This Cucumber & Tomato Salad is an easy, no cook lunch that has the taste of an everything bagel breakfast sandwich without the actual bagel or cream cheese. Instead, it features thin slices of cucumbers, red onion, tomatoes, capers, and smoked salmon.
Toss the veggies and fish with a ‘salad dressing’ of extra virgin olive oil and some everything bagel seasoning (EBTB from Trader Joe’s is our favorite!) for the perfect, light, healthy side dish or lunch salad that checks all the boxes!
This is one of those summer salads that will be on repeat all season long!
Ingredients For Cucumber & Tomato Salad With Smoked Salmon
- Cucumber: Either 1 English cucumber or 2-3 small mini Persian cucumbers thinly sliced into rounds or peeled using a vegetable peeler.
- Fresh tomatoes: Halved cherry or grape tomatoes hold their shape the best, but you can use any variety of fresh juicy tomatoes you like!
- Red onion, thinly sliced into half moons
- Smoked salmon:
- Drained capers: Do not underestimate the impact these briny little caper berries add to the dish! So crucial!
- Thinly sliced scallion: Because we’re going for the flavor of ‘everything bagel’ here
- A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil: Not too much, as smoked salmon is already oily, just enough to ‘dress’ the salad and mix it all evenly.
- And lastly, everything bagel seasoning blend: That classic combination of dried garlic, dried onion, flaky salt, poppyseeds, and sesame seeds.
Most salads have a dressing or vinaigrette, but this one is dressed simply with EVOO — no vinegar is necessary, given the salty briny acidity from the capers!
Easy, No Cook Cucumber Salad Recipe
Thinly slice a cucumber (or multiple, if using mini cukes) with a veggie peeler, then place in a large bowl with remaining salad ingredients. Toss the tomato-cucumber salad until everything is very well mixed.
You can add some fresh herbs if you like — chopped parsley or fresh dill are obvious choices! — but it’s absolutely not necessary. If we happen to have ripe avocado on hand, we sometimes cube that and add it to the mix.
You can enjoy the cucumber & tomato salad immediately or refrigerate for an hour before serving. If you wait much longer, the thin slices of cucumber will start to soften too much and lose their crisp texture.
How Long Will This Cucumber & Tomato Salad Keep?
Once you toss all the ingredients with olive oil, the cucumber will begin to soften. Store in a refrigerator until ready to eat. We recommend enjoying within 1-2 hours. You can certainly cut or slice the cucumber into thicker pieces — like rounds, instead of long, thin slices — and it should maintain its texture for longer!
Variations
- Add cheese! You can add goat cheese or crumbled feta cheese!
- Avocado! If you have ripe avocado, cut it into cubes or dice, then stir in for added richness and protein.
- Fresh herbs! Fresh dill, chopped fresh parsley, or fresh basil are all great additions to this salad.
Tips For The Best Cucumber Salad
- Don’t dress the cucumber salad too early! Doing so will begin to soften the cucumber, and you want it to retain its crunch. Dress within 1 hour of serving.
- Use cherry or grape tomatoes! While any tomato variety can be used, these smaller tomatoes have a firmer flesh and won’t lose their shape or become mushy.
- Leave the skin on the cucumber! This comes down to personal preference, but it’s aesthetically pleasing to see the dark green and light green peels in the salad!
We cannot recommend this salad enough. Not only does it have a quick prep time and is no cook, but it’s absolutely loaded with flavor!
If you make this Cucumber Tomato Salad recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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More summer recipes to try!
- Watermelon Feta Salad
- Israeli Couscous Recipe
- Tomato Mozzarella Salad
- Grilled Eggplant Skewers
- Butter Lettuce Salad
- BLT Salad
- Cucumber Gazpacho
Cucumber and Tomato Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber cut into thirds, lengthwise, then thinly sliced with a vegetable peeler
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 4 oz smoked salmon cut or ripped into small, bite size pieces
- 1 scallion thinly sliced
- ¼ medium red onion thinly sliced into half moons
- 1 Tbsp capers drained
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp everything bagel seasoning blend plus more for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Assemble the cucumber salad. Combine all salad ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Toss the salad, then serve. Give everything a good toss to thoroughly mix, then divide between two plates. Serve immediately, with additional everything bagel seasoning, if desired.
Let us know your thoughts!