This cucumber tomato salad is a quick and easy summer side dish that’s refreshing and loaded with flavor. Made with a super simple vinaigrette, red onion, and fresh basil for an extra pop of deliciousness, this recipe is the perfect picnic, BBQ, or anytime side dish during warmer months. It’s THE way to celebrate delicious summer veggies!
This simple yet flavorful salad is the perfect summer side and easy way to use veggies you may have around the house. The simple homemade dressing is tangy but doesn’t overpower or shadow the flavor of the real stars of the show – the fresh vegetables. The English cucumbers are sweet with peels that are tender, not tough, so there’s no real prep (other than cutting) involved!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
English cucumber is a long, seedless variety of cucumber with a sweeter flavor than typical cucumbers.
Tomatoes add sweetness and acidity to the salad.
Red onions are sweeter and more intensely flavored than their white cousins, giving this salad a sweet and tangy bite.
Basil leaves are fragrant and have a peppery taste that blends well with the sweetness of the vegetables in the salad.
Olive oil is peppery, richly flavored by olives, and gives the dressing a slightly fruity and bitter taste.
White wine vinegar is white wine that has been fermented, with a mild, mellow flavor.
Honey or sugar for an extra hint of sweetness to the dressing.
How To Make Cucumber Tomato Salad
The full recipe is below, but here you’ll find all the steps for making this recipe perfectly the first and 100th time, along with useful tips and info!
Whisk the ingredients for the dressing together.
Pour the dressing over the other ingredients and toss. That’s it!
Top Tips For Making
- This salad tastes great chilled, so you can make it a few hours ahead of time and pop it in the fridge. You probably want to make it the same day you plan on serving though, or the veggies will get wilted and soggy.
- For a tangier taste, try swapping out the white wine vinegar for apple cider vinegar or white balsamic vinegar.
- To keep the salad vegan, use sugar instead of honey.
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Cucumber Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber peeled, halved, and sliced into 1/4" pieces (about 2 cups)
- 2 medium tomatoes cut in half and sliced into 1/2” pieces, seeds discarded
- 1/4 red onion halved and thinly sliced
- 10 basil leaves thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
Whisk together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey or sugar, salt, and ground pepper.
Pour the dressing over the vegetables and basil leaves and toss.
Recipe Notes
- Make ahead of time: Make a few hours before serving and store in fridge.
- Ingredient substitution ideas: Swap white wine vinegar for apple cider vinegar or white balsamic vinegar for a tangier dressing.
- Vegan: Use sugar instead of honey.
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