This Cucumber Feta Salad has plenty of Mediterranean flavors! With healthy vegetables and a sweet vinaigrette dressing, it’s perfect for a quick and easy side dish.
Whether you serve it with grilled chicken burgers or skirt steak, or as a healthy vegetarian lunch, everyone loves this salad. It’s easy to make and it tastes fantastic with nearly everything.
Which feta cheese is best for salad?
You may be surprised to know how many people aren’t aware that there are several varieties of feta cheese. Traditionally, the cheese was a product of sheep’s milk, and sometimes goat’s milk. However, as the cheese became more popular in non-European countries, it was made with cow’s milk.
Because the processing is a bit different, some people believe that cow’s milk feta isn’t authentic. The fact is, cow’s milk feta is less salty than Greek feta, and it is also creamier.
In addition to the milk varieties, there are also two ways to process feta cheese. It is formed into curds using either animal rennet or vegetable rennet.
The type of feta cheese that’s best on a salad really depends on your personal preference. It can also depend on the type of salad, or rather, the flavors in it.
Crumbled feta is salty and creamy, making it the perfect cheese to use on this Greek salad. It pairs really well with cucumbers, Roma or grape tomatoes, red onion, and of course, kalamata olives. All of those veggies need a delicious dressing, and this salad recipe has one!
To help round out the flavors, we top the salad with homemade, honey-sweetened oil and vinegar dressing. It is absolutely delicious!
Feta Salad Ingredients and Substitutions
One great thing about this salad is that all of the ingredients are easy to find any time of the year. However, cucumber, onion and tomato salad with fresh garden vegetables are some of the best for summer picnics and cookouts.
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this easy feta salad:
- Feta cheese – As mentioned above, the variety of feta doesn’t matter, so use the one you enjoy!
- Romaine lettuce – Of course, you can substitute your favorite variety of lettuce. The darker the greens are, the healthier they are.
- English cucumbers – These are long, seedless cucumbers that are sold in the produce section, near the regular cucumbers. If you can’t find them, just use the regular cucumbers.
- Tomatoes – I like to use Roma tomatoes, but cherry, grape, and even heirloom tomatoes are also good choices.
- Red onion – I prefer red onion for its sweeter taste. It also has a nice crunch that you can’t always find in white and yellow onions.
- Fresh dill – The flavor of fresh dill marries the salad ingredients together, so try not to skip it!
How long will feta salad stay fresh?
If you store it in a covered container in the refrigerator, the salad should keep well for up to 4 days. You may get a day or two longer if you leave the dressing off until just before serving the salad.
Other Healthy Salad Recipes
Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 romaine lettuce
- 1 English cucumber
- 3 Roma tomatoes
- 1/2 red onion
- 2 Tbsp chopped dill
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2-1 Tbsp honey
- sea salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Finley slice romaine lettuce, then rinse and spin dry (make sure the lettuce is very dry so it doesn't water down the dressing later).
- Slice cucumber in half lengthwise, then again lengthwise, and cut into 1/4s (see video).
- Dice tomatoes.
- Thinly slice red onion and then cut thin slices in half to get about 1-2 inch-long thin stripes (see video).
- Remove leaves from stems of dill, discard stems and finely chop leaves.
- Add all chopped up ingredients into a large salad bowl, add crumbled feta and olives and set aside.
- For the dressing add olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, sea salt, and pepper to a sealable container and shake until well combined.
- Add dressing to salad minutes before serving, give a good toss and enjoy!
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Sharon Layton says
Oh this was delicious, goodbye tasteless salads.
Yummy thank you 😊
annlouise says
The Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad, I’m not able to have the RedWine vineger due to Sulfites. What can replace it? Thank you.
Lorena Grater says
Any other vinegar you like and can tolerate will be fine or even lemon juice.
Tom says
Delicious ice cold. The English cucumber creates great texture. It’s like eating a big crunchy, cheesy dill pickle. The salad is better with increasing the red wine vinegar to 2 tablespoons, but this is a keeper. Tastes like summer, and very healthy.
Amy FREEZE says
Love the article on feta!
Amy-Lyn says
Your photography is stunning, and this looks so fresh & beautiful & tasty! I love salad too, and eat a big one basically every day, but this “fancy” salad is one I will be trying soon!
Lorena says
Thank you Amy-Lyn! How very kind of you to write that :)