Tomato Cucumber Salad is a simple salad that is bursting with freshness and drizzled with a white balsamic dressing you can make in minutes.

Nothing beats a fresh salad, and this delicious and healthy dish combines the summery flavors of tomato, cucumber, and pickled red onion to create a zesty and refreshing side dish that will become an all-time family favorite.

Wedges of bright red tomatoes are mixed with cucumber and pickled red onions in a large green glass bowl with ornate wood salad servers.

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Take this salad to the next level and skip the bottled dressing and make your own white balsamic dressing that will be just as fresh as the salad.

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Why This Recipe Works
Ingredient Notes
Pro Tip for Peeling Tomatoes
How to Make Tomato Cucumber Salad with White Balsamic Dressing
How to Balance the Flavor of the Dressing
My Top Tips
Substitutions & Variations
Make-Ahead & Storage
More Salads with Vinaigrette Dressings You'll Love
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

Why This Recipe Works

The timeless combo of juicy tomatoes and crunchy cucumbers, with its vibrant colors and fresh flavor, is sure to bring the wow factor to your next meal.

Generally, both tomatoes and cucumbers are a small part of a fresh garden salad but they can be very successfully paired as the stars of their own salad duo. The juicy red tomatoes and crunchy green cucumbers are a great contrast in texture, plus the colors are visually stunning.

I then love to double down on the freshness by making a simple and tasty vinaigrette salad dressing starring white balsamic vinegar that adds a touch of sweetness and loads more flavor.

A chart showing the recipe for basic vinaigrette and 4 variations.

This quick and easy tomato-cucumber salad recipe is great for an outdoor picnic, a casual weeknight supper, or even an elegant dinner party.

So, let's cook!

Ingredient Notes

Tomato Cucumber Salad ingredients, clockwise from top left: English cucumber, tomatoes, pickled red onion, Dijon mustard, black pepper, salt, white balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.

Here's what you need for this Tomato Cucumber Salad with White Balsamic Dressing:

Tomatoes - Fresh tomatoes that are deep in color and firm to the touch are best. I use what is in season for my area.
English Cucumber - Also called "burpless", "seedless", and "greenhouse cucumbers, English cucumbers are less watery than other varieties and also have a thin skin and smaller seeds. These will not require peeling and seeding in this salad.
Pickled Red Onion - Sweet and savory pickled red onions can be made quickly and adds terrific flavor to this salad.
Olive Oil - I prefer to use cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil which has the best flavor for vinaigrette dressings.
White Balsamic Vinegar - White balsamic vinegar is less cloying than traditional balsamic vinegar and its lighter color will keep salads bright looking. The flavor is sweeter than apple cider vinegar and it may seem to be less acidic because it is sweeter. Brands vary in taste, so choose one you like. I like and use O California.
Dijon Mustard - This one ingredient will bring loads of flavor to the dressing and keep it from separating. You only need a little, but a jar stored in the fridge will easily keep for at least a year.
Salt - For the right amount of saltiness, just use regular Morton salt.
Black Pepper - Freshly ground black pepper is always best. It has lovely flowery notes that you don't get in pre-ground pepper.
Fresh Parsley (Optional) - A sprinkling of finely chopped fresh parsley is a pretty touch to the final dish but can be omitted.

Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

Pro Tip for Peeling Tomatoes

A fork is used to plunge a whole tomato into boiling water.

The peel of a tomato is easily removed with just a paring knife.

Use a fork to plunge a tomato into rapidly boiling water for 10 seconds. Starting from the stem end, use a paring knife to remove the peel which will easily come away from the tomato.

How to Make Tomato Cucumber Salad with White Balsamic Dressing

Process Photo 1 - Slicing peeled tomatoes into eighths on a white opaque cutting board.

Peel the tomatoes and cut each into 6 to 8 wedges.

Process Photo 2 - Slicing an English cucumber into bite sized pieces on an white opaque cutting board.

Cut the cucumber into 1-inch pieces.

Process Photo 3 - Mixing wedges of tomatoes and sliced cucumber in a large green glass bowl.

Gently mix the cut tomatoes and cucumber in a large bowl.

Process Photo 4 - Pickled red onion is added to the tomatoes and cucumbers in a large green glass bowl.

Scatter the pickled red onion through the salad.

Process Photo 5 - The vinaigrette dressing is mixed in a small glass jar.

To a small jar add the olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Add a lid to the jar and shake the dressing vigorously until it is well combined.

Process Photo 6 - The dressing is poured over the tomato cucumber salad.

Pour the dressing over the salad and garnish with a sprinkling of chopped fresh parsley.

Wedges of bright red tomatoes are mixed with cucumber and pickled red onions in a large green glass bowl.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

How to Balance the Flavor of the Dressing

The recipe for the white balsamic dressing is a tangy delicious vinaigrette and much of the flavor comes from the oil and the white balsamic vinegar. Both of these ingredients vary greatly in flavor from brand to brand.

If the flavor is too sharp from the vinegar you can add a very small amount of honey (½ teaspoon) to smooth the acidity.

My Top Tips

♡ Buy the freshest and most aromatic tomatoes and cucumber you can find.

♡ Make pickled red onions yourself! They are super quick and easy to make and last for weeks in the refrigerator.

Substitutions & Variations

Substitute a Neutral Flavored Oil. Instead of extra virgin olive oil, you can substitute any neutral flavored oil.
Substitute Fresh Red Onion. Instead of pickled red onions, you can use fresh red onions.
Substitute Rice Wine Vinegar. If you can't find white balsamic vinegar in your area, you can substitute rice wine vinegar and add a teaspoon of honey to the dressing.
Add Avocado. Cubes of ripe avocado are a delicious addition or substitution for the cucumber in this salad.

Close up view of wedges of bright red tomatoes are mixed with cucumber and pickled red onions in a large green glass bowl.

Make-Ahead & Storage

Make-Ahead - The Tomato Cucumber Salad can be made earlier in the day and so can the White Balsamic Dressing. Store both in the refrigerator, the dressing in the glass jar that you made it in, and the salad should be covered.
Serve - Remove both from the fridge a half hour before serving and add the dressing to the salad.
Storage - Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container for up to 2 days.

More Salads with Vinaigrette Dressings You'll Love

♡ Did you love this Tomato Cucumber Salad? Please leave a star rating and a comment below!

Tomato Cucumber Salad with White Balsamic Dressing