Cucumber, Onion and Tomato Salad Recipe

This classic Cucumber, Onion and Tomato Salad is a refreshing summertime side dish that is often served at outdoor picnics, cookouts and holiday gatherings. However, it is one of those recipes that becomes a staple refrigerator item in our house during the months of June, July and August.

Fresh, crisp slices of cucumbers tossed with thinly sliced onion and chunks of tomatoes. Let the trio sit in a tangy dressing and you have a cool and refreshing salad that is great to serve on a hot summer day.

It makes for a perfect side dish for grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and pairs well with almost everything else! Although there are many variations on what type of dressing that you can use on your salad this simple combination is my favorite.

It has the perfect balance of the vinegar tang mixed with a little bit of sweetness that will have you craving this dish all summer long! And don’t worry if your garden tomatoes aren’t quite ripe yet.

Skip the tomatoes and make this a cucumber and onion salad. Then later in the summer when your tomatoes start to ripen, add them into the mix as well.

Cucumber, Onion and Tomato Salad Recipe

*Complete recipe instructions including specific measurements, cook temperatures and times are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to keep reading for helpful tips and tricks when making this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 medium size cucumbers (peeled and sliced into 1/8 inch thick rounds)
• 1 medium onion (sliced in half moons)
• 3 medium plum tomatoes (cut into bite-size wedges)
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar (or sugar substitute )
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

The first step in making this cucumber, onion, and tomato salad is to prepare the vegetables. Start by cutting the end off each side of the cucumbers.

Then you must decide whether or not you want to peel them. Although the skin of cucumbers contain many nutrients our family prefers to eat them with the peels removed.

However, the choice is completely up to you. It will not change how the cucumbers absorb the dressing that they are submerged in.

Whether you choose to peel the cucumber or not the next step is to slice each cucumber into 1/8 inch rounds. You can do this with a sharp knife or use a mandoline slicer.

However, if cucumbers typically cause bloating or indigestion for you or your family members, I would suggest you remove the seed core.

Do this by slicing the cucumber in half lengthwise and then use a spoon to scoop out the center of the cucumber. Then proceed with slicing the cucumber.

But instead of having cucumber circles, you will have cucumbers that resemble a thick crescent moon shape. Once the cucumbers are ready place them in a medium size bowl and set them aside while you slice the onion.

Cut The Onions

You can use any type of onion that you have on hand. However, different types of onions will impact the overall flavor of your cucumber, onion, and tomato salad.

If you prefer sweeter onions, use those. However, if you like red or white onions, it is okay to use those as well.

No matter what onion you choose, peel the skin off and then cut the onion in half from the top to the bottom. Then flip the cut side down and cut it into thin strips.

Once the onion has been cut, add the slivers to the bowl with the cucumbers.

Prepare The Tomatoes

Now it is time to cut the tomatoes. First, wash and core the tomatoes. Then cut the tomatoes into wedges using a serrated knife.

Again, you can use whatever variety of tomatoes that you have on hand. I prefer to use plum tomatoes because they have less seed core than other varieties.

However, in the middle of summer when my cherry tomato plants are out of control, I use those instead. Although I don’t add them in whole.

Instead, I slice them in half so that the tomato can fully absorb the vinegar/sugar dressing mixture. Once you have your tomatoes sliced, add them to the bowl with the cucumbers and onions.

Now it is time to prepare the dressing for your cucumber, onion, and tomato salad.

Dressing Instructions

In a small bowl add the vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Then whisk vigorously until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Feel free to adjust the sugar to your liking. The amount listed below (in the printable recipe card) is meant to be a guideline that pleases the average person.

However, tastes vary and the amount of sugar can vary as well. In addition, if you don’t want to use sugar at all you can leave it completely out or use a sugar substitute such as honey, stevia, or agave nectar.

Once the dressing has been made, pour the liquid mixture over top of the cumbers, onion and tomato salad. Then use tongs or a large spoon to toss the mixture well.

Before you place the salad in the refrigerator, be sure to submerge the veggies as much as possible in the vinegar/sugar mixture.

But don’t worry if they can’t all be covered in the liquid. Because as the mixture melds together, more liquid will be released by the veggies.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight for the best flavor.

Once you have eaten some of the cucumber, onion, and tomato salad, feel free to reuse the dressing. Simply add fresh veggies to the liquid mixture and refrigerate as instructed.

You can do this 2-3 times. After that, I would suggest discarding the vinegar mixture and start from scratch again.

Enjoy!

Mary and Jim