Greek Cucumber Salad

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This classic Greek cucumber salad is a crowd-pleaser perfect for summer parties, picnics and barbecues. An easy, flavorful recipe that you can make in 15 minutes.

I’m a big Greek cucumber salad fan – I love the combination of flavors – it’s crunchy, salty, sweet and tangy all at the same time. And I love how easy it is to make. Just give everything a rough chop and toss it with a vinaigrette and you’re done. This cucumber Greek salad is bursting with classic Greek flavors and makes a tasty and flavorful salad.

A Greek salad is an easy to make side dish that’s perfect for summer barbecues, family get-togethers or parties. It’s a great salad recipe that everyone will enjoy.

I love feta in salads, like this fresh corn and feta salad or this mixed green salad with feta. But I think this Greek cucumber salad is my favorite since it’s so fresh, summery and tasty.

This recipe is

Easy to make: Just chop up a few veggies, whisk together the salad dressing and this Greek cucumber salad is ready to eat. It takes only 15 minutes to make.

Flavorful: Colorful and crunchy veggies are tossed with a zesty Greek salad dressing to make a refreshing and light salad. It’s packed with flavor!

Perfect for get-togethers: Make a big batch, this recipe is a crowd-pleaser. Great to share with family and friends at summer picnics and parties.

Recipe ingredients

Cherry Tomatoes – I love sweet cherry tomatoes in this dish but any ripe summer tomato is fine.
Bell Peppers – I used a yellow bell pepper for the color contrast but green or red will work well too.
Cucumber – I love English cucumber in this salad because I don’t need to seed it or peel it. Regular cucumber will work well also, just take the time to seed it and peel the tough skin.
Red onion – thinly sliced red onion adds a zesty bite. If you’re worried that the red onion will be too strong, see the tips section below.
Olives – I used kalamata olives with the pits removed.
Dressing – It’s easy to make a homemade Greek salad dressing with a few simple ingredients.

How to make this recipe

Chop your veggies into even bite-sized pieces and add to a large bowl.
Slice the onion into thin half-moon slices and chop the kalamata olives and add to the veggies in the bowl.
Chop up feta and add to the bowl.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad and gently toss everything together.

Expert tips and instructions

Cut vegetables into even bite-sized pieces that are all roughly the same size.

I used traditional Greek feta (Trader Joe’s brand). It’s sold in a block form (not crumbled) that is soaked in a salty brine. It’s firmer and holds up well in the salad when tossed. If you can’t find block feta, crumbled feta works just as well.

If you’re worried that the red onion will be too strong, then take the time to soak it in a little water for 5 minutes before adding it the salad. This tones down the strong oniony taste.

For this cucumber Greek salad, I used fresh oregano in the salad dressing. If you don’t have fresh oregano, dried is fine. Just add 1 teaspoon to the dressing. Or you can substitute other fresh herbs like parsley.

This Greek salad recipe doesn’t hold up well in the fridge. It gets too watery from all the veggies. So plan on making this right before your party or get-together.

If you don’t have red wine vinegar, you can substitute fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar instead.

No need to add any lettuce to this salad. Traditional Greek salads do not have any greens or lettuce added.

Make ahead instructions

Greek salad is best when freshly made, but if you need to make this ahead, you can chop up all the vegetables and store them in the fridge overnight. They should be kept separately from the feta cheese and the dressing. Add everything together right before serving.

What is traditional Greek salad made of?

Traditional Greek salad is made with cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, red onion, olives and feta cheese. It’s tossed with a red wine vinegar dressing.

What store bought dressing goes on greek cucumber salad?

Any store bought red wine vinegar dressing can be used instead of the homemade dressing listed below. You’ll need to add 4 to 5 tablespoons of dressing. Add it a bit at a time, tossing as you go, until all the veggies are lightly coated with dressing.

Recipe updated on 4/9/23 with additional instructions and information. Recipe originally posted on 6/9/16.

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A classic Greek cucumber salad perfect for summer parties, picnics and barbecues. An easy, flavorful salad that comes together in no time at all.

Author: Geraldine
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 to 4 1x
Category: Salad
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

Greek Cucumber Salad

2 cups (1 pint) of cherry tomatoes – sliced in half

1 English cucumber – Sliced in half lengthwise and then sliced into half moons.

1 yellow bell pepper – seeds and stem removed – roughly chopped into a large dice

1/2 cup kalamata olives – I used the kind that had the pits removed – roughly chopped

1/2 cup red onion – thinly sliced

4 oz Feta cheese – chopped up into cubes

Dressing

1 to 2 Tbs fresh oregano – minced

1 small clove of garlic – minced

3 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs red wine vinegar

6 twists of black pepper

A pinch of salt

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Instructions

Roughly chop the tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow bell pepper and feta – all the ingredients should be diced about the same size.
Slice the red onion into thin slices.
Roughly chop the kalamata olives.
Make dressing by whisking together dressing ingredients.
Gently toss the vegetables, feta, red onion and dressing in a large bowl to combine.

Notes

Cut vegetables into even bite-sized pieces that are all roughly the same size.

I used traditional Greek feta (Trader Joe’s brand). Crumbled feta cheese works well also.

If you’re worried that the red onion will be too strong, then take the time to soak it in a little water for 5 minutes before adding it the salad. This tones down the strong oniony taste.

For this cucumber Greek salad, I used fresh oregano in this salad dressing. If you don’t have fresh oregano, dried is fine. Just add 1 teaspoon to the dressing. Or you can substitute other fresh herbs like parsley.

This Greek salad recipe doesn’t hold up well in the fridge. It gets too watery from all the veggies. So plan on making it right before your party or get-together. You can pre-cut the veggies earlier and store in the fridge to save time. Just wait to combine the dressing and cheese with the veggies right before serving.