Cucumber and Feta Salad
Easy Cucumber Salad with a Feta Vinaigrette is the PERFECT summertime side. With minimal ingredients and an easy homemade vinaigrette, this salad is delicious and super easy to make! Makes 4-6 servings, but can easily be doubled or tripled.
Love cucumbers this time of year? Be sure to check out these Cucumber Finger Sandwiches, TRISCUIT Crackers Cucumber Bites and Mediterranean Cucumber Salad.
Anyone else OBSESSING over Cucumber Season? And, like, all the things you can possibly do with cucumbers? (OK, so maybe it’s just me, but honestly, we love cucumbers in this house, and I love shaking things up from just eating the slices raw.)
So today, I’m sharing a take on a recipe my family has been enjoying for years.
I love this Easy Cucumber Salad because it’s refreshing and easy to make. While it’s a little different than the one my family has made because I make a homemade vinaigrette to drizzle on it, the spirit of this dish is the same.
With the summer heat upon us, I wanted to share a light dish with y’all. The crunchiness of a fresh cucumber paired with a homemade vinaigrette with tons of spices and feta cheese is utter perfection.
So let’s make this goodness, mmmkay?
Other easy summertime side dishes that are perfect for many occasions: Strawberry Melon Salad | Greek Bruschetta | Roasted Tomato Salsa
What you’ll need to make Easy Cucumber Salad with a Feta Vinaigrette
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How to Make Feta Cucumber Salad
First and foremost, we’re going to peel the cucumbers with a vegetable peeler. You want to remove a majority of the skin so that the cucumber rounds will soak up the flavors of the homemade vinaigrette we make.
Next, run a fork down the flesh of the cucumbers to create ridges in it. Yes, I know this sounds silly, but this is my dad’s longtime trick for the tastiest cucumber salad ever, and we do it in our household, too. (We like to think that creating these ridges in the cucumbers help them soak up more of the vinaigrette.)
Slice the cucumbers into thin rounds, then transfer to a serving bowl, and set ’em aside.
Next, we’ll make the feta vinaigrette. In a mason jar, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, feta cheese, garlic powder, oregano, basil, black pepper, salt and onion powder. Shake the mason jar vigorously until the ingredients are combined.
Now, you’ll pour the vinaigrette on top of the cucumbers, and let them soak for up to 3 hours before serving and enjoying.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
This easy cucumber salad is a family tradition in my family because it’s incredibly simple to make for a crowd but also wonderfully delicious, too.
- Make it in advance. The easy cucumber salad and vinaigrette can hang out together in a serving bowl before the cucumbers will lose their crunch, so keep them separate if you’re making this well in advance.
- Double the recipe. Feta Cucumber Salad never lasts long in our house (and for good reason!) If you’re sharing this with another family, I highly suggest making more of it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh herbs in the feta vinaigrette?
Sure! If you’re using fresh herbs, please note that they’re not as potent as the dried ones. Double what the recipe calls for if using fresh herbs in place of the dried ones.
I don’t like feta. Can I use a different cheese in the dressing?
If substituting out the feta cheese, I’d use something like parmesan.
If you don’t eat cheese, you can certainly leave out the cheese altogether and the vinaigrette would be tasty that way, too.
Is this Easy Cucumber Salad creamy?
While we have a creamy element (feta) in this recipe, I don’t consider this a Creamy Cucumber Salad.
Is there a specific cucumber I need to use for this salad?
Nope! Use whatever cucumber you have on hand! Just know that you might need a different number, depending on how large or small your cucumbers are.
My favorite cucumbers to use are English cucumbers (pictured in this post) or garden cucumbers.
What can I serve with this summer salad?
Since this recipe has a Mediterranean twist, thanks to the spices and feta cheese, you could easily pair it with the following dishes to create a meal that tastes like you’re traveling the globe:
- Homemade Garlic Hummus
- Grilled Chicken Shawarma
- Pantzaria me Skordalia (Roasted Beets with Garlic-Potato Spread)
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
That said, you can serve this cucumber salad alongside a Backyard Barbecue because it works well with BBQ dishes, as well. 🙂 You do you!
Quick Tips and Tricks for Feta Cucumber Salad
- Chop your cucumbers and make the vinaigrette in advance. Two to three hours before serving, toss them together so the cucumbers can soak up some of the vinaigrette flavors. (If making earlier on, store them separately until you toss them. The cucumbers will lose their crunch if they soak in the vinaigrette for too long.)
- Store the easy cucumber salad leftovers in a food-safe storage container in the refrigerator. While the cucumbers will become softer the longer they sit, they are still tasty!
Here’s how you can make it for your own celebration:
Cucumber Salad with Feta Vinaigrette
Easy Cucumber Salad with Feta Vinaigrette is the PERFECT summertime side. With minimal ingredients and an easy homemade vinaigrette, this salad is delicious and super easy to make!
Ingredients
- 4 medium-sized cucumbers or 2 large English cucumbers, about 4½ cups when chopped
Feta Vinaigrette
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard, coarse ground
- ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon dried basil
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Peel the cucumbers with a vegetable peeler. Run a fork down the flesh of the cucumber to create ridges in it. (This is a trick my dad uses to help the cukes soak up some of the dressing.)
- Slice the cucumbers into thin rounds, then transfer to a large serving bowl. Set aside.
- In a mason jar, combine the ingredients for the Feta Vinaigrette. Once all measured in, place the lid on the mason jar, and shake vigorously until combined. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
- Pour the vinaigrette on top of the cucumbers, then toss with a spoon to ensure all the cucumbers are coated, and serve.
Notes
If you're making this (well) in advance, store the cucumbers and dressing separate until it's time for serving. However, the ingredients can all be mixed together 2-3 hours beforehand to really soak in the flavors.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 231Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 373mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 2g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.
The photos and recipe for this Easy Cucumber Salad with Feta Vinaigrette were originally published on June 23, 2014. The photographs, along with the text of this blog post, were updated on July 6, 2020.
My family normally makes cucumber salads with the following recipe: Cucumbers + mayo. Needless to say, this sounds a million times better! Love the sound of that feta dressing.
Oh wow! I’d have never thought to put mayonnaise on cucumbers… that sounds interesting. My family is a big proponent of cucumbers + Italian dressing. So to each his own.
This feta dressing is awesome. I’ve had it on the cucumbers. I’ve also slathered it on salmon. I’ve even put it on a sandwich. … It’s gooooood.
Yum! Feta is my favorite, and cucumbers are the most refreshing summer treat. This looks so simple and fresh!
I love feta, too, and I’m happy you think this looks simple and fresh! Cucumbers are some of my favorite things to eat in the summertime, and they don’t require hardly any work! Thanks for stopping by, Megan!
Yay for cucumber salads! My mom used to make a really simple one that was just cucumbers, red onion, and vinegar (?? that’s all I can remember, anyway), and we all loved it and scarfed down huge bowls all the time. This sounds so refreshing — definitely perfect for summer!
Yes! Hooray for cucumber salads! Your mom’s simple one that was cucumbers, red onion and vinegar sounds amazingly delicious and the perfect way to consume this summer veggie. I think when it comes to cucumbers, the more simple, the better! Yum.
This looks like such a tasty, elegant salad Erin! I’ve made a couple of cucumber pickles for pulled pork rolls etc but I’ve never eaten a bowl of cucumber salad like this one. I will definitely try it. Thanks for sharing your family’s version with us… the feta dressing sounds so yum! xx
Thank you, sweet Laura! Cucumbers are one of my favorite summertime vegetables, and they certainly don’t need a lot to make them extra delicious. Your cucumber pickles for pulled pork rolls sound amazing… are you sharing that recipe soon?
Let me know what you think of this when you give it a go! My family always makes a version with Italian dressing, but since I was in a mood for feta, I decided to change things up and make it Greek. They’re both equally delicious!
It looks FANTASTIC and sound super delicious
I need to make it, I have everything at home
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