The Hungry Bites

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Categories
    • Main Dishes
      • Beef and veal
      • Chicken and Poultry
      • Lamb and Goat
      • Pork
      • Fish and seafood
      • Other Meats
      • Legumes
      • Salad Meals
    • Side Dishes
    • Greek Appetizers and Meze
    • Pasta and rice
    • Soups and stews
    • One pan - One pot
    • Air Fryer
    • Salads
    • Greek Desserts and Sweets
      • Cakes
      • Cheesecakes
      • Cupcakes and muffins
      • Cookies
      • Chocolate
      • Ice Cream
      • Pies Bars and Tarts
      • Puddings, jams and creams
    • Breakfast and Brunch
    • Bread Recipes
    • Greek Drinks
    • Dietary
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
      • Gluten-free
      • Healthy
  • The Mediterranean Diet
  • About The Hungry Bites
    • Contact me
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Summer
  • Recipes
  • MDiet
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Summer
    • Recipes
    • MDiet
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Salads

    Cucumber tomato salad

    Published: Jul 23, 2021 by Makos

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Healthy cucumber with tomato salad loaded with Mediterranean ingredients like olive oil, vinegar (not balsamic!) and oregano. Pair it with falafel and many other dishes.

    Healthy cucumber with tomato salad.

    While growing up, this cucumber with tomato salad was almost always on the dinner table, especially during summer when these vegetables are in season. It's one of the most simple Greek salads (it's called aggourodomata in Greek) and a staple of the Mediterranean Diet. If you add a few more ingredients you can transform it to the famous Horiatiki (Greek Salad).

    The main difference between an aggourodomata and a Greek salad (Horiatiki) is the Feta cheese, meaning that if you add a big piece of feta to a cucumber tomato salad then you make it a Greek salad.

    However, except the feta cheese, Greek salad usually has some more ingredients, like green peppers, olives, capers or broken rusks. In this authentic Greek salad (Horiatiki) article you can see the traditional and a modern way to serve this salad.

    The cucumber tomato salad is perfect next to many meat dishes like this Greek slow roasted lamb (or goat) leg, or this Greek baked chicken with potatoes and vegetables. But it also accompanies other vegan or vegetarian dishes like homemade hummus and Lebanese falafel.

    The basic ingredients for this cucumber tomato salad

    Cucumbers. Choose small to medium sized fresh cucumbers with thin skin (Persian cucumbers are great!). They can be peeled or not and with their seeds or not. The best way to determine if you should leave the skin or peel them is to eat a small slice. If it tastes bitter then peel them.

    Tomatoes. Any type of tomato will do. Just make sure you find the ripest, juiciest, plumpest tomatoes that smell like summer!

    Onion. Red onions are milder in taste but white will also do if you don't have red.

    Olive oil. A fresh, extra virgin olive oil with peppery taste and a lot of antioxidants is your best option. Don't use anything else!

    Vinegar. Red wine vinegar is traditionally used, because that's what most Greek homes have. Good quality white wine vinegar or even apple cider vinegar will do.

    Oregano. A sprinkle of dried oregano will add a lot of flavor and aroma.

    Salt. Sea salt (fine or flakes) is used. If you don't have sea salt, use a sprinkle of your regular table salt.

    Cucumber and tomato salad.

    What more you can add to cucumber tomato salad:

    • Olives. Kalamata olives, black olives, green olives. Whatever you like best.
    • Capers. Capers are a great addition because they offer tiny bursts of umami flavour. 1-2 tablespoons will do the job. Chopped pickles are a nice alternative if you don't have capers.
    • Green onions or scallions.
    • Red or green bell pepper.
    • Fresh purslane (duckweed).
    • Feta cheese or another Greek white fresh cheese.
    • Broken rusks (barley or wheet). The hard kind.
    • Avocado. Not a traditional ingredient but it nevertheless an interesting and healthy addition.
    Cucumber tomato salad.

    Is cucumber tomato salad good for you?

    This is one of the healthiest salads you can make. And one of the easiest! It is loaded with antioxidants, healthy monounsaturated fat, vitamins and many other phytonutrients.

    For starters, olive oil has many health benefits. It is rich in healthy monounsaturated fats, contains large amounts of antioxidants and has strong anti-inflammatory properties. It can protect against heart disease, it lowers blood pressure and improves the function of blood vessels.

    Tomatoes are also very healthy! A tomato is a technically a fruit but when it comes to nutrition, tomatoes are categorized as vegetables because of their lower carb and sugar contents. Tomatoes contain an antioxidant called lycopene which protects heart health, guards the skin and also protects against cancer.

    Cucumber health benefits. As a member of the Cucurbitaceae family of plants, cucumbers contain high levels of a nutrient called cucurbitacin which is believed to help prevent cancer by stopping cancer cells from reproducing. Cucumbers contain important electrolytes and can help prevent dehydration in hot weather or after a workout.

    Oregano is also very healthy! Just one teaspoon of dried oregano can fulfill about 8% of your daily vitamin K needs. It also helps reduce inflammation by fighting bacteria and contains important antioxidants that can help prevent damage to cells caused by free radicals.

    Greek cucumber tomato salad.

    What Dressing goes with cucumber tomato salad?

    The simplest dressing is an olive oil and vinegar dressing. And you don't even have to whisk it or put it in a jar and shake it! Just drizzle the olive oil and the vinegar over the salad and mix everything with a spoon or fork. This is the traditional way of making a cucumber tomato salad.

    Can I use balsamic vinegar for this cucumber tomato salad?

    Of course you can. However, cucumber and tomato salad is not traditionally prepared with balsamic vinegar. I happen to love balsamic vinegar, but in this salad I find that it adds too much sweetness which spoils the true character of this dish. So, you may want to keep your balsamic for a tomato, basil and mozzarella salad.

    📖 Recipe

    cucumber tomato salad thumbnail.

    Cucumber tomato salad

    Makos
    Healthy cucumber with tomato salad loaded with Mediterranean ingredients like olive oil, vinegar (not balsamic!) and oregano. Pair it with falafel and many other dishes.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 0 minutes mins
    Total Time 10 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Salad, Side
    Cuisine gluten-free, Greek, Healthy, Mediterranean, vegan
    Servings 4
    Calories 127 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 medium Persian cucumbers, (sliced)
    • 2 medium tomatoes, (chopped)
    • ½ red onion, (thinly sliced)
    • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Instructions
     

    • Transfer the cucumbers, the tomatoes and the onion to a salad bowl.
    • Drizzle with the olive oil and the vinegar.
    • Sprinkle with the oregano and the salt.
    • Mix well with a spoon, taste and adjust the vinegar and the salt. Serve.

    Notes

    • I like to keep the cucumbers with their skin, but you can also peel them.
    • More things you can add: olives, capers, green onions, red or green chopped bell pepper, fresh purslane (duckweed), broken rusks, avocado.
    .
    Similar recipes you will love:
    • Creamy cucumber salad
    • Greek cabbage salad

    Nutrition

    Calories: 127kcal
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    If you like this recipe, Pin it!

    Mediterranean cucumber tomato salad.

    More Mediterranean Salad Recipes

    • Cretan dakos salad on a plate.
      Traditional Greek Dakos Salad Recipe (by a Cretan)
    • Best tossed green salad for a crowed featured image.
      Best tossed green salad for a crowd (easy recipe)
    • A deep plate with Tabbouleh salad.
      Tabbouleh (tabouli) salad
    • israeli couscous salad with feta, featured image.
      Best Pearl couscous salad recipe (with feta)

    Comments

      5 from 2 votes

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Emma says

      April 10, 2023 at 6:24 pm

      5 stars
      This is just like the salad we had in Santorini. Simple, fresh and delicoius

      Reply
    2. Melissa says

      July 12, 2023 at 7:29 pm

      5 stars
      Yum

      Reply
    author profile image.

    Welcome to The Hungry Bites, your go-to destination for authentic Greek and Mediterranean recipes, straight from the heart of the Aegean.

    About →

    Summer Recipes

    • Dolma on a plate.
      BEST Dolma: Stuffed Grape Vine Leaves with Meat
    • Featured image for creamy Greek pasta salad.
      Creamy Greek pasta salad (with healthy yogurt dressing)
    • A stuffed tomato and pepper on a plate.
      Easy Gemista: Greek stuffed peppers & tomatoes
    • Greek baked octopus in foil featured image.
      Easy Mediterranean baked octopus recipe (in foil)
    • Greek yogurt marinated chicken breasts.
      Greek yogurt chicken marinade—it doubles as a sauce
    • Greek salad featured image.
      Traditional Greek salad (authentic recipe by a Greek)
    • Cretan dakos salad on a plate.
      Traditional Greek Dakos Salad Recipe (by a Cretan)
    • Ouzo cocktails
      Greek booze: 5 Ouzo Cocktails You Need to Try

    Popular Recipes

    • Featured image: 3 slices of spanakopita stacked the one on the other.
      Easy Greek Spinach Pie (Traditional Spanakopita)
    • Oven baked swordfish featured image.
      Oven baked swordfish recipe with lemon vinaigrette
    • A bowl with lemon garlic pearled couscous.
      Best Lemon Garlic Pearl Couscous Recipe
    • Baked chicken leg on a plate with potatoes, carrots and cauliflower.
      Greek baked chicken recipe (with potatoes)
    • Easy pistachio cream in a jar, featured image.
      2-ingredient Pistachio Cream Recipe
    • Pistachio chocolate cake featured image.
      Dubai Chocolate Pistachio Cake
    • Italian almond cookies featured image.
      Easy Italian almond cookies recipe - soft amaretti
    • Creme brulee featured image
      Classic French Crème brûlée recipe (in 5 easy steps)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    As Seen In

    GREATIST, Buzzfeed, Saveur, wellandgood, verywellfit, popsugar, everydayhealth, brit.co, Health.com, Livestrong, Thefeedfeed, Marie Claire, Thepappaspost.

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • YouTube

    Copyright © 2016-2025 The Hungry Bites

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.