Mediterranean Salads · No-Cook
Mediterranean Cucumber Tomato Salad (Easy, No-Cook)
This is the salad on every table across Greece in the summer — cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, feta, olive oil. No stove, no oven, ten minutes from cutting board to table. It’s also one of the few dishes where “simple” and “impressive” are the same thing.
⚡ The Quick Answer
Chop cucumber, tomato, and red onion into similar-sized pieces, toss with crumbled feta, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and fresh oregano. That’s the entire recipe. The only real technique is salting the cucumber briefly first to pull out excess water so the salad doesn’t turn watery by the time you serve it.
Serving this alongside something roasted? These Mediterranean eggplant recipes pair naturally with the same flavors.
Mediterranean Cucumber Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 large cucumbers, seeded and diced
- 3 medium tomatoes, diced (or 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved)
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 oz feta, crumbled or cubed
- ¼ cup Kalamata olives, pitted
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Method
- Salt the diced cucumber lightly and let sit in a colander for 10 minutes while you prep the rest — this pulls out excess water so the salad stays crisp, not soggy.
- Combine tomatoes, red onion, and drained cucumber in a large bowl.
- Add feta and olives.
- Whisk olive oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then pour over the salad and toss gently.
- Serve immediately, or let sit 15 minutes for the flavors to meld — just not much longer, or the vegetables release more water.
3 Simple Variations
Make-Ahead & Storage
This salad is best assembled fresh — the vegetables release water as they sit, softening the texture over time. If you need to prep ahead, chop the vegetables and store separately from the dressing, then combine within 30 minutes of serving. Once dressed, it keeps in the fridge for up to a day, though the texture will be noticeably softer by then.
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Get the Free 7-Day Plan →Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my cucumber tomato salad get watery?
Cucumbers and tomatoes both release water as they sit, especially once salted or dressed. Salting the cucumber separately first and draining it before combining solves most of the problem.
Can you make this salad ahead of time?
Chop the vegetables ahead and store them separately from the dressing and feta. Combine everything within 30 minutes of serving for the best texture.
Is this salad keto-friendly?
Yes, at roughly 6g net carbs per serving as written, it fits comfortably into a keto meal plan, especially alongside a protein source.
What’s the difference between this and a Greek salad?
This is essentially the base of a traditional Greek salad (horiatiki) — the classic Greek version also typically skips lettuce entirely, which this recipe follows, keeping it closer to the authentic village-style salad than the lettuce-based versions common in the US.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Nutrition estimates are approximate and will vary based on specific ingredients and brands used.
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