My chopped tomato, cucumber and onion salad, tossed in a light and easy dressing, is such a perfect summer side. It seriously goes with almost everything!
I’m always so happy to have this summery salad in our fridge. This tomato cucumber onion salad keeps in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. As it sits, the juices from the tomatoes, onion, and cucumber mingle with the dressing, making it taste even better.
I love the juices at the bottom of the bowl so much that I eat them with a spoon. I also love our cherry tomato salad and this creamy cucumber salad inspired by our homemade tzatziki sauce.
Key Ingredients
- Cucumber: I prefer English or Hothouse cucumbers for this salad since they have thinner skin and don’t require removing any seeds. Smaller Persian cucumbers are also perfect. I also use these varieties when making my easy cucumber salad.
- Tomato: Any fresh, ripe tomato works for this salad. I used a mixed box of cherry tomatoes in the video and photos. So pretty!
- Onion: Use a sweet onion in this salad. Look for Walla Walla sweet onions, or try Vidalia. The sweeter varieties of onion add crunch without overpowering the salad.
- Parsley: This chopped salad is inspired by tabbouleh, a delicious salad popular across the Middle East that uses a generous amount of parsley. You can use flat-leaf or curly parsley, although I find it easier to chop the curly parsley into tiny bits for this salad.
- Easy dressing: My easy salad dressing is similar to what I use when making my orzo pasta salad or this easy chickpea salad. Start with vinegar (or use fresh lemon), then whisk in a bit of Dijon mustard, honey, salt, pepper, and olive oil. It’s fresh and light and works beautifully with the juices from the chopped tomatoes and cucumber. For a vegan dressing, substitute the honey for maple syrup or agave nectar.
What to Serve with Chopped Cucumber Tomato Salad
The options for serving this colorful tomato cucumber and onion salad are truly endless. I love to spoon it generously over scrambled eggs. You can also incorporate it into lunch or dinner by stirring it into rice, quinoa, or other cooked grains or using it as a flavorful topping for baked trout, skillet chicken, or baked pork chops.
This salad can also add a burst of color and crunch to more substantial salads, making them even more delicious. For a pretty appetizer or snack, try spooning it over creamy hummus and serving it with homemade pita. You can add it to cold soups like gazpacho or enjoy it on top of grilled bread like tomato bruschetta. I’ve even served it as a fresh salsa with homemade tortilla chips. I love this salad so much!
Chopped Cucumber Tomato Salad
- PREP
- TOTAL
This easy chopped cucumber, tomato and onion salad is reminiscent of tabbouleh made with diced tomatoes, cucumbers and lots of parsley. For the dressing, use vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Since we add raw onions to the salad, the sweeter your onions, the better. If you can find them, try Walla Walla onions or Vidalia onions.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 long English cucumber or 3 Persian cucumbers, chopped small
1 pound tomatoes, chopped small
1/4 large sweet onion, chopped small (1 cup chopped)
1 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, lemon juice or a combination
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon honey, optional
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions
1Add chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, and parsley to a large bowl.
2Whisk the vinegar (or lemon juice), olive oil, mustard, and honey until blended in a liquid measuring jug or medium bowl.
3Season the dressing with salt and fresh ground black pepper (I typically use about 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt).
4Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper as needed.
5Serve or cover and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Stir to redistribute the dressing before serving.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Cucumbers: I prefer English, hothouse, and Persian varieties since they have thin skins, and you do not need to scrape out seeds. For regular garden cucumbers, use 2 medium and peel and scrape out the seeds before chopping and adding to the salad.
- Vegan salad: Substitute the honey for maple syrup or agave nectar.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
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The picture above appears to include orange bell pepper. It would add some great crunch and a little sweetness. Am I mistaken?
We used orange cherry tomatoes, but a bell pepper would be lovely.
Hi, many thanks for your colorful recipes. The tomato, onion and cucumber salad looks delicious. However, I would need clarification:for the dressing.ingredients which show only 2 tbsp each of red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil however, in the video we clearly see a much larger quantity being poured onto the veggies. Thank you for your help.
Hi CB, The recipe is correct and is what is shown in the video. I’m pouring about 1/4 cup of dressing into the salad, which is 4 tablespoons.
Just made this delish dish. I used purple cherry tomatoes and a fresh cucumber cut from the vine yesterday. The cuc is so white and the tomatoes look deep burgundy. What a pretty salad. Tossed in a wee bit of fresh basil as I love this herb with tomatoes. Thank you so much, this is a keeper.
Your tomatoes sound beautiful! So happy you loved the recipe.
Your thoughts on adding feta cheese and some oregano to this salad. Thanks, Randy
Hi Randy, Feta cheese would be excellent.
What kind of vinegar is used ?
We use red wine vinegar, but white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar are also excellent.
Really tasty and versatile! Love the touch of mustard with honey.
Love the tahini recipe; will next make falafel.
For years I had been eating this veggie salad combo without any kind of dressing. While it was good just plain, your dressing put it in a new level of deliciousness. Thank you for sharing this!
We call this “thunder and lightening”,made this for many years,just add Italian dressing and alittle sugar.