This Greek Cucumber Salad recipe will bring you refreshing relief on a hot summer day! In just 15 minutes, you'll have the perfect side dish full of fresh ingredients and Mediterranean flavor on your table.
If it's minimal time and effort to add healthy ingredients to my meal, I'm in. This fresh and flavorful side salad makes for a great side dish, light lunch or healthy snack.
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A traditional Greek salad is my favorite way to bring fresh produce together to create a light salad with big flavor. Chopping the vegetables and combining the dressing takes only about 15 minutes so it's easy to make in a pinch. When your party is already full of yummy desserts and grilled meats this delicious salad is the light addition your summer barbecue needs.
🌟Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Fresh Ingredients. This easy salad recipe combines fresh herbs and fresh vegetables into the perfect simple salad. It makes a great side for Mediterranean turkey meatballs and chicken pita pockets.
- Quick and easy. The salad ingredients take just 15 minutes to prep and combine giving you more time to enjoy it with your friends and family!
- Meal prep idea. Prep this Greek salad recipe at the beginning of the week to eat as a healthy snack or meal on busy days.
🥘Ingredients and Substitutions
Salad
- Tomatoes. Use any type of juicy tomato: heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes.
- Red onion. Red onions are slightly milder in flavor than yellow onions but either will do for that extra crunch.
- Kalamata olives. Feel free to opt out of the olives or use your favorite kind like black or green olives.
- Feta Cheese. Creamy feta cheese balances out the fresh crisp flavors of the fresh vegetables. For a vegan option remove the feta or add your favorite cheese alternative.
- Fresh parsley. For those who turn their nose up to parsley, this ingredient can easily be removed. Fresh dill would be a great addition or alternative.
Dressing
- Olive Oil. Good quality extra virgin olive oil is a staple in any Mediterranean salad.
- Red wine vinegar. Use balsamic vinegar instead.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
🔪How to Make Greek Cucumber Salad
Step 1: Chop all your vegetables and combine in a large mixing bowl with feta and chopped parsley. Mix.
Step 2: In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, mix the dressing ingredients together.
Step 3: Pour the dressing over the salad.
Step 4: Toss salad to combine, serve and enjoy!
💭Recipe FAQs
Most Greek salads in the US are served with lettuce but traditionally, no. The great thing about salads is you can throw your favorite ingredients in and enjoy!
If you are making this salad ahead of time, remember to add the dressing just before serving. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Adding salt to sliced cucumbers draws out the extra moisture in the vegetable, allowing the cucumbers to hold their flavor. Keep the dressing off the cucumbers until you're ready to serve.
👩🏻🍳Chef Tips
- This easy Greek cucumber salad recipe made without lettuce is all about raw, fresh vegetables. It's important to buy good quality produce from your local grocery store or farmers market.
- Cucumbers retain water so I recommend consuming within 2 days. If you are making this easy cucumber salad ahead of time, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator but remember to add the dressing before you serve it.
- If you are serving the same day, I like adding the salad dressing a couple of hours beforehand to let the tangy flavors sink into the vegetables. Because fresh cucumbers and juicy tomatoes naturally let off their juices you don't need a ton of dressing.
- Check your seasoning. It's important to season your food according to your taste. Don't be afraid to taste and tweak the Greek salad dressing as you go.
🥗How to Serve Greek Cucumber Salad
If you're making this Mediterranean cucumber salad as a full meal, add in some protein with grilled chicken or roasted chickpeas for a vegan option.
Or add in some spice with hot peppers by mixing in Greek pepperoncini.
Serve this Greek cucumber and tomato salad alongside my Raspberry Margarita, Grilled St. Louis Ribs recipe and Turkey Smash Burgers or top it with my Mediterranean Chicken Thighs.
Try my similar recipes:
More Salad Recipes
- Grilled Zucchini Salad14 Minutes
- Roasted Italian Potato Salad35 Minutes
- Steak Caesar Salad40 Minutes
- Rotini Pasta Salad with Pepperoni18 Minutes
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating & comment below to let me know how it came out. Thanks for visiting!
🍳Recipe
Greek Cucumber Salad
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Small Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 red onion, diced
- ½ cup Kalamata olives, cut into rings
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Dressing
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Begin by chopping all of the salad ingredients and then add them to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl or container, mix the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad.
- Toss to combine and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- This easy Greek cucumber salad recipe made without lettuce is all about raw, fresh vegetables. It's important to buy good quality produce from your local grocery store or farmers market.
- Cucumbers retain water so I recommend consuming within 2 days. If you are making this easy cucumber salad ahead of time, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator but remember to add the dressing before you serve it.
- If you are serving the same day, I like adding the salad dressing a couple of hours beforehand to let the tangy flavors sink into the vegetables. Because fresh cucumbers and juicy tomatoes naturally let off their juices you don't need a ton of dressing.
- Check your seasoning. It's important to season your food according to your taste. Don't be afraid to taste and tweak the Greek salad dressing as you go.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Will says
Great. I salt the tomatoes and cucumbers beforehand to get rid of some of the water. Tastes great!
Sarah Hill says
Hi Will, great idea to salt the tomatoes and cucumber. I will have to do that next time I make it. Happy you enjoyed it 🙂