Mediterranean cucumber tomato salad is simple and an all-star recipe. It comes together in 10 to 15 minutes with just 3 ingredients. So, you can call it 3 ingredients Mediterranean salad.
Cucumber tomato salad is packed with flavors and essential nutrients such as potassium and vitamin C. This Mediterranean salad is rich in nutrients that can help you lose weight.
You can enjoy this Mediterranean salad alone or in various dishes such as Chicken Shawarma, Pizza, seafood, chicken roast, and Spinach Frittata. Fresh cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and fresh herbs with lemon juice make it a delicious side dish for any table.
Why do I love this Mediterranean cucumber tomato salad?
Fresh Flavor
This recipe may be served as a side dish or as a full dinner or lunch with warm, toasted pita at any time. It’s incredibly delicious in the summer when tomatoes are at their most aromatic and fresh herbs are full of flavor.
Quick and simple
This wonderful cucumber tomato salad recipe is easy to make and requires your 10 to 15 minutes. It can be a quick and tasty side salad during a barbecue.
Flexible
Adjust this salad according to your needs and what you have on hand. You can add beans, chicken, salmon, shrimp, feta cheese, quinoa, rice, or pasta to make the salad more filling. Depending on what you have on hand, you can add different vegetables.
Perfect everyday salad
This salad is ideal for everyday meals because you can prepare it with a simple handful of ingredients. It’s impressive because there is no lettuce, and this salad fits a lot of foods.
Here’s what you need to make this healthy Mediterranean tomato cucumber salad
Ingredients
This simple tomato-cucumber salad contains 3 essential ingredients that require minimal decoration. Additionally, a few spices bring out all the beautiful flavors.
These are the simple ingredients of this Greek salad.
Cucumber: A thin-skinned cucumber is excellent for this salad because it is sweeter and doesn’t contain giant seeds. Avoid using thick skin that needs to be peeled. Using thin-skinned cucumber reduces prep time significantly.
Roma tomatoes: Use any tomatoes you have on hand. I prefer cherry tomatoes because they are easy to slice in half and are bite-sized without much effort. You can also use Roma tomatoes or heritage tomatoes in this salad.
Red onion: Red onion gives a bite to the salad in addition to giving a lovely visual contrast to the tomatoes and cucumbers. You can use green or white onion if you don’t have red onion.
Flat-leaf parsley: Flat-leaf parsley gives a fresh herbal flavor to the salad. Because of its texture and taste, I prefer flat-leaf parsley to curly parsley. You can replace cilantro with other fresh herbs such as mint, basil, or dill.
Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice is best for this tomato salad recipe. You can use 1 to 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. For extra taste, you can also use lime juice, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
Spices: Salt and black pepper add a delicious taste to flavor the vegetables.
Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil is a typical Mediterranean diet ingredient that helps to create an excellent dressing for tomatoes and cucumbers.
Kalamata olives (optional): You can use kalamata olives for more flavor but it is optional. If you don’t like olives, don’t use them.
Additionally, you can add raw honey, bell peppers, and herbs de Provence (Italian seasoning) to make this salad healthier.
Instructions
- Cut 6 Roma tomatoes into chunks
- 2 large English cucumbers, diced into small cubes or chunks
- Chop a large bunch of parsley (about 34 bunches)
- Peel and chop 2 red onions finely
- Cut 1 cup pitted kalamata olives in half
- Combine the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 4 tablespoons of quality olive oil, ½ salt, and ¼ black pepper in a small bowl to make dressing.
- Put all the vegetables and kalamata olives in a large mixing bowl
- Pour the dressing over the vegetables and gently mix with a small whisk or fork
Note: Cucumbers and tomatoes digest differently, so mixing them can cause health complications. According to Tanya S. Kapoor, a nutritionist and dietitian “Cucumbers are loaded with minerals that help to keep you hydrated but they have vitamin C decomposition enzyme that interferes with the absorption of Vitamin C”. Therefore, it is generally recommended to avoid cucumber and tomato together.
Also Read: Eating Radish At Night: Uncover Myths And Health Benefits
FAQs
Is it possible to use other kinds of cucumbers besides English cucumbers?
Long English cucumbers are typically the best option because they are less liquid than other cucumbers, which can make the salad watery. Persian cucumbers, which are small, thin cucumbers, are also a good choice because they are crisp and not overly watery.
If using other varieties of common cucumbers (particularly hothouse cucumbers), scoop out the seeds with a spoon to avoid the salad from becoming watery.
Is cucumber salad good to eat every day?
Cucumbers are an excellent choice to eat regularly for various reasons, including weight loss, improved heart health, and relief from pain, discomfort, and swelling.
Is it okay to combine cucumber with tomato?
Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C. Cucumbers have a vitamin C decomposition enzyme that will destroy the rich vitamin C in tomatoes. So, you should eat cucumbers differently. Bad food combinations can lead to digestive problems such as stomach aches, gas, nausea, and bloating. However, you can eat them together in a salad as a side dish or snack at any time is you feel everything is ok.
Is there a difference between a Greek salad and a Mediterranean salad?
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes seasonal vegetables, such as cucumbers and tomatoes, so this salad fits right in. Similar to a Greek salad but with different vegetables. Greek salads often contain large blocks or chunks of feta cheese, sliced green bell peppers, and no red wine vinegar. However, the essential components of the two salads are very similar.
How long will this simple house salad keep?
Mediterranean cucumber and tomato salad are kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, but it is best eaten the same day for the best flavor and crispiness.
