Cucumber Tomato Salad is a light and refreshing side dish.
It’s made with cucumbers, tomatoes, seasonings drizzled with a homemade Italian dressing.
Serve this classic southern side dish with barbecue or with your favorite meal.
EDITOR’S NOTE (July 28, 2020): PIN here on Pinterest. Watch video tutorial on my Facebook fan page.
The homemade Italian dressing is my twist on a popular Epicurious recipe.
A SOUTHERN CLASSIC
In the south, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes are served with or without salad dressing.
Sometimes, lightly sprinkled with salt and black pepper (my favorite).
CUCUMBER VARIETIES
Did you know there are 6 Popular Cucumber Varieties?
Get the scoop by reading Taste of Home’s informative article online.
For this recipe, I used American Slicing Cucumbers.
Although delicious, the skin class is bitter and not edible.
Read more about tomatoes in this informative article from Taste of Home.
The Tomato Lover’s Guide To Every Type Of Tomato has fascinating facts about tomatoes.
There are countless varieties and a range of delicious flavors.
Tomatoes are versatile. Perfect for grilling and roasting. Also superb on their own as a healthy snack.
These antioxidant powerhouses add a delicious burst of flavor to meals.
ROMA TOMATOES
Roma tomatoes are meaty, loaded with fresh flavor, and not tart (aka sour) like some other varieties.
This quintessential Italian plum tomato is perfect in sauces, stews and tomato paste. Excellent grilled or roasted in the oven.
MY AUNT’S FAVORITE TOMATO SANDWICH
I prepare meals for my precious aunt who loves cucumber tomato salad and a tomato sandwich.
Oooooooh my goodness!
Two slices of wheat bread are lightly slathered with mayo.
Sandwiched in between are 2-3 slices of tomatoes.
She likes her sandwich sliced in half.
Sometimes, she’ll request a sliced onion on top of the tomatoes.
It’s a pleasure watching her devour what she calls a “mighty good” tomato sandwich.
ENJOY!
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Copy recipe link in the address bar and add it to their calculator.
No need to type each ingredient.
Cucumber Tomato Salad
Ingredients
Homemade Italian Dressing
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Or use light olive oil.
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar Or use white wine vinegar.
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley Use 2 tablespoons if preferred.
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Or use bottled lemon juice.
- 1/2 small garlic clove, chopped Use more garlic if preferred.
- 1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- salt to taste
- groud black pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional) Mellows taste of vinegar and lemon.
Cucumbers and Tomatoes
- 3 cucumbers I used American Slicing Cucumbers. See recipe notes.
- 3 Roma tomatoes Or use preferred variety.
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper.
- Can be prepared ahead 1 day. Cover and refrigerate.
- Dressing is good for about 7 days if stored in an airtight container. Keep refrigerated before and after using.
Cucumbers and Tomatoes
- Thoroughly rinse cucumbers and tomatoes. Dry with paper towels or clean kitchen towel.
- Cut off ends of cucumbers. Peel. Discard peelings. Slice into preferred thickness. Place prepared cucumbers in medium-sized bowl. See Recipe Notes for cucumber scoring tips.
- Cut off tops of tomatoes. Slice tomatoes into preferred size. Add slices to bowl with cucumbers.
- Before serving season with salt and ground black pepper (optional). Drizzle with cold Italian dressing.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container. Will keep in fridge 2-3 days. Any longer, the cucumbers will soften.
Notes
Scoring is scraping all sides of cucumber with fork to form long stripes. 
I like to make peeled cucumbers look pretty by scoring with a fork before slicing.