Take it from a true daughter of the Mediterranean: you don’t need much to make a fresh, colorful, and delicious Mediterranean Salad. With a simple mix of cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, lemon juice, and a few herbs and spices, this easy salad is on your table in 10 minutes or less!
Mediterranean salad goes by a different name where I grew up in Egypt: salata! It’s a staple on every table, morning, noon, and night.
And while many online recipes have adopted its name, you may ask yourself: what is a Mediterranean salad, really? At its core, it’s a simple tomato and cucumber salad that’s tossed with a drizzle of olive oil and a touch of vinegar or citrus. It where famous salads like fattoush or tabouli derive inspiration. We don’t include lettuce and we don’t fuss with whisking a separate vinaigrette!
With no lettuce to wilt, it keeps well for hours or even days in your fridge. And it is so much more than just a salad! Use as a topping, brining freshness to savory vegetarian quinoa bowls with hummus. It’s also the perfect condiment for wraps, like chicken shawarma with pita bread. The list goes on!
This Mediterranean salad recipe is as traditional as they come. It’s very representative of the regions’ agricultural roots and the fresh flavors we continue to love to this day. You can dress it up by adding red onion, as I do here, or toss in feta cheese for a little salty goodness. Let your inspiration be your guide.
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Mediterranean Salad Ingredients and Substitutions
This simple cucumber tomato salad uses easy to find ingredients that need little embellishment. Just some seasonings and a simple dressing bring out all the lively flavors.
- Tomatoes: Use anything that’s ripe and flavorful, like Roma, heirloom, or cherry.
- Cucumber: Go for cucumbers with a thin, delicate skin, like English or hot-house. If the big standard slicing cucumbers are all that’s available, consider peeling them as the skin tends to be bitter.
- Italian parsley: Brings freshness and big Mediterranean flavor to this simple salad. Substitute with other tender herbs, like cilantro, mint or basil, or take a page from Greek salad and use dried Greek oregano.
- Sumac (optional): This dried berry adds an extra layer of tart, sun-ripened flavor.
- DIVE DEEPER: What Is Sumac? Uses and Recipes
- TRY IT: Order all natural sumac spice from our shop.
- BEST SUBSTITUTE: Lemon zest.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Use a robust yet smooth olive oil, like Greek Early Harvest or peppery Hojiblanca Spanish EVOO.
- Lemon juice: Bridges the gap between the fresh vegetables and rich olive oil. You can substitute with lime juice or red wine vinegar.
- Salt and black pepper enhance the flavor.
How to Make Mediterranean Salad
Cucumber tomato salad is a staple of the Mediterranean diet, where they make it daily without a recipe. It’s one of the simplest salads you’ll make, coming together in just a few minutes. Here is how it goes:
- Prepare the tomatoes, cucumber, and parsley: Dice 6 Roma tomatoes. Dice one large English cucumber into small cubes or pieces. Chop a good bunch of parsley, about 3/4 bunch. Don’t worry about picking all the leaves, the tender stems near the leaves impart great flavor. Combine everything in a large mixing bowl.
- Add salt. Season the salad with a good pinch of kosher salt and set aside for about 5 minutes. The vegetables will expel some of their water, which we’ll use to help lightly dress the salad.
- Add the no-whisk dressing. The traditional Mediterranean salad dressing here is a good drizzle (about 2 tablespoons) of quality extra virgin olive oil and the juice of one lemon (or at least 2 teaspoons of lemon juice). Add 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper and mix to combine. Optionally, I like adding 1 teaspoon of sumac for depth and tang.
- Taste and serve. Taste the salad and adjust the lemon, salt, and pepper to your liking. Serve immediately, or set aside for 15 minutes to let the flavors get friendly with each other.
Mediterranean Salad Variations
This basic Mediterranean salad has several variations throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East, and you can change it up to your liking. Here are a few ideas:
- Add protein. Canned or boiled chickpeas, white beans, or kidney beans work well with as a vegan protein and turn this salad into a satisfying meal. Grilled meats, like grilled chicken thighs or kofta kebab, would also be hearty and delicious.
- Use more fresh herbs. In addition to parsley, you can add chopped fresh mint or dill.
- Toss in feta cheese. Just like with classic Greek salad or herby tomato feta salad, creamy, tangy feta adds another layer of deliciousness to this cucumber tomato salad.
- Add heft. Toss in one cup of cooked couscous or bulgur for a simple lunch. You’ll want to adjust seasoning and olive oil.
What to Serve with Mediterranean Salad
This versatile salad goes with just about any Mediterranean dinner menu. It’s a classic topping for Chicken Shawarma or vegetarian Spicy Cauliflower Shawarma, where the salad juices and tahini sauce combine in the most fortunate way.
Alternatively, serve this simple salad as a side for simple weeknight dinners. A bite here and there of the bright salad brings a lightness to rich, deeply savory dishes, like Yogurt Marinated Chicken, Greek-Style Braised Eggplant or Pan Seared Trout.
More Tomato and Cucumber Salad Recipes
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Try our All-Natural Sumac!
This tangy spice is just what you need to add that extra layer of brightness to your favorite salads.
Mediterranean Cucumber Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 6 Roma tomatoes, diced (about 3 cups diced tomatoes)
- 1 large English or hot-house cucumber, diced
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced, optional
- 3/4 bunch parsley, leaves and tender stems chopped (about 1/2-3/4 cup chopped leaves)
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground Sumac
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Mix: In a large mixing bowl, gently combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, and parsley. Season with kosher salt and toss. Set aside for 5 minutes or so.
- Season: Add the sumac, olive oil, and lemon juice. Give the salad a gentle toss. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Enjoy!
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Notes
- For best flavor, set the salad aside for a few minutes before serving. This will give the flavors time to meld.
- This salad will keep for up to three days. Store covered in the refrigerator.
- Visit Our Shop for quality Mediterranean ingredients, including extra virgin olive oil, spices and more!
Nutrition
*This post was originally published in 2017 and has recently been updated with new information and media for the readers’ benefit.
My husband and I started the Mediterranean diet 2 weeks ago, I am so happy to say, I’ve already lost 27 pounds. The food is delicious. We are celebrating our 28th wedding anniversary on August 19th, we will be going to a Mediterranean restaurant near us called Le Marsa. It will be our first visit to this restaurant.
Wow! Congrats on your weight loss… that’s amazing! And happy anniversary!! 🙂
How can this stay in fridge?
Hello! This salad will keep for up to three days stored covered in the refrigerator.
Awesome, thanks for responding 🙂
How on earth could something this simple be SO good?? Used a mix of plain and Italian parsley from my garden, and added feta, since I’m addicted to the stuff. So good!
I simply love this salad. It is so simple and delicious! Don’t skip the sumac; it definitely adds a little something something. I add preserved lemon when I have it.
Hi Suzy,
What would be the substitute for sumac? It isn’t a spice that’s accessible for me where I live. Thanks. Love your videos!
Hello! There really is no good substitute for sumac as it is very unique. We often recommend just omitting the sumac and compensating a bit by adding more of the other spices in the recipe if possible, or something else you enjoy that might be complimentary. By the way, we have sumac available right here in our online shop: Sumac
Delicious! Thank you, Suzy, for your wonderful recipes. I grew up in Cyprus and it just takes me back.
How long does the dressing keep fresh for? I’ve been making very small amounts so it would be good if I could keep a jar of it 😁
Hi, Darren! You can store the dressing in a tight-lid glass jar in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. The oil will separate from the lemon as it sits in the fridge, so you’ll want to give it a gentle shake before using.
Hey, how many grams of tomatoes are used for this? I can only get canned roma and there are so many different sizes of tomatoes 😪 also how long does it keep in the fridge for? I was just going to use a little each day in pita breads
Hi, Darren. We really do recommend using fresh tomatoes with this recipe. Any variety would probably work, so hopefully you are able to find another at your local market.
Yeah I was going to use another type of fresh tomato but I was just wondering what amount it is in grams? 😁 I don’t know how big a roma tomato is
Oh, gotcha! I just did a quick internet search and am seeing that 3 cups of diced tomatoes is approximately 200 grams. This recipe is super flexible, though, so you can add more or less as you prefer. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Hi Suzy!
Your salad is amazing, and the dressing is most certainly the “juice of life”!! It is so delicious!! I love your salads and all your recipes!! Thank you!!! 🙂 I have a recipe request. Do you think maybe you can make the Halal Chicken and White Sauce. I am a NYer andI love that stuff but the recipes that I have found are so difficult and time consuming. I know with your expertise you can figure out an easy recipe for it!! Thanks!! *Smile*
Thanks for the recipe recommendation, Sandi! We’ll look into it!
I love 99.9% of your recipes, and I want a cook book of yours.
The salads are my favorite, all of the recipes are delicious.
Awww! Thank you so much, Linda! You can click here for more info about Suzy’s cookbook, if you’d like to check it out.
I make this all the time since I first saw it back in late 2017. Love it, thanks
These are delicious, energizing recipes. I am thankful for your website.
Awww! Thank you, Stu!
Suzy, your recipes are ALL wonderful! Your videos are absolutely delightful! I just made a salad with leftover ahimsa tuna and basically this recipe. My husband said it would cost at least $30 each in a restaurant. He said the dressing pulled it all together rather than stand alone. YOU have taught me to be a better cook! I’ve been a good cook for 50 years but you have elevated my game a bunch! I’m you biggest fan (probably after your family 😉)!!!
Aww! This means so much, Cindy! Thank you!
Delicious and easy to makes. Goes with many different dishes.
This was a delicious salad. A breath of summer on a cold winter day!
Outstanding, my fussy eater loved every bite!