Tomato, Cucumber, and Feta Salad
Ripe July tomatoes and crisp cucumber with red onion, Kalamata olives, oregano, and good olive oil under a thick slab of feta.
Why you'll love Tomato, Cucumber, and Feta Salad
This is the salad Greek tavernas set on every table in summer, and it lives or dies by the tomatoes, which is why July is its month. Ripe, heavy tomatoes cut into big wedges, crisp cucumber, thin red onion, Kalamata olives, and dried oregano, with a slab of feta on top instead of crumbles, so you break off creamy, salty pieces as you eat.
The tomatoes make their own dressing. Salting them a few minutes before the rest of the salad goes together pulls out their juice, and that juice mixes with the olive oil and a splash of red wine vinegar at the bottom of the bowl into something worth chasing with a fork. With only sturdy vegetables in the bowl, it holds up for hours on a picnic table.
With a generous piece of feta in every serving it stands as a light lunch, and beside grilled fish or lamb it makes a full summer dinner.
Quick overview: This Tomato, Cucumber, and Feta Salad comes together in 15 min and makes 4 servings, each about 1 1/2 cups with a piece of feta.
Ingredients
- 2 lb ripe tomatoes, a mix of sizes and colors
- 1/2 tsp flaky or fine sea salt, divided
- 1 English cucumber or 4 Persian cucumbers
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives Label: olives, water, salt, and vinegar
- 7 oz block feta in brine
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano, divided
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut and salt the tomatoes: Core the tomatoes and cut them into large, irregular wedges, about 1 1/2 inches. Put them in a wide, shallow bowl and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Let them sit for 10 minutes. The salt draws their juice out, and that juice becomes the base of the dressing.
- Soak the onion: Put the sliced red onion in a small bowl of cold water while the tomatoes sit, then drain it and pat it dry. The soak rinses away some of the sulfur compounds that make raw onion sharp, so it tastes crisp and mild.
- Cut the cucumber: Halve the cucumber lengthwise and cut it into thick half-moons, about 1/2 inch. Thick pieces stay crunchy against the soft tomatoes.
- Assemble: Add the cucumber, onion, and olives to the tomatoes and their juices, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the oregano and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and turn everything gently with your hands.
- Dress: Drizzle the vinegar and most of the olive oil over the salad and toss once more. Taste a tomato and add a pinch more salt if it needs it.
- Top with feta: Lift the feta from its brine, pat it dry, and lay it over the salad as one slab or cut into four thick pieces. Drizzle the rest of the olive oil over the feta and finish with the remaining oregano and black pepper. Serve within the hour, with a spoon for the juices.
Storage and leftovers
This salad is best the day it is made. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 1 day; let them sit out for 20 minutes before eating so the tomatoes taste like tomatoes again.
Store whole tomatoes on the counter, stem side down, out of direct sun. The cold of the refrigerator dulls their flavor and turns the flesh mealy. Keep leftover feta submerged in its brine in the refrigerator and use it within a week.
Variations
- Green pepper: Add a thinly sliced green bell pepper, the way many tavernas do.
- Capers and herbs: Add a tablespoon of rinsed capers and a handful of torn mint or parsley.
- Cherry tomatoes: Late in the season, use halved cherry tomatoes when the big ones are past their best.
- Baked feta: Bake the slab of feta, drizzled with olive oil and oregano, at 400°F (200°C) for 10 minutes, and lay it warm over the cold salad.
Notes and tips
- Buy feta in a block: Block feta in brine is creamier and tangier than crumbles. Look for a label of sheep's milk, or sheep's and goat's milk, with salt, cultures, and rennet.
- Choose heavy tomatoes: A ripe tomato feels heavy for its size, gives slightly when pressed, and smells like a tomato at the stem.
- Use a serrated knife: A serrated knife cuts ripe tomatoes cleanly without crushing them.
- Check the olive label: Kalamata olives should read olives, water, salt, and vinegar.
Nutrition and mindful eating
- Ripe tomatoes bring vitamin C, potassium, and lycopene, the red pigment that your body absorbs best when it is eaten with fat, as it is here with olive oil.
- Feta brings protein, calcium, and real fat, which together make a salad of vegetables a meal that holds you.
- Cucumbers are mostly water, so the salad is crisp, cooling, and hydrating on a hot day.
- Olives and extra-virgin olive oil add more real fat and their own savory, fruity flavor.
- As you eat, notice the sweet tomato, the salty feta, and the sharp onion together, and check in afterward: as a lunch this salad should hold you about 3 hours, longer with grilled fish or meat beside it.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this Tomato, Cucumber, and Feta Salad? Start here, with the questions people ask most.
Does it need lettuce?
The traditional Greek version is built on tomatoes and cucumber alone, which keeps the salad sturdy enough to sit on the table for hours.
Can I use crumbled feta?
Yes, though block feta in brine has better flavor and texture. Pre-crumbled feta is often drier and may carry an anti-caking agent, so check the label.
What tomatoes are best?
Whatever is ripest at the market. Heirlooms, beefsteaks, and vine-ripened tomatoes all work, and a mix of colors looks beautiful.
Can I make it ahead?
Cut the cucumber, soak the onion, and pit the olives up to a day ahead. Cut and salt the tomatoes no more than an hour before serving.
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