Tomato, Cucumber, and Onion Salad

Every summer my parents would have a beautiful garden in the backyard. Some years it was a large one with okra, corn, beans, squash, and cucumbers. I even remember growing carrots one year. Other years it was a smaller patch, but it almost always had tomatoes. Tomatoes are pretty easy to grow down here and are prolific in the Southern summer heat. 

So there weren’t many meals that didn’t include fresh tomatoes in some form – whether it was Tomato Cracker Salad or something like this Tomato, Cucumber, & Onion Salad. This cool, crisp, and tangy salad is quick, easy, and was a summer staple at our house. Our family loves it so much, I just had to share it with y’all!

How to make this salad your own:

Now there are tons of variations on this recipe. Here are just a few ideas for you to try:

• Add herbs! You can add in some chopped fresh herbs like dill, parsley, or basil. The sky is the limit!
• Change up the oil! While I typically use vegetable oil for its mild flavor, you could easily swap that out for olive oil or another flavored oil that you prefer. Each one can drastically change the flavor.
• Try a store-bought dressing! You can even do like Mom did so many times and swap all of the homemade dressing ingredients out for a pre-made, bottled Italian or Greek dressing. It adds a totally different flavor and makes an easy dish even easier. 
• Adjust the pepper! One thing worth noting, I like lots of black pepper in this salad. And, I mean LOTS of pepper! But, feel free to reduce it (or even increase it) to your liking. 
• Nix the tomatoes all together! Not a tomato fan? Then you should try my other cucumber salads, like my Simple Cucumber and Onion Salad, Creamy Cucumber Salad, or my Garlic Soy Cucumber Salad. 

How to store Tomato, Cucumber, and Onion Salad:

First off, I highly recommend you actually store this dish in the fridge before you serve it. This is just one of those dishes that benefits from some time in the fridge to allow all the flavors to develop and soak into the vegetables. I like it better after a few hours, but 30 minutes is enough if you just can’t wait. 

If you are thinking of making this salad ahead of time, that’s totally fine. But, I would only make it about a day ahead of when you plan to serve. Just be sure to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

As for leftovers, you could store this salad in the fridge for up to three days after you assemble it. Any longer than that, you run the risk of your vegetables getting a bit soggy and the salad losing its crispiness.

What type of cucumbers should I use in Tomato, Cucumber, and Onion Salad?

For this salad, you can use the large English cucumbers that are common in the grocery store, but I much prefer the smaller, pickling, or Kirby cucumbers. I just like the flavor better. And since that’s what Mom and Dad normally grew in their garden, that’s what I like best.

When prepping, I like to leave just a sliver of the peel on the cucumber as I peel it to add a little color contrast to the salad as shown. Some folks don’t peel the cucumbers at all, and if you have a thin-skinned cucumber, I think that’s totally fine. Y’all enjoy! 

Recipe:

Course: Side Dish

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 148 kcal

Ingredients

• ▢1 English cucumber (or 2 to 3 Kirby cucumbers) peeled and thinly sliced
• ▢3 garden fresh tomatoes, cut into wedges
• ▢1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
• ▢1 cup white vinegar
• ▢2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
• ▢1/4 cup water
• ▢1 tablespoon sugar
• ▢1 teaspoon salt
• ▢1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

• ▢In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions.
• ▢In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, water, sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and gently toss to coat. Cover and store in the refrigerator (tossing a few times) for at least 1 hour before serving.