Mediterranean Cucumber Salad
This is my (current) favourite Cucumber Salad. With a can’t-miss combination of fresh Mediterranean flavours – garlicky lemon dressing, fresh dill and mint, salty crumbled feta – it’s good enough for firm and quick enough for dinner tonight.
- 500g / 1 lb Lebanese cucumbers (, ~3 medium, sliced in 3-4mm / 1/8" thick (US: Persian cucumbers, mini cucumbers in the UK) - Note 1)
- 1/4 red onion (, finely sliced)
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh dill ((Note 2 if you don't have))
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh mint ((Note 2 if you don't have))
- 1/3 cup (50g) crumbled Greek feta ((Note 3))
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice ((substitute white or red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar))
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove (, crushed using garlic press or finely grated using microplane)
- 1/4 heaped tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- Dressing - Shake the ingredients in a jar until well combined (or whisk in a bowl). Set aside to let the flavours meld while you chop.
- Toss - Put the cucumbers, herbs, onion and most of the feta in a bowl (reserve a bit for topping). Add dressing and toss.
- Serve - Pour into a serving bowl. Top with remaining feta and serve straight away, though it keeps well for an hour, and I still enjoy it the next day (it becomes semi-pickled).
I adore the combination of mint and dill, they make cucumbers taste even more refreshing, especially with a fresh lemon dressing. But I’m sharing my swap-out options too, since I don’t always have fresh herbs, or a lemon.
For the salad Cucumbers – I prefer using Lebanese cucumbers in this salad because it’s juicier and the skin is soft enough to eat without peeling. If you use the long ones (telegraph / continental / English cucumbers), the skin can be a little tough so you might want to do zebra stripe peels or completely peel.
Instead, add an extra 1/4 teaspoon of salt into the dressing (essential, as it’s light on dressing because there’s salt in the feta). If you want, give the salad another point of interest, like lemon zest (add this into the dressing) or chopped olives. Fresh dill and mint – This combination is just everything to bring bright freshness to salads!
Dill is a natural friend of cucumber while mint makes the whole salad taste extra fresh. If you don’t have fresh herbs , add dried herbs into the dressing instead – dill, mint or oregano.
Substitute with finely sliced green onion. 2. lemon garlic dressing Lemon, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper is all you need – in the right proportions! I only use 1/4 heaped teaspoon of salt, not much for the mound of cucumbers.
How to make Mediterranean Cucumber Salad The jar-shaking method is my favourite way to make dressings since it’s quick and mixes everything together really well so the oil and vinegar don’t separate. This will give the garlic a chance to meld into the dressing (it only needs a few minutes).
Salad – Put all the salad ingredients in a bowl except a bit of feta, save it for sprinkling on at the end. It's so refreshing, loaded with Mediterranean flavours – garlicky lemon dressing, fresh dill and mint, salty crumbled feta. Toss – Put the cucumbers, herbs, onion and most of the feta in a bowl (reserve a bit for topping).
Cucumber type – I prefer using Lebanese cucumbers as the skin is soft enough to eat without peeling. You could in addition use the long ones (telegraph / continental / English cucumbers), but I’d recommend doing zebra stripe peels or completely peeling, as the skin can be thicker. 2.
If you don’t have them, add 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano in the dressing instead (gives it a tasty Greek Salad savour). 3. Feta – add 1/4 tsp extra salt in dressing if you skip the feta. Give it a good toss then drain off the excess liquid (you won’t need dressing as the cucumbers will have absorbed the salt).