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There’s nothing better than the tangy, salty kick of this cucumber feta salad! It’s perfect for lunches, picnics, summer barbecues and more.
There’s nothing better than the cooling crunch of cucumber salad, but my personal favorite? Take up this summer classic with the punch of salty cheese. It’s simple and no-frills with a punch of tangy vinegar and a salty burst of feta in every bite!
Thinly sliced shallots add a note of savory onions, and it’s seasoned liberally with salt and pepper. It’s the best crunchy pairing for just about any meal: it’s great for lunches, picnics, summer barbecues and more!
Ingredients in cucumber feta salad
There are loads of ways to make a cucumber salad. In fact, most often I make this cucumber salad with vinegar, where thin slices of cucumber and onion are marinated in a vinegar dressing for an hour before serving. But this new cucumber feta salad is even easier: simply mix the cucumbers with olive oil, vinegar, feta and a few herbs and you can eat immediately. Here’s what you’ll need:
- English cucumbers
- Shallot
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Feta cheese
- Fresh herbs: chives, dill or other
- Salt and pepper
Why to use English cucumber
The best type of cucumber to use in this cucumber feta salad? English cucumber, aka Persian cucumber. It’s got a much better flavor and texture that works well in this salad. Here’s why we prefer it here:
- English cucumbers are long and straight, with a thin skin with ridges. The seeds are very small and the flavor is sweeter than a standard cucumber. The flesh has a bright green color, which looks lovely in salads! The best part: because of the thin skin and small seeds, it doesn’t need to be peeled or seeded before eating. You can find English cucumbers next to the standard cucumber in the produce section: it’s sold with a plastic covering to protect the delicate skin.
- Standard slicing cucumbers are shorter, with thick, dark green skin and very large seeds. The thick skin and seeds can be bitter, so they’re often removed when cooking. You can use it here, but you’ll need to peel and seed it first. But we highly recommend seeking out the English variety.
Herbs to add
This cucumber feta salad is best with a handful of fresh herbs. There are a few great options that work best here:
- Fresh chives work well
- Fresh dill pairs well with cucumbers
- Fresh basil adds a peppery kick
- Fresh oregano also works
What to avoid? Woody, strong herbs like rosemary, sage, and even thyme don’t pair well with cucumber: they have a darker, moodier flavor than you’d want in this fresh salad.
Dietary notes
This cucumber feta salad recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.
Simple Cucumber Feta Salad
There’s nothing better than the tangy, salty kick of this cucumber feta salad! It’s perfect for lunches, picnics, summer barbecues and more.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Salad
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 English cucumbers
- 1 shallot
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 ounces feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (like chives or dill)
- Fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Thinly slice the cucumbers into half circles. Thinly slice the shallot. In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers and shallot with the olive oil, red wine vinegar, kosher salt, feta cheese, chopped herbs, and several grinds of black pepper.
- Eat immediately or allow to stand for 15 minutes for the flavors to meld. Stores up to 3 days refrigerated; it accumulates liquid during storage so serve with a slotted spoon.
Other cucumber salads to try
There are so many ways to build a cucumber salad! I hope you love this one. If you’re looking for more ways to use cucumber, here are a few more ideas:
Does the picture of the salad show crescents of white onions ?
Will it take simple math to reduce this recipe down to 2 servings.
Bachelor, with occasional company . Lastly could I pack this for a picnic ?
This is a problem that complicates dishes .
The picture shows and the description mentions shallots, but they aren’t in the recipe. So how much shallot should be added?
It looks like the photos have shallots and briefly mentioned in the post but I don’t see any listed in the recipe. Is that optional?
Great question! We have updated the recipe — just 1 shallot! Thank you for noticing! It is definitely optional but you can also add it if desired.
Thank you for tonights dinner.
Let us know if you have any questions!
This was so easy to make and delicious. Going to add red onion and chickpeas next time for a complete meal 😋