Tomato Cucumber Basil Salad

This summer tomato cucumber basil salad (and similar versions) are what I make when the garden begins deciding what is for dinner. Juicy tomatoes and crisp cucumbers are the foundation, while peas, peppers, tender greens, and fresh herbs can be added according to what is ready to pick.

Everything is tossed with a simple red wine vinaigrette made with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and just enough sugar to soften the vinegar’s edge. It is bright, fresh, and exactly the kind of summer side dish that belongs beside almost anything coming off the grill.

A Summer Salad Designed Around What You Grow

I do not think of this as a “strict” recipe, but rather the best formula I know for using what is growing. Tomatoes and cucumbers are the constants. After that, the salad changes a little every time I make it, which is exactly what a garden salad should do.

That flexibility is part of the recipe, but it still has a clear structure. Keep the tomatoes and cucumbers as the largest portion, choose one or two additions, and finish with a generous amount of fresh herbs. The result feels abundant and colorful without becoming a refrigerator clean-out salad.

Have you ever asked yourself “What to do with tomatoes from the garden?

Many of us gardeners find ourselves asking “what to do with a bunch of tomatoes from the garden” each year. It’s a good problem to have. This summer garden salad is great way to use the extra tomatoes in your garden, then just add in whatever you have. A simple tomato salad is also delicious on its own. Slow Roasting Cherry or Plum Tomatoes is another great way to use excess tomatoes from the garden.

Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Slow roasted cherry tomatoes are both sweet and savory making them the perfect side dish on their own to simple grilled chicken or a steak. But they can also be used to elevate a Caprese salad or a simple hummus dip.

Get the Recipe

The Essential Ingredients for Tomato Cucumber Basil Salad

The quality of the tomatoes matters most. Use tomatoes that are ripe, fragrant, and juicy, whether they are cherry tomatoes, small slicing tomatoes, or a mix of varieties from the garden. Cut larger tomatoes into bite-size wedges and halve cherry tomatoes so their juices mingle with the vinaigrette.

Cucumbers provide the contrast. Garden cucumbers are wonderful here; peel them fully or in alternating strips if the skin is thick or bitter. English and Persian cucumbers can usually be left unpeeled.

Very thinly sliced red onion adds a sharp, savory note, but it is completely optional.

Tip: If the onion tastes especially strong, soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat them dry before adding them to the salad.

Make It Your Own with Garden Vegetables and Fresh Herbs

The photograph shows one of my favorite combinations: cherry tomatoes, cucumber, fresh peas, basil, parsley, and thinly sliced red onion. Think of the additions below as choices rather than a list of ingredients that must all go into one bowl.

• Fresh peas: Add sweetness and a delicate snap. Very young peas can be used raw; blanch larger or starchier peas briefly, then chill them before adding.
• Bell peppers: Thinly sliced bell peppers or small sweet peppers add crunch and color.
• Tender greens: A small amount of arugula, baby spinach, or chopped lettuce makes the salad leafier. Add greens just before serving.
• Fresh herbs: Basil is especially good with ripe tomatoes, parsley makes the salad clean and fresh, and chives add a mild onion note. Use one herb or combine them.

Basil Pesto

This historic pesto recipe is centuries old and is the best way to preserve and savor the abundant summer basil crop.

Get the Recipe

Red Wine Vinaigrette Brings It Together

This vinaigrette is intentionally simple because the vegetables should taste like themselves. Whisk three parts extra virgin olive oil with one and a half parts red wine vinegar, then season with kosher salt, black pepper, and a small pinch of sugar.

The sugar should not make the dressing taste sweet. It simply rounds the acidity of the vinegar and brings out the natural sweetness in the tomatoes. Taste the vinaigrette before adding it to the salad, but remember that it should be slightly more assertive on its own because the vegetables will soften its flavor.

How to Make this Tomato Cucumber Basil Salad Recipe

It’s easy! Simply cut the tomato and cucumbers into similar size chunks. If using peppers or other vegetables do the same. Toss with the chopped herbs, season with salt and pepper and a simple red wine vinaigrette.

How to serve Tomato Cucumber Salad

Any vegetable salad releases liquid after being dressed and introduced to salt, so your liquids will expand. Use a slotted spoon for serving if a great deal of liquid collects at the bottom of the bowl. I would not drain it all away, though. That tomato-rich vinaigrette is one of the best parts, especially with a piece of crusty bread.

What to Serve with This Summer Tomato Salad Recipe

This is an easy summer side dish for grilled chicken, steak, burgers, sausages, shrimp, or fish. It’s a great addition to bring along to a gathering such as a barbecue.

Tomato Cucumber Basil Salad

Christina Collins | Feast & Merriment

Ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, garden vegetables, and fresh herbs are tossed in a simple red wine vinaigrette for an easy summer side dish.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Resting time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the salad

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved, or chopped ripe tomatoes
• 2 cups chopped cucumber
• 1/8 cup very thinly sliced red onion (optional)
• 1 cup additional garden vegetables, such as fresh peas, sweet pepper, or tender greens
• 1/2 cup chopped or torn fresh basil, or a combination of basil, flat-leaf parsley, and chives

For the red wine vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste

Instructions

 

• Add the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and any firm additional vegetables to a large serving bowl. If using tender leafy greens, reserve them until just before serving.
• In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper until the sugar and salt dissolve.
• Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss gently. Let the salad rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
• Fold in the fresh herbs and any tender greens. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, or vinegar before serving.

Notes

Note: This is a very flexible recipe. Amounts do not have to be perfect if you have more or less of one vegetable. 

Tomatoes and cucumbers vary in sweetness and acidity. Taste the finished salad and adjust the vinaigrette rather than treating the final seasoning as fixed.

Keyword summer

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!