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This cucumber tomato salad is the one side dish that disappears first at every summer BBQ and someone always asks for the recipe before they leave.
There’s just something perfect about crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, sweet red onion, and fresh herbs tossed in a light red wine vinaigrette. It’s simple, refreshing, and tastes even better after it has had time to soak up all the bright herby flavors.
This easy cucumber tomato onion salad comes together in about 15 minutes and pairs perfectly with grilled chicken, burgers, ribs, or just about anything coming off the grill.
Ever since planting my first real vegetable garden at our forever home, this has become one of my favorite ways to use fresh summer tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs. There’s nothing better than turning a handful of garden vegetables into a side dish everyone loves.
Why You’ll Love This Cucumber Tomato Salad
- 15 minutes of prep (plus 30 minutes to marinate)
- Fresh, crisp, and full of summer flavor.
- Light homemade vinaigrette.
- Perfect for BBQs, potlucks, picnics, and cookouts.
- Easy to make ahead.
- Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
Ingredients for Cucumber Tomato Salad
This simple cucumber tomato salad uses fresh vegetables, herbs, and a quick homemade vinaigrette that lets every ingredient shine.
Salad
- Tomatoes: Fresh vine tomatoes are our favorite, but Roma, grape, or cherry tomatoes all work beautifully.
- English Cucumber: Crunchy, mild, and nearly seedless. No peeling required.
- Brown Sugar: Just a touch balances the acidity.
- Red Onion: Adds just enough bite and sweetness.
- Parsley (fresh): Brings bright, fresh flavor.
- Cilantro (fresh): Adds another layer of freshness without overpowering the salad.
- Salt and Pepper: Season everything perfectly.
Dressing
- Olive Oil: The base of the vinaigrette.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Adds tang and complements fresh tomatoes.
- Lemon Juice: Brightens every bite.
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper: Enhances the flavors and adds a mild bite.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the dressing bold flavor.
- Brown Sugar: Balances the vinegar without making the dressing sweet.
- Fresh Basil: The ingredient that makes this salad taste like summer.
How to Make Cucumber Tomato Salad
Salads are simple and this recipe is great for making ahead of time. You are basically going to chop up all the ingredients, pour the dressing over and then let it sit until ready to serve.
- Chop the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces.
- Dice the cucumber and thinly slice the red onion.
- Add the herbs, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients.
- Pour over the vegetables and toss gently.
- Let the salad rest for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can meld before serving.
Tips for the Best Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Use ripe tomatoes. The better the tomatoes, the better the salad.
- Let it marinate. Thirty minutes makes a huge difference in flavor.
- Don’t overdress. The vegetables release juices as they sit, creating even more dressing naturally.
- Use fresh herbs. Fresh basil, parsley, and cilantro make this recipe taste bright and summery.
English Cucumber vs Cucumber
English cucumbers have thin skin, very few seeds, and don’t need peeling.
Regular cucumbers have thicker waxy skin and larger seeds, so they’re best peeled and seeded before using.
Either works, but English cucumbers stay crunchier and have the best texture in this salad.
Variations
If you want to add more ingredients to this salad, here are a few possibilities:
- crumbled feta
- fresh mozzarella pearls
- avocado
- chickpeas
- sliced olives
- diced bell peppers
- fresh corn
- peas
Feel free to make it your own and add the ingredients that you love.
What to Eat with Tomato Cucumber Salad?
I always make this salad as a side dish with something grilled or smoked. It just seems right. Here are a few of our favorite main dishes to eat with this salad:
- Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast
- Smoked Brisket
- Huli Huli Grilled Chicken
- Classic Cheeseburgers
- Smoked Ribs
- Pulled Pork
- Grilled Steak
If none of those are what you are after, you can find all our grilled recipes and smoked recipes here on the blog. It also makes a great picnic side.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4–5 days.
The tomatoes will continue releasing juice as the salad sits, so give everything a good stir before serving again.
Cucumber Tomato Salad FAQs
This cucumber tomato onion salad is even better after it sits for a few hours.
You can make it up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate until serving. For the freshest texture, let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
It’s delicious chilled or at room temperature. We actually prefer it after it has warmed slightly from the refrigerator.
Absolutely. Cherry or grape tomatoes are sweeter and don’t release quite as much juice.
Not if you’re using an English cucumber. If you’re using a regular cucumber, peeling and removing the seeds is recommended.
Tomatoes naturally release juices as they sit. This creates extra dressing and is completely normal. Just toss everything together before serving.
Every summer, this cucumber tomato salad finds its way onto our table more times than I can count. It’s one of those simple recipes that lets fresh, seasonal ingredients shine, and somehow it always disappears before anything else. I hope it becomes a favorite in your family too! And if you make it, we’d love to hear how you served it or any fun twists you added!
More Fabulous Salad Recipes:
- Easy Spring Salad
- 7 Layer Pea Salad
- Strawberry Cucumber Salad
- Spinach Berry Salad
- Brussels Sprouts Salad
- All our SALAD RECIPES!
Cucumber Tomato Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 8 Small Vine Cocktail Tomatoes, (not grape or cherry, but actual vine tomatoes)
- 1 English Cucumber
- 1 Pinch Brown Sugar
- 1/4 Red Onion, thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons Parsley, fresh, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Cilantro, fresh, chopped
- 2 Pinches Salt
- 2 Pinches Pepper
Dressing
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 Squeeze Lemon Juice
- 1 Pinch Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Dried Basil, (or 2 teaspoons fresh, chopped)
Instructions
- Cut each tomato in 6-8 wedges and then halve them.8 Small Vine Cocktail Tomatoes
- Trim the ends off of the cucumber and then slice in half lengthwise, creating two pieces. Slice in 1/4" pieces.1 English Cucumber
- Toss tomatoes with the brown sugar, onion, and herbs with salt and pepper.1 Pinch Brown Sugar, 1/4 Red Onion, 2 Tablespoons Parsley, 2 Tablespoons Cilantro, 2 Pinches Salt, 2 Pinches Pepper
- In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour over the tomato salad.1/2 Cup Olive Oil, 1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar, 1 Squeeze Lemon Juice, 1 Pinch Pepper, 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, 3 Cloves Garlic, 1 teaspoon Brown Sugar, 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
- Cover in plastic for 1-6 hours on the counter or refrigerate if longer. This is best served the day of and is delicious served with grilled or toasted crostini bread!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is full of fresh flavor! It allowed me to use up my excess garden cucumbers and tomatoes which was what I was looking for. It definitely isn’t too much fat like someone mentioned…it’s just olive oil lol!
Yay! Thank you so much Jamie! This is my favorite way to use up those garden cucumbers and tomatoes!
Half is not a verb! You can’t “half” something 😂
My apologies! I’ve corrected them to “halve”. Thank you for bringing that to my attention!
No need to apologize! Just teasing 😉
Recipes sound delicious if I may make a suggestion… try to add a tomato or two to your Dressing via a blender…. YUM
Ooooh that sounds yummy! I’ll have to try that! Thanks for the suggestion!
This was so good, except the olive oil ruined it because it left a bitter taste. I notice many other cucumber salad recipes call for little or no oil.
Hi Dianne! You can use as much or as little of the dressing you want. Make sure you have good high quality olive oil and you can use a little lemon juice to reduce the bitterness if you want. Thank you for the feedback!
The fat content is far too high for a homemade dressing….
Hi Peggy! You could reduce the olive oil some if you want, but you won’t have as much coverage on the salad. You could also just use as much of the dressing as your want and save any extra for the next time you make the salad.