Easy Cucumber Tomato Salad

May 24, 2021

This Easy Cucumber Tomato Salad is a stupid easy recipe that’s perfect for any summer night. Enjoy this refreshing summer salad for a BBQ, picnic, or beach day. Made with less than 10 ingredients, this simple combination of flavors is delicious!

Gluten Free, Vegan, Nut Free, Soy Free, Egg Free, Grain Free

This is one of those blog posts that I almost feel silly calling a blog post and a new recipe. I’ve been making some version of this Easy Cucumber Tomato Salad for YEARS.

I love this salad because anyone can make it and enjoy it. Honestly, I think lettuce is overrated, so I love lettuce-less salads. And this lettuce-less salad will quickly because a classic. You just need to spend some quality time with your cutting board!

This Easy Cucumber Tomato Salad is…

Stupid easy to make
No cook
Perfect for BBQs, picnics, beach days, or any day you don’t want to cook
Lettuce-less
A great way to get in your veggies
SO flavorful
Forgiving
A crowd pleaser

OK, so have I convinced you to try this stupid easy Cucumber Tomato Salad yet?

Are lettuce-free salads just as healthy as those with leafy greens?

I cannot begin to tell you how many clients ask me this question! It’s like somewhere in society we were told that in order to have vegetables “count,” they have to be green and leafy.

This is a big no!

ANY vegetables count towards filling half of your plate with veggies. Your veggies can be:

Raw
Cooked
Pickled
Grilled
Roasted
Shredded
Mashed
Freshly picked from your garden
From the farmer’s market
From the supermarket

Remember: veggies made in a way that they actually taste good, are still VEGGIES!!!

Personally, when it’s really hot there’s something about NOT eating lettuce that feels more refreshing to me. That’s why I love lettuce-less salads.

What’s a lettuce-less salad?

It’s a salad sans lettuce… exactly as it sounds!

You can combine ANY combination of vegetables to make a lettuce-less salad… just don’t add lettuce! (of course, there’s nothing wrong with lettuce-containing salads!).

Here are some of my other favorite lettuce-less salads:

The Secret to the Best Cucumber Tomato Salad

I have found the secret to make the best lettuce-less salad… it’s all in the marinade. This lettuce-less salad has a super simple marinade: tomato juice, olive oil, enough salt, and green onions.

Essentially, by letting all of the ingredients meld together you get the most flavorful and refreshing salad!

Another secret… it’s important to take the time to cut your vegetables in uniform shapes. For instance, all of the cucumbers should be cut the same way. Don’t slice some and chop others – it’s not as good (promise!).

Ingredients to make Cucumber Tomato Salad

You only need 5 ingredients to make this salad. I told you it’s easy!

Cucumbers are super refreshing!

In fact, over 95% of cucumbers are water. Some people say that cucumbers have no taste, but when you add a little salt, I think it’s one of the most refreshing summer bites! Not to mention, cucumbers have great crunch. If you wish, you can peel the cucumbers. However, I prefer the baby cucumbers because the skin is soft and not thick and waxy like larger English cucumbers.

Grape tomatoes are the star of this dish.

I prefer to use multicolored tomatoes to add dimension and color, but of course, you can just use one color too. Tomatoes are super sweet in the summer, so that’s the ideal time of year to make this dish.

To make it easier to cut your tomatoes, fill the top of a tupperware with tomatoes. Place another tupperware top on top of the tomatoes and then use a sharp knife to cut them. This saves tons of time!

How to Make this Salad

I almost feel silly having this section for a recipe this simple, but for the sake of consistency…

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. I have a set like this with the nonstick bottom to make mixing really easy (especially when it’s something sturdy, like cookie dough). I love this set also for when I cook with Lex because they won’t break if he knocks it off the counter.

The key to making this salad taste great is to make sure you salt it enough. I know most home cooks are a little stingy on the salt (I used to be!), but it’s really important for this recipe.

Toss the salad a few times, then let sit for about 15 minutes. Personally, I prefer to eat the salad when the ingredients aren’t freezing cold out of the fridge, so I let it sit at room temp, but you could also refrigerate it.

What should you serve with this salad?

Ahhh the best question of them all – what should you eat with this salad? I love to add any grilled protein to this salad, like grilled chicken, tofu, shrimp, salmon, etc.

Even more, you could add a fiber-rich carb, like chickpeas, to make it more filling and a well-balanced meal.

Here are some recipes you could also make to serve alongside this salad:

Which will you choose?