Cucumber Tomato Salad

Cucumber tomato salad is a no-cook side dish made with sliced English cucumbers, halved grape tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, and torn fresh basil. The dressing is olive oil, red wine vinegar, a little sugar, salt, and pepper. That is it.

The cucumber is salted first to pull out water so the salad does not turn soggy. The whole thing takes about 25 minutes, and most of it is the cucumber sitting in salt while you do something else. I make this cucumber tomato salad on grill nights when I want a side that is not Filipino.

I throw this together when I am already grilling. The fish or steak goes on, and I have time to kill. I slice the cucumbers, salt them, and walk away. By the time the meat is ready, the salad is too. I usually pair this with grilled milkfish or grilled flank steak. I have made it both ways many times in Tampa. The grill stays hot most of the year here, and grape tomatoes and basil are easy to find year-round. So this salad goes into rotation and stays there.

What is Cucumber Tomato Salad

It is a cold salad. Cucumber, tomato, onion, and herbs in a vinegar and olive oil dressing. The version on most American tables today comes from Italian and Mediterranean kitchens. The Italians have insalata di pomodoro e cetrioli, the Greeks add feta and call it village salad, and somewhere along the way American home cooks dropped the feta and kept the rest.

It is a backyard salad. The kind of side dish that goes with anything off the grill. Most of the time you already have everything for it in the fridge: a cucumber, a pint of grape tomatoes, half a red onion left from another recipe, and a few basil leaves. Olive oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper are pantry staples. That is the whole reason it gets made so often. No grocery run needed.

It is different from a Filipino cucumber salad, which uses cane vinegar and ginger. It is also different from Asian cucumber salad, which leans on rice vinegar and sesame oil. This one tastes like olive oil and basil.

Why This Recipe Works

A few small steps make the difference between a good salad and a watery one. Salting vegetables to draw out water is the same trick I use for ensaladang talong. These are the steps I pay attention to.

• Salt the cucumbers first. Cucumbers are mostly water. Fifteen minutes in salt pulls that water out before it can dilute the dressing.
• Half-moons, not chunks. Halving the cucumber lengthwise and slicing into quarter-inch half-moons gives more surface area. The dressing coats every piece.
• Halve the grape tomatoes. Whole grape tomatoes roll around in the bowl and never pick up dressing. Cut sides absorb. The juice they release sweetens the dressing too.
• One teaspoon of sugar. Just enough to take the edge off the vinegar. The salad does not taste sweet, the dressing just stops biting.
• Tear the basil. Do not chop. Tearing keeps the basil green. Chopping bruises it and the edges go dark within minutes.

Cucumber Tomato Salad Ingredients

• English cucumbers – Thin skin, fewer seeds, less water than regular cucumbers. Do not peel them.
• Grape tomatoes – They hold their shape better than slicing tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes also work.
• Red onion – Sharper than yellow onion, and the color looks good against the green and red.
• Fresh basil – The herb that ties this to summer. Tear it in at the end.
• Extra virgin olive oil – Use a decent one. It is half the dressing, so you taste it.
• Red wine vinegar – Tangy and fruity. White vinegar is too sharp here.
• Granulated sugar – One teaspoon to balance the vinegar.
• Kosher salt – For drawing water out of the cucumber and seasoning the dressing.
• Black pepper – Freshly cracked if you have it.

1. Halve the English cucumbers lengthwise and slice into quarter-inch half-moons. Place in a colander set over a bowl or in the sink.
2. Sprinkle with half of the kosher salt. Toss gently. Let them sit for 15 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels.

Do not skip this. The water that comes out is the water that would have ended up in your dressing.

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, remaining salt, and black pepper until the sugar dissolves.
2. Taste and adjust. If sharp, add a small pinch more sugar. If flat, add a pinch more salt or a small splash more vinegar.

1. Transfer the patted-dry cucumbers to a large mixing bowl. Add the halved grape tomatoes, sliced red onion, and torn basil.
2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat.
3. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
4. Give it one more gentle toss right before serving and transfer to a serving dish.

What to Serve with Cucumber Tomato Salad

This salad is for grilling. The cool tang works against char and smoke. Here is what I usually pair it with at home.

• Grilled flank steak – Slice it thin against the grain and serve the salad on the side. The vinegar cuts through the richness.
• Grilled Tilapia – Salt, pepper, hot grates. The salad covers the vegetable side of the plate.
• Inihaw na Liempo – When I want something other than pickled papaya next to grilled pork belly.
• Inihaw na Baboy – Same idea. Cool salad against rich grilled pork.
• Steamed white rice – Always rice in my house. It is a side, but rice is still on the table.

Storage Tips

This is a same-day salad. The cucumbers keep releasing water in the fridge, and the basil darkens overnight. If you have leftovers, they are still good the next day, but the texture is softer.

• Refrigerator: Up to 24 hours in an airtight container. Drain off any liquid that pools at the bottom before serving.
• Make ahead: Slice the vegetables and store them separately. Whisk the dressing and keep it in a small jar. Combine within 30 minutes of serving so the cucumbers stay crisp.
• Do not freeze. Cucumbers and tomatoes turn to mush. This is a fresh salad. Make what you will eat.

More Recipes You Might Like

• Salted Eggs and Tomato Salad – Two ingredients. Goes with fried fish.
• Ensaladang Mangga – Green mango salad with shrimp paste.
• Ampalaya Salad – Bitter gourd with tomato and red onion.
• Ensaladang Lato – Seaweed salad with vinegar.

• English cucumbers – Persian cucumbers work the same way. Regular slicing cucumbers also work, but peel them and scoop out the seeds first.
• Grape tomatoes – Cherry tomatoes are a direct swap. Roma or vine-ripe tomatoes also work, cut into half-inch chunks.
• Red onion – Shallots are milder. White onion works but you lose the color.
• Fresh basil – Fresh dill, mint, or parsley each take this somewhere different. Pick one.
• Red wine vinegar – Apple cider vinegar gives a fruitier dressing. White wine vinegar is milder. Avoid balsamic. It will overpower the basil.
• Extra virgin olive oil – Avocado oil is a neutral substitute that still gives body to the dressing.
• Add feta or olives – Crumbled feta and Kalamata olives turn this into a Greek-style salad. Add them after tossing.

This is the salad I make on grill nights when I want something fresh and not Filipino. Slice, salt, dress, toss. Twenty-five minutes. Try it next time you are grilling. Let me know how it turned out in the comments below.