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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Salad Recipes

    Mediterranean Cucumber Salad

    By: Amy Katz · Published: Sep 3, 2015 · Last modified: Oct 5, 2020 · This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Special diet: gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, vegan

    Mediterranean Cucumber Salad is a refreshing summer salad. This colorful vegan recipe can be eaten on its own as a light meal or enjoyed as a side dish. It's easy to make in minutes.

    Overhead of bowl of Mediterranean Cucumber Salad with fork

    We have all heard how healthy the Mediterranean diet is.

    One of the reasons is because people of the region tend to eat a lot of colorful, minimally processed, seasonal vegetables.

    Like this Mediterranean Cucumber Salad, which is flavorful and delicious.

    It's a perfect dish to make on a regular basis during the summer.

    In fact, you can make a big batch to enjoy all week.

    It makes a wonderful side dish for anything from veggie burgers to pasta.

    And it's great as a light lunch, maybe with some crusty bread or hummus and stuffed grape leaves.

    You can even boost it by adding some beans such as chickpeas (garbanzo beans), kidney beans, or white beans.

    Plate of salad with hummus and stuffed grape leaves

    What is the Mediterranean diet?

    According to Mayo Clinic's Mediterranean diet: A heart-healthy eating plan, the key components of the Mediterranean diet are the following:

    1. Eating primarily plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, and nuts
    2. Replacing animal-derived fats with healthy fats like olive oil
    3. Using herbs and spices to flavor foods instead of salt
    4. Reducing consumption of red meat, poultry, and fish
    5. Enjoying meals with family and friends
    6. Getting plenty of exercise

    You can learn more by checking out What is a Vegan Mediterranean Diet.

    This cucumber and tomato salad falls into this way of eating since it contains plenty of produce, olive oil, fresh herbs, and only a little optional salt.

    Chopped parsley, tomatoes, radishes, bell peppers, and cucumbers on a cutting board

    Instructions

    This tomato cucumber salad is very simple to make.

    It's especially perfect when you have an abundance of cucumbers and cherry tomatoes from your garden, CSA box, or the farmers market.

    The only special equipment I use for this recipe is herb scissors. These scissors make cutting herbs so easy, even when they're wet.

    Herbs Scissors with 5 Blades

    • 5 blade herb scissors cut quickly, saving time and energy
    • Easy to clean with included cleaning comb
    • Safety cover included
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    When it comes to the ingredients, you can use any kind of tomato you like, but my favorites are cherry and grape tomatoes.

    Here I used a combination of red and yellow cherries.

    For the cucumbers, I prefer Persian or English cucumbers since their skin is thin and I don't mind the seeds.

    However, if you're cucumber isn't organic, you should peel it.

    As you can see in the short recipe video, all you have to do is combine all the ingredients in a salad bowl and toss everything together.

    Close up of Mediterranean salad with fork and plate in the background

    A salad with many names

     

    Similar recipes to this chopped vegetable salad include Israeli Salad and Persian Shirazi Salad.

    You may see these popular salads on restaurant menus.

    They resemble this chopped Mediterranean salad in that they all contain cucumbers and tomatoes.

    However, slight differences exist such as the inclusion of onions or perhaps different herbs.

    But whatever you call it, this salad is refreshing and delicious.

    Serving suggestions

    Some of my favorite dishes to serve this fresh tomato cucumber salad with include these easy recipes:

    • Zucchini Chickpea Stew
    • Greek Lemon Roasted Potatoes with Chickpeas
    • Creamy Lemon Orzo Soup
    • Baked Tofu Steaks with Lemon and Garlic
    • Basmati Rice Pilaf
    • Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil

    If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars!

    Mediterranean Cucumber Salad

    Mediterranean Cucumber Salad is healthy and easy to make. And this refreshing salad is naturally vegan and gluten free. It can be eaten on its own as a light meal or as a side with other summer dishes. 
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate Email recipe + ingredient list
    Special diet: gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, vegan
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Mediterranean
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 69kcal
    Author: Amy Katz

    Equipment

    • Tomato Knife
    • 5-blade herb scissors
    • Lemon Lime Squeezer
    • Salad Bowl
    • Salad Servers

    Ingredients

    • 1 cucumber, (remove seeds, if desired), skin on, chopped
    • 1 dry pint cherry tomatoes, (25-30), halved or quartered
    • 3 radishes, (or substitute a few Tbsp. chopped red onion), chopped
    • 1 yellow or red bell pepper, chopped
    • handful of fresh parsley, chopped
    • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
    • juice of 1 lemon, (3 Tablespoons)
    • salt, to taste
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    Instructions

    • Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss well. 
    • Serve at room temperature, or refrigerate and enjoy chilled.

    Notes

    Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for a few days.
     
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 69kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 408mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1530IU | Vitamin C: 66.3mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1.1mg

    Nutritional information is an estimation only.

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    About Amy

    Amy Katz is a vegan recipe developer, photographer, and Certified Vegan Nutrition Health Coach. She loves sharing delicious plant-based Mediterranean diet recipes that home cooks of all levels can enjoy. Her easy vegan recipes have been featured on HuffPost, LIVESTRONG, Healthline, Parade, VegNews, BuzzFeed, MSN, Greatist, Country Living, Insider, Brit+Co, Well+Good, and more. She lives in Orange County, California with the love of her life, Brad, and their adorable black cat, Ozzy.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    All commentsI made this
    1. Kristi Bomar

      May 31, 2022 at 9:37 am

      5 stars
      Really enjoyed the fresh taste of this salad!

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        May 31, 2022 at 10:47 am

        Thank you, Kristi!

        Reply
    2. Bobbie

      August 14, 2019 at 8:29 am

      5 stars
      My new favorite salad! Very colorful, Easy and tasty. I added sunflower seeds and feta to my individual salad. Yummy!!

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        August 14, 2019 at 9:33 am

        Fantastic! Thanks so much, Bobbie!

        Reply
    3. Makeeba

      June 14, 2019 at 8:06 pm

      5 stars
      Really enjoyed this. Simple, easy to make and tastes great.

      Reply
      • Amy

        June 15, 2019 at 8:08 am

        Thank you, Makeeba!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Amy! As a Certified Vegan Nutrition Health Coach, my passion is creating vegan Mediterranean diet recipes to inspire everyone to choose plant-based meals more often. At Veggies Save The Day you'll find simple delicious recipes that are easy to make any night of the week.

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