Israeli Cucumber Tomato Salad

Beautifully painted serving bowl with a Jerusalem salad with tomatoes and cucumbers served in it.

This refreshing Israeli Cucumber Tomato Salad is a year-round favorite made with crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and bright herbs—perfect alongside shawarma, kebabs, or rice dishes.

Course Mezze, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Keyword Israeli Cucumber Tomato Salad, Middle Eastern Chopped Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings cups

Calories 93kcal

Ingredients

The Dressing

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (45 ml), good quality
2 tablespoons lemon juice (30 ml)
Salt and pepper to taste

The Salad

4 medium tomatoes (400 g), chopped
4 Persian cucumbers (500 g), chopped
1 red bell pepper (150 g), chopped
3 green onions (45 g), chopped
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley (10 g), finely chopped
¼ cup fresh mint (10 g), finely chopped

Instructions

Dressing. In a large bowl, add the extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), lemon juice, of salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Whisk together. This is not the time to skip on quality olive oil.
Make the salad. Chopped tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, and green onions into ¼” to ½” (6-12mm in size) pieces, keeping them uniform. Into the large bowl with the dressing, add all the salad ingredients, toss to coat the vegetables and herbs. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Notes

RECIPE TIPS

Chop evenly: Aim to dice all ingredients into small, uniform pieces—about ¼ to ½ inch (6–12 mm). Keeping the tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers roughly the same size ensures even flavor and easy bites.

Seed juicy tomatoes: If your tomatoes are especially juicy or packed with seeds, consider removing the seed cavities to avoid excess liquid in the salad.

Peel the cucumber (optional): If using larger cucumbers like English or pickling varieties, peeling and seeding them before chopping can improve texture and reduce bitterness. Add a Greek twist:

Add a Greek twist: For a Mediterranean variation, toss in a handful of crumbled feta for a salty, creamy touch.

Nutrition