• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Appetizers
  • Pasta
  • Soups
  • Salads
  • Vegan
  • Oven baked
  • Sweets
  • Recipe collections
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    The clever meal
    • Home
    • Recipe Index
      • Appetizers
      • Pasta & Grains
      • Soups
      • Salads
      • Vegan
      • Oven-baked
      • Sweets
      • Collections
    • About

    FOR FREE WEEKLY RECIPES!

    Thank you!

    You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

    .

    Italian Tomato and Cucumber Salad

    Jun 8, 2019 by Katia · Leave a Comment

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more details.

    Close-up of Italian cucumber and tomato salad on a white plate.
    Close-up of Italian cucumber and tomato salad on a white plate.

    This refreshing Italian tomato and cucumber salad is the perfect bowl of summer chunky salad packed with flavor, it comes together in 5 minutes and makes everyone happy.

    Plus, it’s healthy, light, and economical.

    Italian tomato and cucumber salad with red onion rings on a white plate.

    My mom made this salad just about every night when I was growing up. It makes an excellent side dish for any summer meal, but I have to admit I love it on its own.
    A big bowl of garlicky tomato, cucumber, and red onion salad and that’s it. I don’t need anything else with it, I want that big and fresh flavor to be the star of the show.

    If you’ve planned a BBQ party for the weekend, this is the salad you want to add to the menu. Trust me, it will rock!

    What you need for this recipe

    • Tomatoes
    • Cucumber
    • Red onion
    • Extra virgin olive oil
    • Red or white vinegar
    • Parsley
    • Oregano
    • Garlic
    • Salt & pepper

    Cut tomatoes, cucumber into nice chunks, and finely slice the red onion…

    The ingredients for this tomato and cucumber salad are arranged around a chopping board over a white background.

    Make the dressing

    • Add all the dressing ingredients to a jar and screw on the lid
    • Shake ’em up vigorously… and the dressing is pronto (ready)!
    • Add cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and chopped parsley to a salad bowl
    • Pour the dressing over, toss well and…  buon appetito (enjoy)!
    A glass jar and all the ingredients for the dressing over a white background.

    Recipe notes & tips

    TOMATOES

    Choose ripe and juicy tomatoes (plum, Roma, cherry, on the vine, work fine) and cut them into nice chunks. Before you add the dressing, toss them well and if you notice they release too much water, just remove some. You don’t want to water down the dressing and get a pool of liquid at the bottom of the bowl.

    ONION AND CUCUMBER

    Choose fresh and firm onion and cucumber and cut the cucumber into crunchy chunks, not thin slices. Any type of cucumber will work for this salad as long as you remove the seeds before slicing. I prefer English cucumbers because they are generally a bit sweeter than regular cucumbers and have fewer seeds.

    Tomato and cucumber salad with onion rings on a white plate.

    HOW TO CHOOSE A GOOD EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL?

    Extra virgin olive oil is a key ingredient in Italian salads. And a good extra virgin olive oil smells and tastes good, clean, and fresh. The flavor can be fruity, floral, herbal, or even subtle, but never overpowering in a way that indicates rancidity.
    Keeping in mind a few simple rules might help you:

    Origin: good extra virgin olive oil should be grown, pressed and bottled in a single country.
    Cold-pressed: this means that no heat was used to extract the oil from the olive. .
    Age: olive oil does not age well. A good bottle of extra virgin olive oil should have a “pressing” date or sell-by date (usually one year after it is pressed) on the label.

    MORE TOMATO RECIPES

    • Fresh tomato pizza
    • Cannellini bean salad
    • Marinated tomato salad
    • Bean, tomato and tuna salad
    • Cherry tomato pasta salad

    I’m sure you will fall in love with these fresh and big flavors, just add the ingredients to your shopping list and make this Italian tomato and cucumber salad soon!

    Leave a comment, rate it, or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram.
    I would love to hear from you!

    Italian tomato and cucumber salad with red onion rings on a white plate.
    Print Recipe

    Italian tomato and cucumber salad

    If you've planned a BBQ party for the weekend, this is the salad you want to add to the menu. Trust me, it will rock! A light and refreshing Italian tomato and cucumber salad is a must: it's packed with flavor and vitamins, it comes together in 5 minutes and makes everyone happy.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: Italian tomato and cucumber salad
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 341kcal
    Author: Katia

    Ingredients

    • 4 medium-size tomatoes (approx 1 lb)
    • 1 English cucumber
    • 1/2 red onion, finely sliced
    • 2 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped (plus more for garnish)

    DRESSING

    • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 1/2 Tbsp red vinegar
    • 1 tsp dried oregano
    • 1 large garlic clove, grated or pressed
    • 1/2 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
    • 1/8 tsp black pepper

    Instructions

    • Core the tomatoes, cut into 4-6 wedges, then cut each wedge in half.
    • Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, then slice it into thick slices.
    • Finely slice the half onion and chop the parsley.
    • Add the ingredients to a large bowl and mix well. Check the bottom of the bowl, if the tomatoes release to much water, you might want to drain off a bit of the liquid before adding the dressing (too much water wash down the flavor and makes the salad soggy).

    DRESSING

    • Put olive oil, vinegar, pressed garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a jar with a tightly fitted lid. Shake vigorously for about 5 seconds. Alternatively, whisk together the dressing ingredients into a small bowl.
    • Pour the dressing over the salad and mix very well to coat.
    • Cover the bowl and let to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors blend.
    • Toss again, taste, you might want to adjust the seasoning adding more fine salt, according to your preference. Then sprinkle with fresh parsley and enjoy!

    Notes

    Quantities: 2 large servings or 3 medium servings
    Notes: nutritional values are estimates only.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 790mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2032IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg
    « HEALTHY BLENDER CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD
    10 HEALTHY LUNCH BOX IDEAS FOR SCHOOL »

    JOIN MY NEWSLETTER FOR FREE WEEKLY RECIPES!

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I’m Katia! Welcome to my blog where I share easy, delicious, and budget-friendly recipes. I love cooking mainly vegetarian meals in no time at all. Minimum effort, maximum result. Read more…

    Keep in touch

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    JOIN MY NEWSLETTER FOR FREE WEEKLY RECIPES!

    search

    Trending now

    Creamy lemon ricotta pasta with spinach on a white plate.

    EASY LEMON RICOTTA PASTA & SPINACH

    Spaghetti with garlic and olive oil on a grey plate.

    SPAGHETTI WITH GARLIC AND OLIVE OIL

    Five bowls of colorful weight loss soups over a white marble background.

    15+ HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS SOUPS (UNDER 200 CALORIES)

    Delicious cream cheese pasta served on a blue bowl with a fork.

    10-MINUTE CREAM CHEESE PASTA

    A top view of a white bowl full of white bean soup over a wooden background.

    THE BEST WHITE BEAN SOUP

    Four images showing four different healthy cakes.

    20 WHOLESOME & HEALTHY CAKE RECIPES

    Assortment of vegan appetizers on a black round tray.

    50 DELICIOUS AND EASY VEGAN APPETIZERS

    A knife cutting a healthy yogurt cake into slices over a white background.

    YOGURT CAKE (one-bowl)

    BROWSE RECIPES

    PASTA & GRAIN RECIPES

    SOUP RECIPES

    SALAD RECIPES

    VEGAN RECIPES

    OVEN-BAKED RECIPES

    SWEET RECIPES

    MEAL PREP RECIPES

    Copyright © 2018–2023 The clever Meal · All Right Reserved
    PRIVACY POLICY · FAQ · CONTACT ME