This easy cucumber Greek salad is mild, refreshing, and full of vibrant colours and flavors – prepared in simply quarter-hour, good for potlucks, picnics, BBQs, and extra!

Scrumptious Greek Cucumber Salad with Tomatoes

Whether or not it’s the center of summer time otherwise you wish to deliver a little bit sunshine into your fall/winter food regimen, dishes like peanut noodle salad, hummus tortilla wraps, and this Greek cucumber salad are good for transporting you to the sunny Mediterranean.

This cucumber Greek salad recipe is mild and refreshing however loaded with taste, together with crisp cucumber, juicy tomatoes, briny olives, zingy onion, and home made or store-bought tangy vegan feta cheese. When tossed in a easy lemon garlic oregano French dressing, it’s naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and loaded with nutritional vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, wholesome fat, and loads of plant-based protein.

Higher but, utilizing easy kitchen and pantry staples, you will get this Greek cucumber tomato salad in your desk in simply quarter-hour (although a 30-60 minute marination interval is HIGHLY advisable), and it’s extremely adaptable. The daring, vibrant colours and flavors may have you returning time and time once more.

In search of extra mild Mediterranean-inspired dishes? Take a look at our Greek millet salad, Mediterranean couscous, and Mediterranean pasta salad!

The Elements and Substitutes

The Greek Tomato Cucumber Salad

Cucumber: Use a agency, unblemished, low-seed English cucumber or Persian cucumber. Common backyard cucumber works, too, in case you peel and de-seed it.

Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes/ grape tomatoes are nice, even out of season. In summer time, although, be at liberty to make use of the most effective tomatoes yow will discover, like Roma tomatoes.

Purple onion: (or yellow onion) This can be a traditional addition to a cucumber Greek salad for taste and crunch.

Black olives: We love utilizing jarred black olives, as we use the brine on this recipe, too. Nevertheless, Kalamata olives additionally work.

Lemon: Recent lemon juice is greatest. Add zest for additional citrusy brightness.

Sea Salt

Vegan Feta Cheese

Tremendous agency tofu: Use tremendous agency or extra-firm tofu, crumbled into feta-like crumbles.

The marinade: The easy Greek marinade makes use of all of the elements from the dressing to infuse the tofu with taste for this vegan Greek salad. This contains:

Alternatively, use your favourite vegan feta cheese to cut back prep effort and time for this Greek cucumber salad recipe.

The Greek Salad Dressing

Olive oil: Use a good-quality extra-virgin olive oil with a lightweight, fruity taste.

Olive brine: For a salty, briny taste. Omit it if most well-liked, although.

Lemon juice: We’ll be utilizing the leftover lemony ‘marinade’ from making tofu feta. Add depth with a splash of white wine vinegar or purple wine vinegar.

Dried oregano: A must have for genuine Greek salad dressing.

Salt & black pepper: Season to style.

Add depth to the Greek dressing with minced garlic, Dijon mustard, and probably some sweetener (like maple syrup/agave), added to style.

What may I add to Mediterranean cucumber salad?

Lettuce: Make extra of a inexperienced salad with iceberg/ romaine lettuce.

Avocado: For wealthy creaminess, wholesome fat, and antioxidants.

Bell pepper: Purple/ inexperienced bell pepper– uncooked (for crunch) or roasted (for smokiness).

Artichoke: Canned or jarred and finely chopped for a lemony, earthy taste.

Toasted pita: Lower into squares so as to add a satisfying crunch.

Recent herbs: I.e., recent parsley, oregano, dill, inexperienced onion, and so on.

Protein: Add plant-based protein with pulses like canned chickpeas, white beans, or lentils. Alternatively, you possibly can add seitan or tempeh.

Quinoa, couscous, or orzo: Flip this Mediterranean cucumber tomato salad right into a hearty most important meal with about ½ cup of cooked grains.

Nuts/seeds: Sprinkle over frivolously toasted almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and so on., for crunch, wholesome fat, and a little bit protein.

How you can Make Greek Cucumber Salad

First, thinly slice the onion and toss it in a bowl with the juice from 1-2 small lemons or 1 massive lemon and ½ teaspoon of salt. Put aside for five minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix the tofu marinade elements (olive oil, olive brine, garlic powder, oregano, juice of 1 lemon, salt, and pepper). Combine nicely and crumble the tofu into it. Combine nicely and put aside.

In the meantime, peel (non-obligatory), cube the cucumbers, halve the cherry tomatoes, slice the black olives, and add them to a big salad bowl with the drained onions (reserve the lemon juice combination, don’t discard it!).

Within the bowl with the reserved oniony lemon juice (or in a jar), add the remaining dressing elements (olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, and olive brine) and shake/combine nicely.

Add 2-3 tablespoons of dressing to the cucumber salad, toss, and prime with crumbled tofu feta. Serve & get pleasure from with additional dressing on the aspect, if most well-liked!

When you may get pleasure from this cucumber and tomato Greek salad instantly, we suggest leaving it to marinate for 1-2 hours within the fridge for the flavors to meld.

FAQs

Prime Recipe Suggestions and Notes

Enable the flavors to meld: As soon as assembled, Greek/ Mediterranean cucumber salad extremely advantages from at the very least half-hour of ‘marinating’ within the fridge. 1-2 hours is healthier.

Modify the feel: Benefit from the veggies pretty chunky or finely diced/chopped based mostly in your desired texture.

To keep away from watery salad: In case your cucumbers and/or tomatoes are very seedy, de-seed them.

To avoid wasting time: A mandoline or vegetable chopper might help velocity up prep.  

What to Serve with Greek Cucumber Salad?

Take pleasure in vegan Mediterranean salad year-round to inject a little bit of summer time onto your desk, however particularly at BBQs and summer time potlucks alongside:

Storage Directions

This Greek cucumber and tomato salad extremely advantages from being made 1-2 hours earlier than serving, however is most recent/crisp on the day of getting ready it. That stated, leftovers ought to preserve for 1-2 days, although the cucumber softens and releases liquid over time.

For the longest shelf life, retailer the Greek cucumber tomato feta salad and dressing individually, and solely mix them earlier than serving. That method, it ought to final 3-4 days.

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Pictures by Alfonso Revilla