Feta Cucumber Herb Salad (Printable)
Crisp cucumber, creamy feta, and fresh herbs tossed in a zesty lemon dressing. A Mediterranean classic ready in minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2 large cucumbers, sliced into half-moons
02 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
→ Dairy
04 - 5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
→ Fresh Herbs
05 - 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
06 - 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
07 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
→ Dressing
08 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
09 - 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
10 - 1 tsp red wine vinegar
11 - 1 garlic clove, minced
12 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
# How to Make It:
01 - In a large salad bowl, combine the sliced cucumbers, red onion, and cherry tomatoes if using.
02 - Add the crumbled feta cheese, chopped dill, mint, and parsley to the bowl.
03 - In a small jar or bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
04 - Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss gently to combine and evenly coat everything.
05 - Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend together.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It comes together in fifteen minutes flat with not a single appliance required, which means almost zero cleanup on a hot day.
- The combination of creamy, salty feta against crisp, watery cucumber is the kind of contrast that keeps you standing over the bowl eating forkful after forkful before it even reaches the table.
02 -
- Cucumbers release water fast once salted, so if you need to make this ahead keep the dressing separate and toss everything together no more than an hour before serving or you will end up with a puddle at the bottom of the bowl.
- The quality of your olive oil is the single biggest variable in this recipe, and a flat or rancid oil will drag every other ingredient down with it.
03 -
- Use a vegetable peeler to strip alternating strips of skin off the cucumber before slicing, which makes the half moons look striped and slightly more elegant with zero extra effort.
- Let the dressing sit for five minutes after whisking before pouring it on, because the garlic needs a moment to mellow in the acid and the flavors will taste more rounded.