Name: Mediterranean Cucumber Salad Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 2 large English cucumbers, halved and sliced into half-moons (about 4 cups); 1½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved; ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced; ½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved; ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 oz block feta, crumbled); ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped; 2 tablespoons fresh mint, roughly chopped (optional but recommended); 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon); 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar; ½ teaspoon dried oregano; ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; Optional add-ins: ½ cup canned chickpeas (rinsed), ½ cup roasted red peppers (sliced), ¼ cup thinly sliced pepperoncini

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If there’s one salad that feels like a vacation in every single bite, it’s this Mediterranean Cucumber Salad. Crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, briny olives, creamy feta cheese, and a simple olive oil and lemon dressing — it’s light, refreshing, and absolutely bursting with flavor. And the best part? You can have it on the table in about 10 minutes flat.

This Mediterranean cucumber salad recipe has become one of those dishes that home cooks reach for again and again, and honestly it’s not hard to see why. It pairs with just about everything — grilled chicken, salmon, lamb chops, pita bread, hummus, you name it. It’s equally at home at a summer cookout as it is on a quiet Tuesday night dinner table. Whether you’re feeding a crowd or just making a quick lunch for yourself, this salad fits the occasion perfectly.

It’s also the kind of recipe that makes you feel like you’re eating really well without putting in a lot of effort. And in today’s world, that’s basically the holy grail of home cooking.

History & Background

The Mediterranean diet is widely celebrated as one of the healthiest ways of eating on the entire planet, and cucumber salad has been a beloved part of that tradition for thousands of years. To understand where this recipe comes from, you have to look across the entire Mediterranean basin — Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, and beyond — where cucumbers have been cultivated and eaten since ancient times.

Cucumbers are believed to have originated in South Asia and made their way into Mediterranean cuisine through ancient trade routes thousands of years before the common era. The ancient Egyptians grew cucumbers along the Nile, and the Greeks and Romans prized them for their cooling, refreshing properties in the hot Mediterranean climate. In fact, the Roman Emperor Tiberius was so fond of cucumbers that he reportedly demanded they be available on his table every single day of the year.

The combination of cucumbers with olive oil, salt, and herbs is one of the oldest and most elemental flavor pairings in culinary history. Over centuries, different Mediterranean cultures layered their own traditions on top of this simple base — the Greeks added feta and olives, the Turks added yogurt and mint, the Lebanese added fresh parsley and lemon, the Israelis added tomatoes and red onion. Each version is slightly different, but all of them share that same refreshing, clean simplicity that defines Mediterranean cooking.

The version that has become most popular in American home kitchens draws primarily from Greek cuisine, combining the iconic ingredients of a classic Greek salad — cucumber, tomato, red onion, Kalamata olives, and feta — with a bright lemon and olive oil dressing. It arrived in American food culture through Greek immigrant communities, Greek-American restaurants, and eventually the broader celebration of the Mediterranean diet that took hold in the late 20th century. Today, the easy Mediterranean cucumber salad is a staple of American summer cooking and shows no signs of slowing down.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This isn’t just a salad — it’s a lifestyle upgrade in a bowl. Once you start making this Mediterranean cucumber salad with feta, you’ll find yourself turning to it constantly because it genuinely makes healthy eating feel effortless and delicious.

Here’s every reason to add it to your regular rotation right now:

Done in 10 minutes — no cooking, no fuss, just chop and toss
Incredibly fresh and light — perfect for hot summer days when you don’t want anything heavy
Naturally gluten-free, vegetarian, and low-carb — works for almost every diet at the table
Budget-friendly — cucumbers, tomatoes, and olives are affordable and widely available year-round
Great for meal prep — holds up well in the fridge and the flavors deepen beautifully overnight
Crowd-pleasing — works as a side dish, appetizer, or light main with added protein
Endlessly customizable — add chickpeas, grilled chicken, avocado, or roasted red peppers to make it your own
Pairs with everything — from grilled meats to pita and hummus to simple pasta dishes

Ingredient Notes

English Cucumbers — The star of the show. English cucumbers (also called seedless or hothouse cucumbers) are ideal here because they have thin skin you don’t need to peel, a mild flavor, and very few seeds, which means less water and better texture in the salad. Persian cucumbers also work beautifully. Regular garden cucumbers work too — just peel them and scoop out the seeds before slicing to avoid a watery salad.

Cherry or Roma Tomatoes — Cherry tomatoes hold their shape beautifully and have a concentrated, sweet flavor that stands up well to the dressing. Roma tomatoes are another excellent choice because they’re firmer and less watery than regular tomatoes. Whatever you use, make sure they’re ripe — this salad really relies on good tomatoes.

Red Onion — Adds a sharp, punchy bite and beautiful purple color. If raw red onion is too strong for you, soak the sliced pieces in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes before adding them — this mellows the intensity while keeping the crunch.

Kalamata Olives — These deep purple Greek olives have a rich, briny, slightly fruity flavor that is absolutely essential to that classic Mediterranean taste. You can find them pitted in most grocery stores, which saves you prep work. If you can’t find Kalamata olives, black olives will work as a substitute, though the flavor profile will be slightly milder.

Feta Cheese — Salty, creamy, crumbly feta brings everything together. For the best quality and flavor, try to find block feta packed in brine and crumble it yourself — it’s creamier and less dry than pre-crumbled feta. Greek or Bulgarian feta are both excellent. For a dairy-free version, simply omit the feta or substitute with a vegan feta alternative.

Fresh Herbs (Parsley and/or Mint) — Fresh flat-leaf parsley adds a clean, bright herby note, while fresh mint brings a cooling, slightly sweet contrast that really elevates the salad. You can use one or both — either way, fresh herbs are non-negotiable here. Dried herbs just won’t give you the same vibrant flavor.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil — Use the best quality olive oil you have. Since the dressing is so simple, the olive oil is front and center, so this is not the place to use a neutral or low-quality oil. A good fruity, grassy extra virgin olive oil makes a truly noticeable difference.

Fresh Lemon Juice — Brings the brightness and acidity that makes the whole salad sing. Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice here — the bottled stuff is too flat and can have a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Dried Oregano — The quintessential Mediterranean herb. Just a pinch or two in the dressing brings an earthy, aromatic warmth that ties the whole salad together in a deeply satisfying way.

Mediterranean Cucumber Salad Recipe: Fresh, Crispy & Ready in 10 Minutes!

History & Background

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Ingredient Notes

Equipment Needed