Cucumber Tomato Salad

Cucumber Tomato Salad is an easy salad recipe made with crisp cucumbers and ripe tomatoes in a lemony dressing. The perfect side dish for a hot summer day!

Easy Cucumber and Tomato Salad

This simple cucumber salad with tomatoes is one of the easiest salads you can make. Just mix up a simple lemony dressing with sliced cucumbers and juicy tomatoes, and you’re ready to eat! It’s a great way to use up fresh cucumbers and tomatoes from your garden.

This refreshing summer salad is lighter than Creamy Cucumber Salad and Grandma’s Potato Salad. And since it’s dairy free, like Easy Three Bean Salad and Green Bean and Tomato Salad, it’s a better choice if you’re planning on a picnic or eating outside. Love salads? Be sure to check out all of my salad recipes next!

Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients from the grocery store or your garden for this tomato cucumber salad. Full amounts are in the printable recipe card below.

• Cucumbers — I use English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers which do not need to be peeled. But, you can use regular cucumbers and peel them.
• Tomatoes — I use grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes that just need to be sliced in half. You can sub Roma tomatoes or any type of tomatoes and cut them into smaller pieces.
• Olive oil — extra virgin olive oil for the homemade dressing
• Lemon Juice — I like fresh lemon juice instead of vinegar
• Seasonings — Sea salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning

How to Make Cucumber Tomato Salad

First, you mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. You can set this aside while you prepare the salad.

Slice cucumbers into thin slices. Aim for about 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick. You can slice them into half moons if you like. Slice the tomatoes, and add them to a large bowl or serving bowl.

Pour the dressing over the salad, and mix well. Cover, and pop the salad into the fridge until you’re ready to eat. Easy peasy!

Variations and Substitutions

If you don’t have lemons, you can use any white vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar or even apple cider vinegar. You can also sub vegetable oil or for the olive oil.

Want to make the dressing even easier? Add a splash of your favorite Italian salad dressing in place of making your own. I have used regular Italian dressing or Olive Garden dressing with great results!

Since my kids don’t like raw onions in salad, I don’t use them in this side dish. You can throw in some chopped red onions if you like them. Add some feta cheese or mozzarella cheese for extra flavor!

Storage

Store leftover cucumber salad in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can drain any excess liquid before serving if necessary.

Can you Make this Salad Ahead of Time?

You sure can! The flavors get even better as it sits, so making the salad up to a day in advance is fine. If you do make the salad ahead of time, add any fresh herbs or cheese right before serving. Otherwise, they get kind of soggy.

First published in 2020 and updated in 2024.