This simple and flavorful cucumber and tomato salad is light, refreshing and takes just minutes to make with only a few ingredients. Perfect for serving as a summer side salad, a light lunch or an appetizer for pasta night all year long! Naturally vegan and gluten-free.
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One of my absolute favorite items to order at Italian restaurants is the cucumber and tomato salad.
It's such a light and refreshing salad that's perfect either as an appetizer or as a side.
And if I'm really lucky, the restaurant will have some homemade gluten-free bread to go along with it.
But when I'm craving this salad, I know I don't have to wait until we go out to eat because it's super easy to make at home!
In fact, it literally takes 10 minutes or less to put this dish together.
If you're a super-skilled knife-wielding Ninja, you can probably do it in 5 lol. 😉
How to make cucumber and tomato salad - step by step
Enjoy right away or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Expert Tip: Don't be tempted to use more oil and vinegar. The cucumbers and tomatoes will create additional liquid as the salad sits. Adding too much of the dressing will result in a soggy salad and nobody wants that. 😉
Frequently asked questions
One serving (¼ of the recipe) clocks in at just slightly over 100 calories, making this the perfect dish for when you want a light appetizer or side.
Yes, you can multiply the recipe to suit your needs.
This salad is best enjoyed the same day it's made; however you can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 more days.
Ideas for serving
You can serve this salad as an appetizer with Italian dishes such as our easy vegan pasta with a dollop of ricotta, vegan risotto, vegan baked ziti or vegan lentil lasagna.
You can also pair it with your favorite gluten-free bread (plain or made into garlic bread).
It's also great for serving with your favorite barbecue fare such as grilled portobello mushroom caps or grilled marinated tempeh.
And it makes the perfect picnic salad along with this chickpea salad sandwich or vegan BLT (made with our tempeh bacon).
Substitutions and variations
- If you prefer, you can replace the red wine vinegar with balsamic vinegar instead.
- If you'd like, you can also mix in some fresh chopped basil.
- For a twist, you can also serve this salad over some baby arugula and then top it with chopped avocado. FYI, I did this with my leftovers and it was ah-mazing! 😉
- You can also try tossing in some cannellini beans, chickpeas or olives (I recommend Kalamata or oil-cured black olives).
More Vegan Salads
Cucumber and Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced (approximately 10-14 oz.)
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tbsp red wine vinegar (substitute with balsamic vinegar if preferred)
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- fine sea salt or kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the cucumber, tomatoes and red onion to a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl or pourable vessel (such as a Pyrex measuring cup), whisk together oil, vinegar and Italian seasoning with a fork. Whisk in salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour dressing over the cucumber, tomato and onion mixture. Stir to combine.
- Enjoy right away or refrigerate until ready to serve.
(Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs for this recipe)
Notes
Nutrition
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Christie
This recipe is soooo perfect as a side dish and I love how minimal the ingredients are! Cucumber and tomatoes are such a good pair for the summer time and they're the best seasonal veggies for a salad!
Sherri Hall
Thanks so much, Christie! I love how easy it is, yet flavorful, light and refreshing.