When the summertime heat is on, nothing hits the spot like this vibrant tomato, cucumber, green olive, feta salad! Made from affordable everyday ingredients, this dish is a delightful blend of crispness and refreshment, making it an ideal side dish for a variety of main courses. With fresh Roma tomatoes, cucumber, green olives, and feta cheese, this salad is a testament to the spectacular taste of summertime produce, especially when tossed in a freshly made Italian dressing.
Serve this salad with Easy Roast Chicken and Roasted Garlic Parmesan Potatoes for an easy family meal.
Ingredients for Tomato, Cucumber, Green Olive, Feta Salad
The first step to preparing this, or any recipe, is to read and understand the recipe, collect all the necessary equipment, and then gather and measure all the ingredients required to make this Tomato, Cucumber, Green Olive, and Feta Salad recipe. In culinary terms, this is called “Mise en Place,” which means “Everything in its Place.” Prereading the recipe, preparing ingredients, and setting up any needed equipment in advance not only speeds up cooking but also ensures you are familiar with each of the recipe steps, and that all the necessary components of the recipe are within reach and ready for the dish.
Key Salad Ingredients
Tomato: But of course! I use Roma tomatoes for this salad. Their beautiful red skin contains fewer seeds and has lower moisture content than other tomato varieties – making them the perfect tomato for this recipe. Quarter them lengthwise and then slice them into 1/4-inch slices.
Cucumber: Use one American slicing cucumber for this salad. Peel off the skin and slice into 1/4-inch slices.
Green Olives: The briny taste of green olives can be overpowering, so make sure you thoroughly drain your olives. Use the green olives of your choice. Rough cut into 1/4 slices.
Feta Cheese (Optional): Feta cheese brings subtle hints of creamy, salty flavor to the salad. When combined with the briny flavor of the green olives, feta elevates this dish to the next level.
How to Make Tomato, Cucumber, Green Olive, Feta Salad
Dressing
- Measure all the dressing ingredients into a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake until the ingredients are combined and emulsified. As an alternative, you can whisk the ingredients together in a mixing bowl, or use a food processor or blender to combine the ingredients.
Salad
- Wash the Tomatoes and Cucumber.
- Quarter the tomatoes lengthwise, then slice into 1/4-inch slices. Add to a large mixing bowl.
- Peel the cucumber, if the cucumber is large, slice in half or quarter it lengthwise . . .
- Then slice into 1/4-inch slices and place into the mixing bowl.
- Rough slice the olives. Rather than trying to achieve a specific size, chop until there are no whole olives remaining. The easiest way is to use a cross-chop technique – hold the knife’s handle with one hand and place the other hand on top of the blade to guide and control the chopping pace. Then, lift the handle of the blade and chop while keeping the tip of the blade down. As your hands are out of the way, they will be safe. Add olive pieces to the mixing bowl.
- Add the Feta Cheese to the other ingredients in the mixing bowl.
- Shake or stir the dressing you made earlier and add to the mixing bowl, then gently stir all the ingredients together. You can use store-bought Italian Dressing if that’s what you have.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes and serve.
Variations
Try adding:
- Sliced red onion.
- Chopped avocado.
- Fresh Dill.
- Chopped Nuts or seeds (almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds)
- Proteins – grilled chicken, shrimp, or salmon
Storage
In a sealed, air-tight container, Tomato-Cucumber Salad will last 3-5 days in the refrigerator. The cucumbers may begin to lose their crispiness after a couple of days. I don’t recommend that you freeze Tomato, Cucumber, Green Olive, Feta Salad.
PrintTomato, Cucumber, Green Olive, Feta Salad
This fresh salad features juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and tangy green olives, all paired with creamy feta cheese. Seasoned to perfection, it’s a refreshing and satisfying side or light lunch option with Mediterranean flair.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 1-cup servings 1x
- Category: Mediterranean, salad
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients
Dressing
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, grated (can substitute 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salad
- 3 medium Roma Tomatoes, quartered and sliced
- 1 Cucumber, sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped Green Olives
- 1/2 cup Feta Cheese
Instructions
Dressing
- Measure all the ingredients into a jar with a tight fitting lid. Vigorously shake until ingredients are combined and emulsified. Set aside.
- Briefly shake again before use.
Salad
- Wash the tomatoes and cucumber.
- Quarter the tomatoes lengthwise, then slice into 1/4-inch slices. Add to a large mixing bowl.
- Peel the cucumber, and slice it into 1/4-inch slices (if the cucumber is large in circumference, slice it in half or quarter lengthwise before slicing), and add to the mixing bowl.
- Rough slice the green olives (see technique above under “How to Make Tomato, Cucumber Salad), and add to the mixing bowl.
- Add Feta Cheese to the bowl.
- Add dressing to bowl, and gently stir to combine ingredients.
- Serve.
