Ready in 10 minutes, English Cucumber Salad is the perfect healthy choice for a quick lunch or potluck side--and it only has five simple ingredients.
In this simple salad, English cucumbers are paired with juicy and sweet Campari tomatoes, red onions and a light balsamic vinaigrette, before being topped with some tangy crumbled feta cheese--making this an instant bowl of yum.
English cucumbers (or hothouse cucumbers) are absolutely the best variety for this salad--with Persian cucumbers (aka mini cukes) coming in a close second. Both of these varieties have tiny seeds and thin, edible skin, which isn't bitter--giving this refreshing salad a wonderful taste and texture.
Discover more delicious and nutritious recipes with English cucumbers that also make a great lunch: Chickpea Cucumber Feta Salad and Mediterranean Bean Salad.
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👪Why you'll love it
| Easy to make: This delicious cucumber salad recipe is super simple. You don't have to cook anything--just chop and mix! Hydrating and nutritious: Cucumbers pack a ton of hydration and nutrients, including Vitamins K and C, and Potassium. Eating cucumbers also helps you feel full for longer, due to their high water content. Stunning potluck side: This salad is beautifully elegant and vibrant in its presentation of color and flavor. You can't go wrong taking it to any summer gathering--or winter gathering, for that matter--due to its beautiful reds and greens! |
🥘Ingredients
For a complete list with measurements, see the printable recipe card below
- English cucumbers- used for their edible skin and tiny seeds; they are often wrapped in plastic wrap and are long and skinny
- Campari tomatoes- this is a hybrid tomato that's juicy and delicious; typically sold in a plastic container still on the vine
- red onion- for aesthetic appeal and accentuated flavor
- light balsamic vinaigrette dressing- we love Ken's Steakhouse as a nice shortcut, but feel free to make your own
- crumbled Feta cheese- optional, but a delicious add-on for protein, tang and flavor
- ground pepper- optional, for more flavoring
🔪Instructions
For more detailed instructions, see the printable recipe card below.
- Slice cucumbers lengthwise, then slice lengthwise once more. Divide into chunks roughly 1 inch wide for easier eating. Add to a large bowl. (Alternatively, you may slice in thin circles.)
- Slice the tomatoes into wedges and dice the onions. Add to the bowl.
- Drizzle on the dressing and mix.
- Cover and chill.
- Sprinkle on feta and ground pepper (if desired) before serving.
Hint: You can enjoy this salad right away, but I find it tastes best after sitting in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
🥣Substitutions
Cucumbers: Persian or mini cucumbers are the best replacements for English cucumbers due to their lower water content, tiny seeds, and edible skins.
Tomatoes: Feel free to use cherry or grape tomatoes in this salad.
📖Variations
Italian version: Use light Italian dressing instead of balsamic; replace feta with mozzarella pearls; optional to add fresh basil.
Greek version: Use Greek dressing instead of balsamic; add chopped fresh dill; for added nutrition, add a can of rinsed, drained chickpeas.
🍽Equipment
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- large mixing bowl
- mixing spoon
- slotted spoon (for serving)
🍶Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Enjoy within two-three days.
💭Top tip
Keep in mind that sometimes less is more when adding the dressing. Using too much from the start will make the salad too saturated and potentially bitter (remember that it's already naturally juicy from the cucumbers and tomatoes). Start with your desired amount. You can always add more to suit your taste.
🗨️FAQ
Slimy cucumbers indicate that they are going bad. You'll often see the slime start to accumulate on the skin before slicing. Unfortunately, if your cucumbers are slimy, they are no longer good for you to eat. You will have to discard the salad. To avoid this problem in the future, use cucumbers within a day of buying them. If you can't use them right away, wrap them tightly in foil and store them in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator for an additional 1-2 days.
This is a much more common problem with salad cucumbers. It's resolved by scooping out the seeds and removing the skins. This is one of the many reasons why I recommend the English cucumber because you can eat the seeds and skin (so no need to remove them) and they aren't bitter.
See the recipe post for Cucumber Sour Cream Salad.
🥄Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
🍴Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with English Cucumber Salad:
📋Recipe
English Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 2 English cucumbers cut into approximately 1 inch pieces
- 3 Campari tomatoes cut into small wedges
- ⅓ cup red onion diced or thinly sliced
- 4-5 tablespoon light balsamic vinagrette Ken's Steakhouse highly recommended
- Crumbled Feta cheese optional, for topping
- ground pepper optional, for added flavor
Instructions
- After rinsing, place cucumbers on cutting board. Use a chef's knife to trim off both ends. Slice each cucumber lengthwise in half; then slice halves lengthwise once more to create quarters. Slice the quarters into small chunks, roughly 1 inch wide. Place cucumber chunks into a bowl. (Alternatively, you may slice cucumbers into thin circles.)
- After rinsing, place tomatoes on cutting board. Use a chef's knife to cut tomatoes in half, then once more. Continue this process until you have 6-8 wedges from each tomato. Add tomatoes to cucumber bowl. Dice the red onion on the cutting board and add to bowl. Mix.
- Start by adding 4 tablespoons, then mix it all together. All ingredients should be lightly coated by the dressing. If needed, add one additional tablespoon of dressing at a time to ensure even coating without oversaturating the salad.
- Feta pairs very well with this salad. Sprinkle desired amount on top just before serving. You may also choose to add a dash of ground pepper for added flavor.
- Leftovers will keep 2-3 days. Keep refrigerated.
Janet C. says
This is a favorite lunch right now. The crumbled feta makes it so good and I like the shortcut with the dressing.
Kitchen Ready Betty says
I love it for lunch too. Thanks for the feedback about the dressing.