Cucumber Salad Recipe with Red Onion & Tomatoes

Crisp cucumbers, thinly sliced red onion, and halved cherry tomatoes get tossed in a simple oil-and-vinegar dressing for a cold side dish that comes together in minutes and needs zero time at the grill. It’s the kind of recipe I keep in rotation all summer. When the smoker’s already working overtime, the last thing I want is another pan on the stove. This one just sits on the counter and does its thing.

What Is Cucumber Salad

Cucumber salad is a raw, marinated vegetable salad built around sliced cucumber, typically tossed with onion, a acidic dressing, and herbs. Versions of it show up across a lot of cuisines. This one leans toward a Greek-style vinaigrette with oregano and dill, but it’s simple enough to adapt with whatever herbs you have on hand.

What you’ll need

• Cucumber: Sliced into half-moons or rounds, about 2 cups. Any slicing cucumber works (english cucumbers, persian cucumbers or pickling cucumbers). If you want them super thin, use a mandoline.
• Red Onion: Thinly sliced, about 1/8 inch. The thin slice matters here. It softens the bite so it doesn’t overpower the salad.
• Cherry Tomatoes: Halved. I use cherry tomatoes instead of Roma or slicing tomatoes because they hold their shape and don’t water down the dressing the way juicier tomatoes will.
• White Vinegar: The acid base for the vinaigrette.
• Oil: Any neutral or light olive oil works.
• Kosher Salt, Oregano, Dried Dill, Granulated Garlic: The seasoning blend. Fresh herbs work fine too if you want to swap in fresh oregano or dill.

Substitutions: Swap red onion for shallot if you want something milder, or use apple cider vinegar in place of white vinegar for a slightly softer tang.

See the full recipe card above for servings and a full list of ingredients.

How to Make Cucumber Salad

This one doesn’t touch the grill. It’s a make-ahead side you can prep while everything else is cooking outside.

Step 1: Prep the vegetables

Slice the cucumber, thinly slice the red onion, and halve the cherry tomatoes. Add all three to a large bowl.

Step 2: Make the vinaigrette

In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the white vinegar, oil, kosher salt, oregano, dried dill, and granulated garlic until combined.

Step 3: Toss

Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss until everything is evenly coated.

Step 4: Let it rest

Let the salad sit on the counter for 1 hour before serving. This gives the cucumber and onion time to soak up the dressing and mellow out.

How to Serve Cucumber Salad

Serve it straight from the bowl alongside grilled meats. It’s a natural fit next to anything smoky or char-grilled since the acidity cuts through richer flavors.

Storage

This salad is best made close to serving. You can refrigerate leftovers, but the oil in the vinaigrette will solidify when chilled, which changes the texture. If you’re making it ahead, I’d rather make it about an hour before serving and let it sit at room temperature than refrigerate it.

If you want to work really far in advance, slice all of the veggies and refrigerate them for 1-2 days. Then, toss in the dressing an hour before serving.

If you do refrigerate the salad, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. then, let it sit out for 20-30 minutes before serving so the oil loosens back up.