Mediterranean cucumber salad is perfect for summer lunches and backyard cookouts. Prep is quick and easy, and the vibrant flavors will keep you coming back for more! Made with English cucumber, tomatoes, olives, parsley, red onion, feta cheese, and a simple Mediterranean vinaigrette.
Why You'll Love It
The zesty flavors in this quick Mediterranean cucumber salad are some of our absolute favorites. The salty, briny olives and vegan feta mingle with cool cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion. It's refreshing, light, and 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 additional protein to transform this cucumber salad into a light meal.
In addition to parsley, try it with other fresh herbs like mint or basil. This healthy and fresh Mediterranean cucumber salad pairs well with so many foods.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- English cucumber - or hothouse; with their crisp, thin skins, these are ideal for salads and don't need to be peeled. Smaller Persian cucumbers are also perfect for salads.
- red onion - the fresher the better. Tip! If the onion seems too strong, soak it in ice cold water (after slicing) while you prepare the rest of the salad. Then drain and pat dry.
- tomatoes - cherry or grape are nice, though larger tomatoes are fine, too.
- feta cheese - I prefer my vegan feta cheese recipe, or use store-bought feta to save time.
- olives - I chose sliced black olives; pitted kalamata olives also taste great here.
- 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 - the Mediterranean dressing 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 zesty and fresh and pairs beautifully with these ingredients.
You'll also want to make my vegan feta cheese ahead of time, since store-bought vegan cheeses contain oil.
How to Prepare Cucumber 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. All you need are 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.
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!
More Healthy Summer Salads
📖 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.
Kathy
This recipe is an absolute win! Common ingredients, quick and easy to prepare, and so light, fresh, healthy, and delicious--especially on a hot summer day! I skipped the parsley (personal preference) and recommend kalamata over black olives. Definitely repeat-worthy!
Melanie Stern
Made this today and it is what we like to call “a keeper”! My husband said it reminds him of when he lived in Israel. So healthy and delicious! FYI, I made the oil free version. Yummy 😋