: you don’t need much to make a fresh, colorful, and delicious Mediterranean Salad. With a simple mix of cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, lemon juice, and a few herbs and spices, this easy salad is on your table in 10 minutes or less! 

Mediterranean salad goes by a different name where I grew up in Egypt: salata! It’s a staple on every table, morning, noon, and night.

And while many online recipes have adopted its name, you may ask yourself: what is a Mediterranean salad, really? At its core, it’s a simple tomato and cucumber salad that’s tossed with a drizzle of olive oil and a touch of vinegar or citrus. It where famous salads like fattoush or tabouli derive inspiration. We don’t include lettuce and we don’t fuss with whisking a separate vinaigrette!

With no lettuce to wilt, it keeps well for hours or even days in your fridge. And it is so much more than just a salad! Use as a topping, brining freshness to savory vegetarian quinoa bowls with hummus. It’s also the perfect condiment for wraps, like chicken shawarma with pita bread. The list goes on!

This Mediterranean salad recipe is as traditional as they come. It’s very representative of the regions’ agricultural roots and the fresh flavors we continue to love to this day. You can dress it up by adding red onion, as I do here, or toss in feta cheese for a little salty goodness. Let your inspiration be your guide.

Table of Contents

1. Mediterranean Salad Ingredients and Substitutions 
2. How to Make Mediterranean Salad 
3. Mediterranean Salad Variations 
4. What to Serve with Mediterranean Salad
5. More Tomato and Cucumber Salad Recipes
6. Try our All-Natural Sumac!
7. Mediterranean Cucumber Tomato Salad Recipe

Mediterranean Salad Ingredients and Substitutions 

This simple cucumber tomato salad uses easy to find ingredients that need little embellishment. Just some seasonings and a simple dressing bring out all the lively flavors. 

• Tomatoes: Use anything that’s ripe and flavorful, like Roma, heirloom, or cherry.
• Cucumber: Go for cucumbers with a thin, delicate skin, like English or hot-house. If the big standard slicing cucumbers are all that’s available, consider peeling them as the skin tends to be bitter. 
• Italian parsley: Brings freshness and big Mediterranean flavor to this simple salad. Substitute with other tender herbs, like cilantro, mint or basil, or take a page from Greek salad and use dried Greek oregano. 
• Sumac (optional): This dried berry adds an extra layer of tart, sun-ripened flavor. 
  • DIVE DEEPER: What Is Sumac? Uses and Recipes
  • TRY IT: Order all natural sumac spice from our shop.
  • BEST SUBSTITUTE: Lemon zest.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Use a robust yet smooth olive oil, like Greek Early Harvest or peppery Hojiblanca Spanish EVOO.
• Lemon juice: Bridges the gap between the fresh vegetables and rich olive oil. You can substitute with lime juice or red wine vinegar. 
• Salt and black pepper enhance the flavor. 

How to Make Mediterranean Salad 

Cucumber tomato salad is a staple of the Mediterranean diet, where they make it daily without a recipe. It’s one of the simplest salads you’ll make, coming together in just a few minutes. Here is how it goes:

• Prepare the tomatoes, cucumber, and parsley: Dice 6 Roma tomatoes. Dice one large English cucumber into small cubes or pieces. Chop a good bunch of parsley, about 3/4 bunch. Don’t worry about picking all the leaves, the tender stems near the leaves impart great flavor. Combine everything in a large mixing bowl.
• Add salt. Season the salad with a good pinch of kosher salt and set aside for about 5 minutes. The vegetables will expel some of their water, which we’ll use to help lightly dress the salad.  
• Add the no-whisk dressing. The traditional Mediterranean salad dressing here is a good drizzle (about 2 tablespoons) of quality extra virgin olive oil and the juice of one lemon (or at least 2 teaspoons of lemon juice). Add 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper and mix to combine. Optionally, I like adding 1 teaspoon of sumac for depth and tang.
• Taste and serve. Taste the salad and adjust the lemon, salt, and pepper to your liking. Serve immediately, or set aside for 15 minutes to let the flavors get friendly with each other. 

Mediterranean Salad Variations 

This basic Mediterranean salad has several variations throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East, and you can change it up to your liking. Here are a few ideas:

• Add protein. Canned or boiled chickpeas, white beans, or kidney beans work well with as a vegan protein and turn this salad into a satisfying meal. Grilled meats, like grilled chicken thighs or kofta kebab, would also be hearty and delicious. 
• Use more fresh herbs. In addition to parsley, you can add chopped fresh mint or dill.
• Toss in feta cheese. Just like with classic Greek salad or herby tomato feta salad, creamy, tangy feta adds another layer of deliciousness to this cucumber tomato salad. 
• Add heft. Toss in one cup of cooked couscous or bulgur for a simple lunch. You’ll want to adjust seasoning and olive oil.

What to Serve with Mediterranean Salad

This versatile salad goes with just about any Mediterranean dinner menu. It’s a classic topping for Chicken Shawarma or vegetarian Spicy Cauliflower Shawarma, where the salad juices and tahini sauce combine in the most fortunate way.

Alternatively, serve this simple salad as a side for simple weeknight dinners. A bite here and there of the bright salad brings a lightness to rich, deeply savory dishes, like Yogurt Marinated Chicken, Greek-Style Braised Eggplant or Pan Seared Trout.

More Tomato and Cucumber Salad Recipes

Dips and Condiments

Cucumber Tomato Tahini Salad

Salads

Grilled Eggplant Salad with Za’atar Pita Crisps

Greek

Traditional Greek Salad (Horiatiki)

Salads

Tabouli Salad Recipe (Tabbouleh)

Browse all Mediterranean recipes. 

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*This post was originally published in 2017 and has recently been updated with new information and media for the readers’ benefit.