Fresh Mediterranean cucumber salad is perfect for summer lunches and backyard cookouts. Prep is quick and easy, and the flavors will keep you coming back for more! With tomatoes, olives, parsley, red onion, vegan feta, and a simple Mediterranean vinaigrette. Oil-free option.
The zesty flavors of this quick Mediterranean cucumber salad are some of my absolute favorites. Salty, briny olives and feta mingling with cool cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion. Delicious!
Plus, chickpeas add nutrition and texture and make it more filling. In fact, you can even add a cooked grain like farro or quinoa and/or other proteins to turn this into a light summer lunch.
In addition to parsley, try it with other fresh herbs like mint or basil. This is a versatile and healthy cucumber salad that pairs well with so many foods.
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Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- English cucumber - also called hothouse; with their crisp, thin skins, these are ideal for salads and don't need to be peeled. Smaller Persian cucumbers can also be used.
- red onion
- tomatoes - cherry or grape are nice, though larger tomatoes are fine, too!
- feta cheese - I prefer my vegan feta recipe, or use store-bought feta to save time.
- olives - I chose sliced black olives; feel free to use pitted kalamata instead.
- other veggie - I also included radishes since they're in season right now; feel free to omit or replace with another fresh vegetable.
- fresh parsley - I like to add finely chopped parsley to both the dressing and the salad.
- dressing - this simple Mediterranean vinaigrette comes together in a bowl. You'll need:
- olive oil
- red wine vinegar
- fresh garlic
- dried Italian seasoning (or oregano and basil)
- salt and pepper
See recipe card below for quantities and full instructions.
Oil-Free Option
If you're one of my regular readers who enjoys oil-free recipes, simply replace the dressing in this recipe with my Oil-Free Italian Dressing. It's equally as zippy and fresh and perfect with these ingredients.
You'll also want to make my almond-tofu feta cheese ahead of time, since store-bought vegan cheeses contain oil.
How to Prepare the Salad
- Whisk together the dressing and set aside.
- Wash and chop the vegetables. Combine in a bowl with the olives and chickpeas. Toss with the dressing and set aside for a few minutes to allow the flavors to mingle.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle with feta and additional parsley, if desired.
So simple and quick, right?! Enjoy right away or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Equipment Needed
Another great thing about this simple cucumber salad is that there's no special equipment required. You'll need a knife, cutting board, and a couple of bowls.
Storage
Due to the nature of fresh ingredients combined with vinaigrette, this cucumber salad is best enjoyed within 1 day.
Serving Tips
Cucumber salad tastes best cool, not ice cold. If serving at a party, obviously the temperature isn't something you can control very easily. It's fine at room temperature for a couple of hours.
The recipe makes enough for up to 6 or 7 people as a side dish. For larger gatherings it's a good idea to double the recipe.
More healthy potluck salads:
I hope you enjoy this Mediterranean vegan cucumber salad! If you try the recipe be sure to comment below and let everyone know how it turned out!
📖 Recipe
Mediterranean Cucumber Salad (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 large English cucumber, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces - See Note 1
- 6 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small bunch radishes, thinly sliced, optional
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained - or approx 1 ¾ cups cooked chickpeas; if avoiding oil, save the aquafaba from the can for the fat-free Italian dressing linked in Notes.
- ½ cup sliced black olives - or kalamata, if preferred
- ½ cup crumbled vegan feta cheese - tap for a recipe or use store-bought
For the dressing:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil - See Note 2
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced or zested
- 1 rounded tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley - plus more for garnish if desired
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt or mineral salt
- scant ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning blend - or a combination of dried oregano and basil
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, radishes, if using, chickpeas, and olives. Add dressing and toss. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to marry.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle with feta cheese and additional parsley and serve.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.
