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    Home » Recipes » Salad

    Cucumber Salad

    Dec 11, 2013 by Kaitlin

    This easy Cucumber Salad recipe with onion, tomato, and tangy vinegar is a summertime classic. So simple, crisp, and utterly refreshing! (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free option.)

    Cucumber salad with onions and tomato on a plate

    This fresh cucumber salad recipe is a summertime staple! (But it's also great year-round thanks to hothouse cucumbers.)

    Plus it's easy to assemble. We'll simply chop the veggies, pour over the dressing, then store it in the fridge to let flavors deliciously combine.

    It's also a great take-along side dish for picnics, potlucks, and BBQs.

    Fresh produce and ingredients in a glass bowl

    Ingredients for Cucumber Salad

    For the salad portion you will toss together:

    • Cucumber: Most often I use English cucumbers (also called hothouse) because they have more flavor and less seeds. But regular seedless garden cucumbers work well too.
    • Onion: I thinly slice red onion or white onion. Either works great.
    • Roma tomatoes: Be sure they are ripe and flavorful. Or you can use grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes for a richer, sweeter flavor!

    To make the dressing, you will whisk together:

    • White wine vinegar: Or you can substitute red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. (Fresh lemon juice could also work, although I have not tested this version.)
    • Olive oil: This is optional and you can omit it for an oil-free version if desired.
    • Dried oregano: Be sure your pantry spices are fresh (not expired) for best flavor. You can also include fresh herbs like dill, parsley, basil, etc.
    • Salt: Use as much or as little to your taste, especially if you are watching your sodium intake. But this helps to enhance the flavors.
    overhead view of cucumber tomato salad on a plate

    Customizing

    Fresh herbs: Dill, parsley, or basil, etc. are great additions and enhance the freshness and flavor even more. (I highly recommend a tablespoon or two of fresh dill in addition to the dried oregano!)

    Garlic: One clove of minced garlic added to the dressing will provide a nice zing of garlic flavor. (Or lightly sauté it first to help mellow the raw garlic.)

    Make it spicy: For a spicier version, simply add a quarter teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less) or crushed red pepper flakes to taste.

    Add sweetness: Many classic cucumber salads often include sugar to sweeten and balance the flavors. So you can also stir in a touch of your preferred sugar or agave to the dressing if desired.

    Tip: Be sure to find ripe, flavorful produce for this recipe because it can make all the difference!

    Plate of cucumber tomato salad with onion and tangy vinegar dressing

    For more inspiration, also browse all easy vegan salad recipes.

    Cucumber salad with onions and tomato on a plate

    Cucumber Salad

    A simple cucumber salad with tomatoes, onion, and tangy vinegar dressing. So crisp and refreshing!
    4.78 from 22 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Comment
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Author: Kaitlin - The Garden Grazer
    Course: Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Oil-Free Option, Vegan
    Servings: 8 (1 cup servings)

    Ingredients

    • 2 large English cucumbers (or seedless garden cucumbers)
    • 1/2 small onion (red or white)
    • 3 roma tomatoes (or grape/cherry tomatoes)

    For the vinegar dressing:

    • 3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar)
    • 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil (optional, omit for oil-free)
    • 1 tsp. dried oregano (and/or fresh herbs*)
    • 1/8 tsp. salt
    • Optional: 1 tablespoon fresh dill

    Instructions

    • Make the dressing: Add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
    • Thinly slice cucumbers (peeled if desired) and thinly slice onion. Dice tomatoes, removing excess juice. Place in a large mixing bowl.
    • Pour dressing over salad. Toss to combine. Adjust flavors as desired (more vinegar, salt, herbs).
    • Enjoy immediately or refrigerate in a sealed container for an hour to let flavors further combine.

    Notes

    *Herbs: Fresh herbs like dill, parsley, or basil work very well in addition to the dried oregano. I highly recommend adding fresh dill if you have it.
    Make it sweet: Add agave, sugar, or other sweetener to the dressing.
    Make it spicy: Add about 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (more/less) or crushed red pepper flakes.
    Garlic variation: Add 1 clove minced garlic to dressing. Or lightly sauté first to help mellow raw garlic.
    Yield: Recipe makes about 8 cups salad.

    Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

    Nutrition Facts
    Cucumber Salad
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    28
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    1
    g
    2
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    6
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Potassium
     
    181
    mg
    5
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    4
    g
    1
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    2
    g
    2
    %
    Protein
     
    1
    g
    2
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    277
    IU
    6
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    6
    mg
    7
    %
    Calcium
     
    20
    mg
    2
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you make this recipe?Leave a star rating or comment below!

    If you are enjoying this easy cucumber onion salad with vinegar, also check out:

    • Southwestern Chopped Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing
    • Quinoa Avocado Spinach Power Salad
    • BBQ Chickpea Chopped Salad
    • Asian Style Chopped Salad with Sesame Vinaigrette

    Follow The Garden Grazer on Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook for more updates and inspiration.

    More Vegan Salad Recipes

    • Roasted Red Pepper Dressing (Oil-Free)
    • Roasted Chickpea Salad with Hummus
    • Asian-Style Kale & Tofu Salad with Peanut Dressing
    • Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Dill Dressing

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating:




    1. Mary

      April 24, 2022 at 8:38 am

      5 stars
      Easy, refreshing, and just what we were looking for. We added lots of fresh dill!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin

        April 24, 2022 at 12:24 pm

        Wonderful to hear!

        Reply
    2. Sonya P.

      October 01, 2021 at 8:13 am

      5 stars
      Delicious!! Also added thinly sliced kale, dill, and topped with diced avocado. It was enjoyed by all!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin

        October 01, 2021 at 8:44 am

        Fantastic additions! So glad it was enjoyed. Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    3. Jenny

      July 04, 2021 at 2:56 pm

      5 stars
      This was so easy and refreshing! Added fresh dill which was spectacular.

      Reply
      • Kaitlin

        July 04, 2021 at 3:44 pm

        Great to hear! Thanks for sharing.

        Reply
        • Jenn

          August 11, 2021 at 1:06 pm

          I use feta cheese. So easy and delicious.

          Reply
    4. Linda

      July 31, 2018 at 9:10 pm

      I made this salad for todays dinner......yum!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        September 05, 2018 at 4:25 pm

        So great to hear!

        Reply
    5. fred eiseman

      August 28, 2016 at 4:23 am

      How about adding radishes? (Sounds great either way)

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        September 17, 2016 at 3:35 pm

        Hi Fred! What a great idea - go for it!

        Reply
        • Amy

          June 11, 2022 at 12:18 pm

          I was craving this cucumber salad and I didn't have all the ingredients so I used my cucumber, my onions, and tomatoes, sour cream. As for seasoning I ran out of fresh seasoning and out of the dill so I ended up using Mrs. Dash and it tastes pretty good.

          Reply
          • Kaitlin

            June 11, 2022 at 3:38 pm

            Great substitutions, Amy! Thanks for sharing your version and so glad you enjoyed it!

    6. Star

      April 27, 2015 at 4:22 pm

      5 stars
      So good. I am eating this as I'm typing this review. It's so refreshing, fresh, tasty and everything good. I love this salad recipe. Thank you so much for sharing.

      Reply
      • Kaitlin M

        April 27, 2015 at 4:48 pm

        Thanks for the sweet comment! So glad you're enjoying. I make this one all the time - so quick and easy!

        Reply
      • Chrystel

        August 01, 2021 at 10:55 am

        5 stars
        I added fresh everything from my garden including garlic basil and dill. Left out the onion due to picky eaters. Added a dash of sugar to off set the vinegar and topped it off with white sesame seeds. Sooo refreshing!

        Reply
    7. Jenn Swen

      February 04, 2015 at 2:45 am

      Looks very good. Excited to garden this spring and make this delicious snack. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        February 04, 2015 at 10:05 pm

        Hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    8. The Crafty Niche

      January 16, 2015 at 9:47 pm

      Call me silly but I really cannot stand the skin on the cucumber, can this be made without that?

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        January 18, 2015 at 1:57 pm

        Not silly at all! I usually peel my cucumber skins if they're regular garden cucumbers. But hothouse cucumbers have thinner skin, so I will leave them on!

        Reply
    9. Ashlee Eastham

      July 31, 2014 at 3:12 pm

      How long does it stay good for in the fridge?

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        August 01, 2014 at 1:12 pm

        Hi Ashlee! I'm guessing it'd be good for 4-5 days.

        Reply
    10. Anonymous

      June 27, 2014 at 10:22 pm

      Add some sunflower seeds. There are so many different ways this salad could be made, if you grow your own vegetables like we did this year.

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        June 29, 2014 at 6:58 pm

        Great thoughts! Sunflower seeds would be a tasty addition - thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    11. Amy

      June 16, 2014 at 8:31 pm

      I love cucumber and onion salad, so I thought I would like this. I followed the recipe exactly, but I thought it was bland. Any ideas to give it more flavor?

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        June 16, 2014 at 9:52 pm

        Hi Amy! Oh no! This definitely shouldn't be bland. Make sure you're using good quality produce. Then I'd suggest adding a little more vinegar or more salt to taste if you need to. Fresh herbs would also give a great flavor boost!

        Reply
    12. TomDroid

      June 05, 2014 at 3:32 pm

      This is a very Russian-feeling recipe. Cucumber salads are a very popular side dish there. If you substitute the oregano with fresh dill like the poster did above, it's pretty much a spot-on match. This is a great light side dish for heavier main courses like pilmeni, which are stuffed dumplings something like perogi that they eat with globs of sour cream. Good post.

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        June 06, 2014 at 4:40 pm

        Thank you for sharing, Tom!

        Reply
    13. Anonymous

      May 11, 2014 at 10:51 pm

      Can I substitute white vinegar or apple cider if I don't have white wine vinegar?

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        May 12, 2014 at 12:17 am

        Absolutely! You could also use red wine vinegar if you have that.

        Reply
    14. carly labinski

      February 22, 2014 at 2:23 am

      I just made this. Amazing! Fresh! Love it. I used dill instead of oregano. I also added feta cheese. Yum!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        February 23, 2014 at 6:57 pm

        Thank you for sharing!

        Reply
    15. Nicole

      December 16, 2013 at 9:53 pm

      I just made this and it is delicious! I agree with having something a bit lighter during the winter months. Thanks for this simple, easy, yummy recipe!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        December 17, 2013 at 7:12 pm

        So great! Thanks for sharing your feedback!

        Reply
    16. Telma T.

      December 13, 2013 at 5:03 pm

      I could eat this all year around. At home we just simply call it "tomato salad". We season it with olive oil and lemon juice cause we don't use vinegar. Sometimes we also add roasted bell pepers.

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        December 17, 2013 at 7:10 pm

        Wonderful! Thank you for sharing!

        Reply
    17. Courtney Rose

      December 11, 2013 at 10:03 pm

      I made this yesterday for lunch but with cherry tomatoes! This is my absolute favorite salad and I too eat it all year round!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        December 12, 2013 at 5:34 pm

        So great to hear!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Kaitlin!
    I share vegan recipes that are easy & healthy. (Mostly whole food plant-based, oil-free, & gluten-free.) About Me →

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