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Home » Recipes » Salad

Cucumber Salad

Dec 11, 2013 by Kaitlin · 40 Comments

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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!
4.79 from 23 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Comment
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes 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.

Sodium content: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.

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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.

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Comments

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    Recipe Rating:




  1. Kelsey says

    April 19, 2025 at 10:19 pm

    5 stars
    Just made this dish for a dinner party, and it was a hit! Followed the recipe exactly except I used regular cucumbers instead of English (don't have the English kind here). Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Kaitlin says

      April 20, 2025 at 7:44 am

      So fantastic to hear it was enjoyed at your dinner party, Kelsey! That's awesome. And glad you were able to swap in regular cucumbers. Thanks a lot for giving it a try and coming back to share your very kind feedback - it's appreciated!

      Reply
  2. Mary says

    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 says

      April 24, 2022 at 12:24 pm

      Wonderful to hear!

      Reply
  3. Sonya P. says

    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 says

      October 01, 2021 at 8:44 am

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

      Reply
  4. Jenny says

    July 04, 2021 at 2:56 pm

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

    Reply
    • Kaitlin says

      July 04, 2021 at 3:44 pm

      Great to hear! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Jenn says

        August 11, 2021 at 1:06 pm

        I use feta cheese. So easy and delicious.

        Reply
  5. Linda says

    July 31, 2018 at 9:10 pm

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

    Reply
    • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says

      September 05, 2018 at 4:25 pm

      So great to hear!

      Reply
  6. fred eiseman says

    August 28, 2016 at 4:23 am

    How about adding radishes? (Sounds great either way)

    Reply
    • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says

      September 17, 2016 at 3:35 pm

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

      Reply
      • Amy says

        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 says

          June 11, 2022 at 3:38 pm

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

  7. Star says

    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 says

      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 says

      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
  8. Jenn Swen says

    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 says

      February 04, 2015 at 10:05 pm

      Hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  9. The Crafty Niche says

    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 says

      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
  10. Ashlee Eastham says

    July 31, 2014 at 3:12 pm

    How long does it stay good for in the fridge?

    Reply
    • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says

      August 01, 2014 at 1:12 pm

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

      Reply
  11. Anonymous says

    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 says

      June 29, 2014 at 6:58 pm

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

      Reply
  12. Amy says

    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 says

      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
  13. TomDroid says

    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 says

      June 06, 2014 at 4:40 pm

      Thank you for sharing, Tom!

      Reply
  14. Anonymous says

    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 says

      May 12, 2014 at 12:17 am

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

      Reply
  15. carly labinski says

    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 says

      February 23, 2014 at 6:57 pm

      Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
  16. Nicole says

    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 says

      December 17, 2013 at 7:12 pm

      So great! Thanks for sharing your feedback!

      Reply
  17. Telma T. says

    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 says

      December 17, 2013 at 7:10 pm

      Wonderful! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
  18. Courtney Rose says

    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 says

      December 12, 2013 at 5:34 pm

      So great to hear!

      Reply

Hello, I'm Kaitlin!
I live in Montana and share vegan recipes that are easy and healthy. About Me →

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