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    Home » Salads » Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad

    Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad

    Published: Aug 13, 2021 · by Nico

    Jump to Recipe

    This tomato cucumber onion salad is a crunchy, refreshing, simple dish that you can enjoy as a starter or as a side dish. It's perfect for hot summer evenings, or as soon as you start finding ripe and local tomatoes.

    Drizzle the salad with a quick mustard vinaigrette, and a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley. You can even upgrade the salad to a meal by adding cubes of fried tofu, let's get started!

    tomato cucumber salad
    On this page:
    • What to expect
    • Ingredients & Substitutions
    • How to make tomato cucumber onion salad
    • Tips
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Storage
    • Variations
    • More salad recipes
    • Dinner suggestions
    • Recipe

    Check out our best vegan salad recipe collection!

    What to expect

    tomato cucumber onion salad

    Tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions combined in a salad, seasoned with olive oil, salt, and vinegar are one of the most popular Italian salads.

    And while you can find those ingredients all year round, this salad is perfect as a summer recipe (or in early autumn), when tomatoes are at their best.

    This salad is also very similar to a Greek salad. If you've ever been to Greece, you would have noticed that they serve tomato, cucumber, and onion salad pretty much everywhere, except, they add feta cheese to it to give that salty, umami flavor booster that is so good.

    So, we made a variation where I substituted salty pan-fried tofu for the feta. To make it look even more like feta, you can cut it into small cubes. It's a great way to get healthy plant-based protein and upgrade the salad to an easy dinner.

    tomato cucumber salad
    make it with or without crunchy tofu

    Ingredients & Substitutions

    • Tomatoes: we like to use Roma tomatoes when we are in Italy since they are everywhere, are delicious, and are very affordable.

      You can use your favorite tomatoes for this salad, even small cherry, plum and date tomatoes. What's important is that they are ripe, but not overripe, and tasty.
    • Cucumber: make sure it's very fresh. Fresh cucumbers are crunchy and sweeter. Old cucumbers can be flabby and bitter.
    • Red Onion: ideally a red onion that is not too old and not too strong in flavour. Make sure you cut it very thin.

      When we are in Italy we like to use "Tropea" red onions, which are a great pairing in salads due to their sweet, round taste.
    • Olive oil: go for extra virgin if you can, it will give a better taste to the salad.
    • Vinegar: balsamico, white wine, red wine, or apple cider vinegar are all good.
    • Salt and pepper: to season.
    • Parsley: to add freshness and color. Fresh basil is great too.

    Optional ingredients for greek salad variation

    diced tofu in cornstarch
    diced tofu in cornstarch
    • Tofu: this is entirely optional. Only add this if you like to eat this more as a main dish than as a side salad, or if you feel like eating a plant-based greek salad.
    • Cornstarch: to coat the tofu before pan-frying it, it will make it crispy.
    • Garlic clove, rosemary sprig, salt, and pepper: to season the tofu.

    TIP: add even more flavor to the salad by making our marinated tofu, which is also perfect for grilling.

    How to make tomato cucumber onion salad

    Rinse tomatoes and cucumber, and peel the onion. Cut the tomatoes and add them to a large bowl. Some tomatoes can be very watery. If this bothers you, remove some of the tomato liquid.

    Roma tomatoes: if you use Roma tomatoes, then cut them in half on the long side, then each half in slices.

    Vine tomatoes: if you use vine tomatoes, then cut them in half, then each half in wedges. You might need to remove the stalk of the tomatoes if it's hard. Add to the bowl.

    Date, plum or cherry tomatoes: for these kinds of smaller tomatoes, you can just cut them in half, or in quarters if you prefer smaller pieces.

    chopped roma tomatoes

    Cut the cucumber in half on the long side, then cut each half into slices, and add to the bowl.

    Based on your preference, you can peel the cucumber or not before cutting it. I like to peel it in stripes, with a vegetable peeler.

    chopped cucumber and tomatoes in a bowl

    Slice the onion into thin slices. If you have a big onion, then cut it in half first. If you have a shallot, you don't have to cut it in half. Just make sure to cut thin slices. Add to the bowl.

    If your onion has a sharp, pungent taste, then read our "tips" chapter to make it a bit sweeter.

    thinly sliced onion added to the bowl

    If you like, you can finely chop some parsley and add it to the bowl.

    Alternatively, basil works too. Basil should not be finely chopped, just tear it apart with your hands to make small pieces.

    finely chopped parsley

    When you are ready to serve, add olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, and mix well. Serve as a side dish topped with homemade croutons, or as a starter with a serving of focaccia bread.

    tomato cucumber onion salad

    Tips

    • Freshness of and quality of ingredients: this is the most important tip I can give for this recipe.

      For instance, try to get good organic tomatoes, that are ripe and in season. Same with the cucumber.

      For the olive oil, if you can choose one that is extra virgin. It tastes a lot better than regular olive oil.
    • Tomatoes at room temperature: tomatoes should be served at room temperature to maximise their flavour. My advice is to never put tomatoes in the refrigerator, including for this salad.

      If you want the salad to be cool and refreshing, then refrigerate the cucumber before making the salad, but not the tomatoes.
    • How to make your onion less sharp: slice your onion into thin slices and put it in a bowl with cold water.

      Squeeze it with your hands while in the water, then let it soak for 10 minutes, then take it out, and put it back in the bowl with fresh cold water for another 10 minutes.

      Repeat this two to three times to get rid of the acidic, sharp flavour of the onion. When done, take the onion out of the water, dry it with a kitchen towel, and add it to the salad.
    tomato cucumber onion salad

    Frequently asked questions

    Can I make it ahead?

    Since it takes 5 minutes to make, I recommend making it shortly before serving it. You could chop up the ingredients for this salad up to half a day in advance, but I recommend seasoning it just before serving it so that you won't compromise its flavor and texture too much.

    If you make it in advance, store it in the refrigerator. The tomatoes might release some water while they sit in the refrigerator, that's normal. You can remove this extra water.

    Take it out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving it. Remember that tomatoes are best served at room temperature.

    Do you peel the cucumber for salads?

    It depends! If the cucumber is organic and very fresh, then there's no need to peel it. I personally like to remove only half of the pee, creating green stripes on the cucumber for a nice visual effect.

    tofu tomato cucumber and onion
    variation with crispy tofu

    Storage

    This tomato cucumber salad can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours, however, it won't be crunchy and delicious as when it's just made because the vinegar and the salt will "cook" the other ingredients.

    Let it stay at room temperature for about 1 hour before eating it. It's best if the tomatoes are not cold.

    When stored, the tomatoes will release water and the salad will look watery. You can drain some of the water away before serving it if it bothers you.

    I don't recommend freezing this salad.

    Variations

    Bell pepper tomato cucumber onion salad

    I learned this variation from Marcella Hazan, and even though I haven't seen this myself in Italy where I come from, I think that it is a great variation.

    Do exactly the same salad as above, but before seasoning, it, add a cleaned and diced yellow bell pepper. It will add crunch, sweetness, freshness, and color.

    Tofu Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad

    tomato cucumber salad

    This one is basically a Greek salad where we substitute tofu for feta cheese. To make this salad, first follow our recipe box, then when you are done, prepare and add the tofu.

    You'll need a block of tofu, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, a clove of garlic, a spring of rosemary (optional), and some olive oil and salt.

    First, cut the tofu into small dice. Then in a bowl, add a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch and the diced tofu. Toss the tofu in the cornstarch until completely coated.

    Now, put the coated tofu dice in a strainer and shake the excess cornstarch away.

    tofu coated in cornstarch

    In a non-stick pan, warm up some oil, then add a clove of crushed garlic and optionally a sprig of rosemary.

    When the oil is warm, add the tofu dice and fry them on the pan till they are golden on all sides. You need to occasionally turn them around.

    pan frying the tofu
    crispy and golden tofu dices

    Season the tofu with salt. I like to add a generous amount to try and imitate the saltiness of the feta cheese.

    Then when the tofu dice are golden and crisp, turn the heat off, and let them cool down for 5 minutes before adding them on top of the tomato cucumber and onion salad, just as if they were pieces of feta cheese.

    More salad recipes

    If you like this tomato-cucumber salad, you might also enjoy our other easy salads:

    • Tofu salad: a protein-rich salad with crunchy tofu and a creamy tahini sauce
    • Vegan pasta salad: a picnic favorite and meal-prep friendly lunch idea
    • Chickpea salad: an easy recipe perfect for a lazy vegan meal
    • Quinoa salad: nutrient-dense and vibrant salad with crunch and color
    • Panzanella salad: an Italian classic made with leftover stale bread
    • Fennel and orange salad: sweet and crisp, this autumn and winter salad is wonderful as a holiday side dish
    • Or 25 vegan salad favorites with our most loved salads all in one list!

    Which salad is your favorite? We're curious, let us know in the comments below!

    Dinner suggestions

    Did you know that we develop our recipes to go together for a complete dinner meal plan? Serve this tomato cucumber and onion salad with:

    Creamy lemon pasta with spinach

    lemon pasta recipe

    Pan-fried tofu with creamy lemon sauce

    pan fried tofu with lemon

    Lemon blueberry pound cake with lemon icing

    lemon blueberry pound cake with lemon icing

    Recipe

    tomato cucumber salad

    Tomato cucumber onion salad

    Author: Nico
    This tomato cucumber onion salad is a crunchy, refreshing, simple dish that you can enjoy as a starter or as a side dish. Pick your favorite tomatoes, we love Roma tomatoes, a crunchy cucumber, and sweet red onion.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    5 from 2 votes
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 0 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Side dish, Starter
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 134 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 6 medium sized ripe tomatoes roma or vine tomatoes
    • 1 medium sized cucumber
    • 3 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
    • 2 tablespoon vinegar white wine, red wine, balsamico or apple cider
    • 1 medium sized red onion or shallot
    • ⅓ teaspoon salt and pepper or more to taste
    • 1 tablespoon parsley chopped

    Instructions
     

    • Rinse tomatoes and cucumber, peel the onion. Cut the tomatoes and add them to a large bowl.
      Roma tomatoes: if you use Roma tomatoes, then cut them in half on the long side, then each half in slices.
      Vine tomatoes: if you use vine tomatoes, then cut them in half, then each half in wedges. You might need to remove the stalk of the tomatoes if it's hard. Add to the bowl.
      Date, plum, or cherry tomatoes: for these kinds of smaller tomatoes, you can just cut them in half, or in quarters if you prefer smaller pieces.
      cutting the roma tomatoes
    • Cut the cucumber in half on the long side, then cut each half into slices, and add to the bowl.
      Based on your preference, you can peel the cucumber or not before cutting it. I like to peel it in stripes, with a vegetable peeler.
      cutting the cucumber
    • Slice the onion into thin slices. If you have a big onion, then cut it in half first. If you have a shallot, you don't have to cut it in half. Just make sure to cut thin slices. Add to the bowl.
      slicing the onion thinly
    • If you like, you can finely chop some parsley and add it to the bowl. Alternatively, basil works too.
      adding the chopped parsley on top of the salad
    • Now add olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, and mix well. Serve as a side, or as a starter with some toasted bread.
      seasoning the salad with olive oil

    Video Recipe

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    Tomato cucumber onion salad
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 134 Calories from Fat 99
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 11g17%
    Saturated Fat 2g13%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 8g
    Potassium 405mg12%
    Carbohydrates 9g3%
    Dietary Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 5g6%
    Protein 2g4%
    Vitamin A 1078IU22%
    Vitamin B6 1mg50%
    Vitamin C 21mg25%
    Vitamin E 2mg13%
    Vitamin K 20µg19%
    Calcium 26mg3%
    Folate 31µg8%
    Iron 1mg6%
    Manganese 1mg50%
    Magnesium 23mg6%
    Zinc 1mg7%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?We are not much on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Leave us a comment below instead, it would mean the world to us 🙂

    If you liked this recipe, you might also like:

    • panzanella salad
    • tomato bruschetta
    • pasta aglio olio
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