Feta Cucumber Herb Salad (Printable)
Crisp cucumbers, creamy feta, and fresh herbs tossed in a bright lemon vinaigrette for a light Mediterranean side.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
02 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
→ Dairy
04 - 5.3 oz feta cheese, crumbled
→ Fresh Herbs
05 - 1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
06 - 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
07 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
→ Dressing
08 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
09 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
11 - 1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste
12 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
# Directions:
01 - In a large salad bowl, combine the thinly sliced cucumbers, red onion, and halved cherry tomatoes.
02 - Add the crumbled feta cheese and chopped fresh herbs — dill, mint, and parsley — to the bowl.
03 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper until fully emulsified.
04 - Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine, taking care to keep the feta in small chunks rather than breaking it down.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It takes exactly fifteen minutes from fridge to table and requires zero cooking, which means you can make it while your guests are already walking through the door.
- The combination of creamy feta with sharp lemon and vinegar dressing hits every flavor note you want on a hot day without feeling heavy.
02 -
- If you dress the salad too far ahead the cucumbers will weep and dilute everything, so add the vinaigrette no more than thirty minutes before eating.
- Crushing the dried herbs between your palms before adding them releases their oils, but fresh herbs are so superior here that you should only fall back on dried as a last resort.
03 -
- Slice the cucumbers thinly but not paper thin because you want a real snap when you bite into them, somewhere around an eighth of an inch is the sweet spot.
- Let the dressed salad sit for five minutes before serving because that brief rest gives the herbs time to bloom and the flavors to marry without the vegetables going soft.