Greek Cucumber Salad is bright, crisp, and one of my favorite things to make in the hot summer months! Fresh cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, red onions, kalamata olives, and feta are tossed in a quick lemon-oregano dressing.
Greek Cucumber Salad
This is the summer lunch recipe you need in your life. It’s bright and refreshing while also being flavorful as can be, so it really hits the spot without weighing you down on a hot afternoon! The key to success here is letting the salad chill in the fridge for about half an hour after being tossed in the homemade lemon dressing, so it has time to really develop the best flavor possible. And don’t worry… If you’re too impatient for that, it’s still good enough to eat right away. Feel free to bulk it up with some baked chicken breast or air fryer salmon to bulk it up!
Stay cool this summer with more easy salad recipes like strawberry broccoli salad, white bean salad, and creamy cucumber salad.
Can I use a different dressing?
If lemon isn’t your thing, no worries. You can swap the lemon juice for red wine vinegar or use a mix of both. Just keep the olive oil, garlic, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper for that classic Greek-inspired flavor.
How to Make Greek Cucumber Salad
- Prep the salad ingredients. Place the sliced cucumbers, chopped tomatoes, red onion slices, and olives in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Make the dressing. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper.
- Toss the salad, then chill. Pour the dressing over the salad. Toss, then chill for 30 minutes before serving. Top with feta cheese as desired.
Storing
You can store leftover greek cucumber salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Honestly, it’s best the day it’s made because the cucumbers and tomatoes will continue to release liquid as they sit. Also, the acidic lemon dressing will soften the cucumbers the longer they sit, and you’ll lose that crisp quality.
Ingredient Notes
For The Salad:
- Cucumbers – Choose cucumbers that feel heavy and firm with smooth skin. English cucumbers are great, since they don’t have a lot of seeds.
- Tomatoes – Roma tomatoes are great here because they’re meaty and don’t release as much liquid as other tomatoes.
- Red Onion – For authentic Mediterranean flavor, don’t swap this with any other color of onion. Slice them thinly so you don’t get big chunks or onion on your fork.
- Kalamata Olives – Kalamata olives are the best choice because they add a briny flavor that pairs well with feta. Make sure they’re pitted and sliced!
- Feta Cheese – Add the feta last. This will prevent the feta from breaking down too much, and it just looks prettier.
For The Dressing:
- Olive Oil – Try to use a good quality olive oil that you like the flavor of.
- Lemon Juice – It’s very important to use fresh lemon juice here for the very best flavor!
- Seasonings – I like a simple blend of garlic powder, dried oregano, dried basil, and just enough salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Greek Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
For The Salad:
- 2 Large Cucumbers, Sliced
- 5 Roma Tomatoes, Chopped
- 1/2 Large Red Onion, Sliced
- 1/4 Cup Kalamata Olives, Pitted and sliced
- 1/4-1/3 Cup Feta Cheese
For The Dressing:
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- Juice of One Lemon
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Basil
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the sliced cucumber, chopped tomato, red onion slices, and olives in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, oregano, basil, and salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the salad. Toss, then chill for 30 minutes before serving. Top with Feta cheese as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Lemon juice is SO much better than vinegar.