When the weather starts to warm up I start to crave salads with cooling ingredients like cucumbers. I always lean towards Mediterranean style salads so I thought I would round-up some of the best Mediterranean Cucumber Salads from around the internet to brighten up your Summer table.
What is the Mediterranean Diet?
The Mediterranean diet is eating in a similar way to those countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. The diet is rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, olive oil, whole grains and poultry with a small amount of red meat and sweets. It is not a restrictive diet at all, while being filled with nutrients, antioxidants and fibre.
Mediterranean Style Ingredients
To make a Mediterranean Cucumber Salad you will need some Mediterranean style ingredients. Popular ingredients from the Mediterranean diet include:
- fresh herbs like parsley, dill, basil, fresh mint, marjoram, oregano and thyme.
- veggies like cucumbers (Lebanese cucumbers or English cucumbers are both great!), mixed lettuce leaves, ice berg lettuce, all tomatoes including grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes and romaine lettuce), capsicum (red peppers), red onion and green beans.
- feta cheese, burrata or bocconcini
- kalamata olives or green olives
- red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- extra virgin olive oil
- legumes like chickpeas, lentils and butter beans
- whole grains like bulgur, quinoa, freekah or couscous
- Dijon mustard or wholegrain mustard
- dried oregano, dried thyme or dried marjoram
- sea salt and cracked black pepper
Protein Options
Some great ingredients to add protein to a Mediterranean salad are:
- grilled chicken
- salmon (smoked or grilled)
- beans and legumes
- nuts and seeds
Essential Equipment to Make Mediterranean Cucumber Salads
30+ Mediterranean Cucumber Salad Recipes
Chickpea Feta Cucumber Salad
Fresh, crunchy and filled with flavour, this delicious Chickpea Feta Cucumber Salad has everything you need for it to be a complete meal. With whole grains (quinoa), veggies, healthy fats and plenty of protein (19 grams per serve), this salad feels light while still filling you up.
Quinoa Lentil Salad
This Quinoa Lentil Salad is a delicious salad that is perfect for meal prep. With no lettuce, all of the ingredients in this salad will happily sit in the dressing and marinate. It stores well in the fridge for up to 4 days, making it a great salad to prep ahead for healthy lunches.
Chickpea Chicken Salad with Lemon Dressing
This chicken chickpea salad recipe is bright, fresh, herbaceous and so good! Perfect to meal prep for a healthy lunch, this Mediterranean chickpea salad has high protein chicken and chickpeas along with crunchy cucumber, fresh herbs, bursts of juicy cherry tomatoes, flavoursome Kalamata olives, red onion and feta, all drizzled in a zesty dressing.
Arugula Quinoa Salad
My Arugula Quinoa Salad Recipe is the perfect salad to go alongside dinner or to make as part of your meal prep for the week. With peppery arugula, nutty quinoa, juicy cherry tomatoes, salty feta cheese and Sicilian olives, all smothered in a wholegrain mustard and lemon salad dressing, this salad is bright, fresh and delicious!
Cucumber Couscous salad
This Cucumber Couscous Salad is refreshing, light, and packed with flavor! You can serve it on its own for lunch or add a side of protein like grilled salmon or chicken. It’s perfect for BBQ season and great for meal prep!
Recipe: The Healthful Ideas
Greek Orzo Salad
This Greek Orzo Salad is packed with fresh vegetables and a ton of flavor. It can be served on its own or with a side of protein. It has all the great Greek salad flavors but with hearty orzo pasta.
Recipe: The Healthful Ideas
Tzatziki Cucumber Salad
Need an easy, incredibly delicious cucumber salad? Make this Tzatziki Cucumber Salad! This salad is very simple, made with a homemade tzatziki dressing from Greek yogurt and a few Greek-inspired seasonings. This cucumber salad is very light in calories but full of flavor!
Recipe: Babaganosh
Strawberry and Cucumber Salad with Halloumi
You’ll fall in love with this Strawberry and Cucumber Salad, topped with hot honey halloumi and a balsamic dressing. The perfect summer salad!
Recipe: Nourished by Nic
Mediterranean Chopped Salad
Everyone needs a simple salad to pair with any main, and this chopped Mediterranean salad is mine. It’s lightened up with crunchy romaine lettuce in every bite. I think it’s the perfect blend between a traditional Greek salad and a garden salad, thanks to the olives, chickpeas and salty feta.
Recipe: Nourished by Nic
Watermelon Feta Salad
This refreshing, delicious watermelon feta salad recipe is meant for hot summer days. With feta, cucumber mint & lemon, it’s the perfect mix of savory & sweet. With a few simple chops and a quick toss, watermelon salads are quick and easy to make. Thanks to their vibrant colors and deliciously fresh flavors, they look and taste just like summer.
Recipe: Olive and Mango
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Classic Greek Lettuce Salad
This Traditional Greek lettuce salad is fresh and one of my favourite salads. It blends some of my favourite fresh herbs (dill and parsley) and my favourite dressing which is simply made up of lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. It’s a simple salad with a simple vinaigrette with few ingredients but it is so delicious and I can eat it all day.
Recipe: Olive and Mango
Mediterranean Shrimp Salad
Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Lemon Garlic Shrimp is the ultimate, flavor-packed, loaded salad. It’s filled with romaine, chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, bell peppers, roasted red peppers, feta, fresh herbs, lemon garlic shrimp, and a zesty Greek vinaigrette. The combination of flavors is insane – trust me when I say it will be your new favorite meal-sized salad!
Recipe: Spices In My DNA
Caprese Chickpea Salad
This simple caprese chickpea salad features crisp cucumber, juicy cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and tender chickpeas tossed in an herby roasted garlic basil dressing. – it’s the easiest summer salad!
Recipe: Whole and Heavenly Oven
Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
Zesty homemade Italian dressing is tossed with rotini pasta, chopped veggies, mozzarella, and Genoa salami in this fast and easy recipe for Italian pasta salad. This is the perfect side dish for potlucks and BBQs because it feeds a crowd and can be made in advance!
Recipe: Foodie Crush
Greek Tortellini Salad
This quick-and-easy Greek Pasta Salad with zesty Greek lemon dressing, fresh veggies, and hearty tortellini pasta will soon become your go-to potluck and dinner side dish!
Recipe: Creme De La Crumb
Smashed Cucumber Salad with Tahini Dressing
Smashed Cucumber Salad is a light and refreshing summer dish tossed with an easy tahini dressing. Perfect for hot days, this unique salad adds a vibrant touch to any meal.
Recipe: Whisper of Yum
Lentil Salad with Tahini Dressing
This filling and flavorful lentil salad with tahini dressing is made so easy by using jarred lentils. It’ll come together in 10 minutes, and is an absolutely showstopping salad that will feed a crowd. Full of nutrients and and delicious flavors!
Recipe: Every Little Crumb
Summer Panzanella Salad
A classic summer panzanella salad: tomatoes, cucumber, homemade bread cubes, cucumbers, red onions, mozzarella + basil all tossed with a tomato Dijon dressing (lots of drizzle action!). It is truly the most amazing summer salad.
Recipe: Lindsay Eats
Cucumber Radish Sumac Salad
Zesty cucumber radish salad with fresh mint, sumac and toasted sesame seeds. A fresh and crisp salad to serve as a side dish over yogurt.
Recipe: Something Nutritious Blog
Dilly White Bean Cucumber Salad
This Dilly White Bean Cucumber Salad is a picnic-perfect side dish that tosses crisp cucumbers, creamy white beans, and lots of fresh dill with a refreshingly zingy vinaigrette.
Recipe: From My Bowl
Cucumber Salad with Creme Fraiche
Looking for a refreshing summer side dish? Try this French cucumber salad with crème fraîche, also known as Concombre à la Crème. This classic French recipe combines thinly sliced cucumber with tangy shallots, chopped herbs like chives and dill, and a smooth, creamy dressing made with crème fraîche and lemon juice.
Recipe: Pardon Your French
Authentic Niçoise Salad
This simple homemade Niçoise Salad is a lively mix of fresh tomatoes, crisp bell peppers, radishes and cool cucumber, spruced up with hard-boiled eggs, tuna, salty anchovies and a simple herby dressing.
Recipe: Pardon Your French
Tabbouleh Salad
This Tabbouleh Salad recipe (also called Tabouli) is a classic middle-eastern style salad made with finely chopped fresh vegetables, fresh herbs, and bulgur wheat, tossed with a simple dressing made from olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. It’s the ultimate fresh and healthy side dish!
Recipe: The Busy Baker
Beet Cucumber Salad
Beet cucumber salad recipe is as simple to throw together as it is healthy and delicious. Sweet earthy beets and refreshingly crunchy cucumber are tossed with salty feta and pistachios and finally, doused in lemon vinaigrette and fresh mint. Dig in for a light lunch or serve it as the perfect side from early spring right through the end of summer. This is healthy eating at its finest!
Recipe: We All Eat Together
Grilled Romaine Lettuce Salad
This summer, up your salad game with this mouthwatering grilled romaine lettuce Greek salad that’s packed with vibrant ingredients and bursting with summer produce and briny Mediterranean flavors – olives, pickled banana peppers and salty feta. Whip this up for an easy vegetarian summer dinner or a hearty side.
Recipe: We All Eat Together
Peach Salad with Goat Cheese
The salad is dressed with a simple homemade balsamic dressing and all the flavors go really well together. Crispy romaine, sweet peaches, refreshing cucumber, red onion creamy goat cheese, avocado, and crunchy toasted almonds. Everything goes really well together and the salad is always a crowd favorite.
Recipe: The Healthful Ideas
Kale and Pomegranate CousCous Salad
This Kale Couscous salad is absolutely perfect for meal prep – it doesn’t get soggy and it tastes even better after a day or two in the fridge! It’s packed with nourishing ingredients, like cucumber, mandarin oranges, chickpeas, pomegranate, feta, pickled onions and mint and tossed in a simple lemon vinaigrette.
Recipe: Crowded Kitchen
Mediterranean Wedge Salad
A classic wedge salad is a favorite way to eat iceberg lettuce. Crispy and fresh with the best salad dressing. We’ve made a couple edits to the original wedge recipe, giving it a Mediterranean twist.
Recipe: The Modern Proper
Gyro Pasta Salad
This hearty pasta salad recipe celebrates Mediterranean flavors that make gyros so delicious, and a creamy yogurt dressing brings it all together.
Recipe: The Modern Proper
Zucchini and Cucumber Ribbon Salad
This zucchini and cucumber ribbon salad with feta is the perfect summer meal. Light, healthy and easy, plus it tastes fantastic. Everyone falls in love with this combination of zucchini, cucumber, feta, pumpkin seeds and fresh herbs. Just a few simple ingredients, but that is all you need.
Recipe: Mia Kouppa
Mediterranean Tuna Salad
Loaded with fresh veggies, crumbled feta & tossed in a zesty dill vinaigrette! This Mediterranean tuna salad is so easy to make & perfect for a healthy lunch!
Recipe: Kalefornia Kravings
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