Name: Easy Cucumber and Tomato Greek Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 4 medium or small tomatoes, cut into wedges or chunks; 2 Lebanese cucumbers, peeled, deseeded, and sliced; ¼ red onion, finely sliced; 60ml extra virgin olive oil, Greek preferred; 20ml red wine vinegar, optional; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon black pepper

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There is a version of cooking philosophy that says the fewer ingredients a dish has, the more each one has to earn its place — and nowhere is that more true than in a classic Greek salad. Four vegetables, four dressing ingredients, ten minutes, and the result is one of the most deeply satisfying, genuinely refreshing things you can put on a summer table. This Easy Cucumber and Tomato Greek Salad does not hide behind complicated dressings or lengthy ingredient lists. It trusts the quality of its components entirely — and when those components are good, the result is extraordinary.

The magic happens after a five-minute rest when the salt draws the natural juices from the tomatoes and they pool with the olive oil at the bottom of the bowl into something that tastes so good you want to eat it with a spoon.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Pure, clean Mediterranean flavor — Quality olive oil, ripe tomatoes, and fresh cucumber need nothing more than salt, pepper, and a splash of red wine vinegar to taste extraordinary — this salad proves it completely.
10 minutes from start to finish — No cooking, no special equipment, no complicated technique — just slice, dress, and rest for one of the fastest impressive side dishes in existence.
Naturally vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free — A completely inclusive dish that works for every guest at every table without a single substitution.
The pooled dressing is a revelation — After a brief rest, the tomato juices and olive oil combine at the bottom of the bowl into a naturally emulsified, deeply flavored liquid that is worth scooping up with every last piece of bread.

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Salad:

4 medium or small tomatoes
2 Lebanese cucumbers, peeled and deseeded
¼ red onion, finely sliced

For the Dressing:

60ml extra virgin olive oil, Greek preferred
20ml red wine vinegar, optional
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Tip: You’ll find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.

Let’s Get Started

Prepare the cucumber properly. Lebanese cucumbers are thinner-skinned and less bitter than regular cucumbers but peeling them still produces a cleaner, more refined result in this simple salad where every texture matters. Peel each cucumber, slice in half lengthwise, and use a small spoon or melon baller to scoop the seeds out along the center channel. The seeds are where most of the excess moisture lives — removing them prevents the salad from becoming a watery pool within minutes of dressing. Slice the cleaned cucumber halves into half-moons roughly ½ inch thick and set aside.
Cut the tomatoes. The way you cut the tomatoes matters more than it sounds in a salad this simple. Cut medium tomatoes into generous wedges — six to eight per tomato — so each piece is substantial enough to hold its shape and deliver a proper burst of juice in every bite. For smaller tomatoes, halve or quarter them depending on size. Place the cut tomatoes directly in the serving bowl — any juice released during cutting stays in the bowl and becomes part of the finished dressing.
Prepare the red onion. Slice the red onion as thinly as humanly possible — translucent slivers rather than chunky strips. Thick red onion is harsh and can easily overpower the delicate balance of a salad with this few ingredients. If raw red onion is particularly sharp, soak the slices in cold water for 5 minutes and drain before adding — this draws out the sulfurous compounds responsible for the harshest bite while leaving behind the pleasant pungent onion flavor.
Make the dressing. Combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or jar and whisk or shake until combined. Use the best quality Greek extra virgin olive oil you have access to — in a dressing this simple the olive oil is the primary flavor and its quality is immediately and completely detectable in the finished salad. The red wine vinegar is listed as optional but adds a brightness and acidity that lifts the whole salad considerably — include it if you have it.
Dress and rest. Add the cucumber slices and red onion to the bowl with the tomatoes. Pour the dressing over everything and toss very gently — you want to coat without bruising the tomatoes or breaking down the cucumber. Allow the salad to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving. During this brief rest, the salt draws the natural juices from the tomatoes, which combine with the pooled olive oil at the bottom of the bowl into something extraordinary — serve with crusty bread specifically for scooping it up.

Servings and Pairing

This recipe serves 4 as a side dish. Easy Greek Salad pairs beautifully with grilled lamb chops, chicken souvlaki, baked fish, stuffed pita, hummus and flatbread, or any simple grilled protein. For a complete Mediterranean spread, serve alongside tzatziki, warm pita, and a bowl of olives. It also works beautifully as a light standalone lunch with generous crumbles of feta added on top and a thick slice of sourdough on the side.

Variations

Classic Greek Salad Version

Add ½ cup of pitted kalamata olives, a thick slab of feta cheese placed whole on top rather than crumbled, and a pinch of dried oregano crumbled over the feta before dressing for the full traditional Greek horiatiki salad experience.

Herb Version

Add a small handful of roughly chopped fresh mint and flat-leaf parsley to the finished salad before serving for a herby freshness that complements the tomato and cucumber beautifully and makes the salad taste noticeably more vibrant and complex.

Lemon Version

Replace the red wine vinegar entirely with the juice of one fresh lemon for a brighter, more citrusy dressing that is particularly refreshing in the height of summer and pairs especially well with grilled fish and seafood.

Storage Tips

Fridge: Store dressed salad in an airtight container for up to 24 hours — the vegetables soften and release more juice over time but the flavor actually deepens. Stir well before serving and add a fresh drizzle of olive oil to revive the brightness.
Best practice: For the best texture, dress the salad no more than 15 minutes before serving. If making ahead, store the sliced vegetables and dressing separately and combine just before the table.
Tomatoes: Never refrigerate whole tomatoes before using — cold temperatures dull their flavor significantly. Keep them at room temperature until cutting for the most vibrant, sweet result.

FAQs

What type of tomatoes work best in this salad?

The best tomatoes for this salad are whatever is ripest and most flavorful at your market — vine-ripened, Roma, or heirloom varieties all work beautifully. Avoid out-of-season supermarket tomatoes that are pale and flavorless — since the tomato is the primary ingredient in a salad this simple, a flavorless tomato produces a flavorless salad regardless of how good the olive oil is.

Can I use regular cucumber instead of Lebanese cucumber?

Yes — English cucumber is the closest substitute with a similar thin skin and mild flavor. Regular field cucumbers work but have a thicker, more bitter skin that should definitely be removed and seeds that are larger and wetter, making the deseeding step even more important. Always peel and deseed any cucumber variety for the cleanest, crispest result in this salad.

Is the red wine vinegar necessary?

The salad is delicious without it — traditional Greek horiatiki is often made with only olive oil, salt, and no vinegar at all, relying entirely on the natural acidity of ripe tomatoes. The red wine vinegar adds a brightness and lift that many people prefer, but if you enjoy a more purely olive oil-based dressing, simply omit it. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice is a wonderful middle ground that adds acidity without the sharp edge of vinegar.

Final Thoughts

Easy Cucumber and Tomato Greek Salad is a reminder that the best cooking is often the most restrained — ripe vegetables, good olive oil, salt, and the confidence to let quality ingredients speak for themselves. Fresh, clean, and deeply satisfying in a way that only the simplest food can be, it is the salad that earns a place on your table every single week from the first warm day of spring until the very last tomato of summer. Make it once and it will become as natural a part of your cooking as anything else you know how to make!