Every summer my parents would have a beautiful garden in the back yard. 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. (Sorry, I just love descriptors!)
Now there are tons of variations on this recipe. You can add in some chopped fresh herbs like dill or parsley.
I typically use vegetable oil for it’s mild flavor, but swapping that out for olive oil or another flavored oil will drastically change the flavor.
You can even do like Mom did so many times and swap all of the homemade dressing out for a premade, bottled Italian or Greek dressing. It adds a totally different flavor and makes an easy dish even easier.
It’s 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.
For this, 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, they’re 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 in 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.
I also like lots of black pepper in this salad, but feel free to reduce it (or even increase it) to your liking.
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.
Y’all enjoy!
Tomato, Cucumber, and Onion Salad
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 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.
Mary Hyde says
Super delicious
Stacey says
Glad you enjoyed it!!
Bonnie Bee says
I grew up in the South with summer salad… mmmmmm.. someone recently suggested I add a little dried mint.. and wow.. it takes it to another level!!! Love all of your wonderful recipes and stories!!!
Stacey says
Thank YOU, Bonnie, for the kind words! And I will certainly try some mint next time!
DIANE C. says
keep this in my fridge all summer long…..my neighbor keeps me supplied with cherry tomatoes and regular cucumbers…..only difference is I add celery seed to mine and change up the vinegars I use with each batch
Stacey says
Lucky you! Love the celery seed idea to add extra flavor!
Dorothy Curto says
Always make this in the summer with my fresh garden tomatoes and cucumbers or buy at local farm stand ( support our local farmers) Use a fresh lemon and oil dressing and I am
in HEAVEN!
Stacey says
That sounds amazing!!
John says
There’s a national recall on onions right now due to a salmonella outbreak. Bad time to promote this recipe and possibly sicken people.
MG says
I think people are smart enough to use their best judgement.
Stacey says
Lord, I sure hope folks have the sense enough to watch out for stuff like that.
Vicki McCullough says
Hey John,
Did you ever see an old TV show called Hee Haw? They used to sing a sad old song called “Gloom and Doom and Agony on End.” Somehow, that song popped into my head when I read your comment.
You have a nice day, now, and stay away from those killer onions!
Stacey says
😂
Malcolm B Cox says
the recipe is great!
Stacey says
Thanks so much, Malcolm!
Mike says
I won’t come back here again. TOO MSMY ADS!! Couldn’t even see the recipe because the ads blocked it. Good bye.
Stacey says
I’m so sorry to hear about your frustration. I know they can be aggravating, but running a website like this that gets millions of folks visiting each month is expensive. Not to mention the costs associated with running the test kitchen, ingredients, camera equipment, etc.
Those ads, as aggravating as they are, help keep the 1,000+ recipes on SouthernBite.com free for you. Anytime you support a small business, you’re helping that small business owner feed his family. Bearing with those ads is supporting my small business and supporting my family as a result. So we certainly thank you for that.
Cindy Hughes Cindy says
I love ❤️ your recipes and would love some information on your cookbook. Price and how to send payment. I live in Camden, your grandma and are good friends. Thank you 🙏🏻!!
Stacey says
Hi Cindy! Thanks so much for your kind words! My book is currently sold out, but I hope to have news about that very, very soon! You can find more info about the book and sign up to be one of the first notified when I have news here: https://southernbite.com/southern-bite-cookbook-150-irresistible-dishes-4-generations-familys-kitchen/
I’ll be sure to mention to Nana that I heard from you!