In 10 minutes this easy Cucumber Tomato Salad with Balsamic Parsley Dressing is ready to serve as a refreshing appetizer or side dish for picnics, BBQs, summer pool parties, or an outdoor grilled dinner with the family. Simple chop all ingredients and toss with the dressing. With small chopped vegetables, this cucumber tomato salad is perfect for kids, too!
I love making fresh veggie, bean, and cheese salads for the whole family to enjoy on a nice hot summer day. My default is to lean toward cucumber-based salads, like this cucumber tomato salad recipe. I don't think there is a vegetable more light and refreshing than a cool crispy cucumber.
Tomatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas, red onions, and mozzarella are tossed with an easy homemade dressing. Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, parsley, dill, and garlic salt coat the fresh veggies, giving it a simple yet herb-infused marinade.
Here's why you'll love this tomato cucumber salad too:
- It's refreshing and crisp on a hot summer day.
- It travels well for picnics, BBQs, summer pool parties.
- It's delicious and healthy.
- Totally simple to make, with only 10 minutes of preparation.
- It's colorful and livens up any dinner table.
Serving
We love this salad as a light and healthy side when grilling steak, hamburgers, or hot dogs. It's the perfect accompanying side for a meat and carb-loaded dinner, especially on nights when hamburgers, hot dogs, and fries are the main course.
Cucumber tomato salad is a great easy way to add in a whole bunch of vegetables (and vitamins and minerals) to a BBQ.
This salad is also perfect for picnics because it is delicious when chilled or at room temperature. It travels really well, and there's no need to try and keep it cool or find a place to warm it up.
Ingredients
To make this tomato cucumber salad, you need the vegetables and legumes for the main salad and the herbs and liquids for the dressing.
- Cucumbers
- Grape tomatoes
- Chickpeas
- Red onion
- Mozzarella cheese (optional)
For the dressing you need:
- Olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Parsley
- Dill
- Garlic salt
- Pepper
I use mini cucumbers, slice them, and then quarter each slice to get very small cucumber pieces. I use grape tomatoes and do the same thing. But there is nothing wrong with using a regular size cucumber and garden tomatoes. I also recommend using fresh mozzarella and dicing it into cubes, but this is actually an optional ingredients. Sometimes I make it with mozzarella and sometimes without. It depends on if I have it. When making this for parties, I tend to always use mozzarella, though. Everyone loves cheese!
I like to chop all of my ingredients very small so the kids have an easier time eating them.
I used dried herbs but you can use fresh. Make sure to use 3 times as much fresh as you would dried. I also love Lawry's garlic salt with parsley and it's what I use most of the time. But any garlic salt will do!
Step-By-Step Directions
This recipe can be prepared immediately before serving or the night before. To make cucumber tomato salad, follow these simple directions:
STEP 1: Chop the tomatoes, red onions and cucumbers into small pieces. If using mozzarella cheese, cut it into cubes. Mix together in a large bowl and add the chickpeas.
STEP 2: Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, parsley, dill, and garlic salt. Toss and sprinkle with pepper to taste.
Let chill in the fridge until ready to serve. I like this salad the best when it's been chilled for a few hours to overnight so that the dressing flavors have a chance to "marry" and soak into the veggies. If you don't have time to wait, that's no problem either.
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Cucumber Tomato Salad with Balsamic Parsley Dressing
Ingredients
- 4 mini cucumbers or 2 cups chopped cucumber
- 1 cup grape tomatoes chopped
- ⅓ cup red onion diced
- ½ cup chickpeas
- ½ cup mozzarella pearls optional
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- ⅛ teaspoon dill
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix the chopped cucumber and tomato, diced red onion, chickpeas, and mozzarella (if using) in a large bowl.
- Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, parsley, garlic salt, dill, and black pepper. Toss, taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Chill before serving.
Nutrition
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Chef Dennis
I'm loving that Balsamic Parsley Dressing! I will be making this salad today.
Jill
Such a delicious recipe!
Keiko
This was so delicious! I didn't have any chickpeas so I added a little extra tomatoes. I used less dressing ingredients and just added until I liked the taste. Super easy, simple salad that I added last minute to dinner. Will definitely save this recipe. I forgot to include the dill so will try it with next time.
Mary
Will totally be taking this to post pandemic picnics!
Michelle
Such a delicious, easy and fresh salad -- perfect for summer!
Diana Reis
I make something like this during the summer, but I've never added chickpeas. It's a great add. I'll be doing it that way from now on.
Jessica Formicola
I love how simple and easy this is to throw together! I also love that dressing- perfect for summer!
Rika
I think this salad is perfect for spring! It looks so fresh, light, and refreshing.