This Mediterranean salad recipe is one every home cook can keep in their back pocked for a quick, easy, crowd-pleasing side. It's light, crunchy, packed with herbs, and dressed with nothing but good olive oil and a splash of lemon juice or red wine vinegar. It’s a perfect side dish for grilled meats, shawarma plates, or even just a pile of pita and hummus—and it holds up well enough to be lunch the next day, too.
This simple tomato and cucumber salad has made its way onto my table more times than I can count. With it's balanced texture and perfectly seasoned flavor, it’s the kind of salad that makes everything else on the plate taste better. I usually serve it with shawarma dishes or fish, but it’s just as good next to a pile of grilled veggies or tucked into a pita with hummus.
Dicing all of the vegetables can feel like a lot if you're not a passionate prepper, but it's not a requirement to enjoy this salad. You can leave the vegetables chunkier if you wish. I do occasionally use my Fullstar Vegetable Chopper to make this salad even quicker and easier.
A note about Mediterranean chopped salad
I was first introduced to this salad as Israeli salad, but similar dishes are enjoyed throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East. I've had variations called Arabic salad and Persian salad as well, all with the same base of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and herbs. While I’m sharing my own version here, I encourage you to learn more from creators with lived experience—Fufu's Kitchen and The Mediterranean Dish are both wonderful places to start. Lemon is the traditional acid in this dish, but I am sensitive to lemon, hence the suggestion to use red wine vinegar.
Make it a double! Ideas for leftover salad
This salad keeps surprisingly well for a couple of days in the fridge, so I often double the batch. It's a total gift on busy weekdays—ready and waiting to turn into a Mediterranean diet lunch. A few of my favorite ways to repurpose leftovers:
- Toss with arugula, feta, and canned beans or tuna for a hearty salad.
- Mix with romaine, radish, pita chips, and bell pepper for a simplified fattoush.
- Use as a topping for a hummus platter—scoop it up with pita chips or raw veggies.
- Stuff into a pita with shredded chicken and hummus for a lightning-fast lunch.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Cucumber: Persian or English cucumbers are ideal—they're usually very crisp, with thin skins and unobtrusive seeds. If you're using a standard slicing cucumber, peel and seed it first.
- Tomatoes: Vine-ripened or cherry tomatoes are best. Go with what’s in season and flavorful.
- Onion: Red onion adds bite and color, but yellow works too.
- Fresh herbs: Use any combination of parsley, cilantro, and mint. Just avoid using mint alone—it's a little much by itself.
- Olive oil: This simple salad benefits from the enhanced flavor of a good extra virgin olive oil. I use Drizzle from Graza.
- Acid: Red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice both work beautifully. Champagne vinegar or sherry vinegar are good substitutes.
FAQ: Mediterranean chopped salad
Persian cucumbers are my top pick—no peeling or seeding required. I usually find these at Trader Joe's. English cucumbers are a close second. If using regular cucumbers, be sure to peel and seed them for best texture.
It’s optional, but I highly recommend it. Salting helps draw out excess moisture, so your salad stays crunchy, not watery. Draining the tomatoes with the cucumbers is also an extra step designed to keep this salad from getting watery.
Look for a high-quality vinegar with good acidity. I like Spectrum Organics Red Wine Vinegar or Madhava Organic Red Wine Vinegar. They are both affordable and available at many grocery stores.
Tips for the best Mediterranean chopped salad
- Use a flavorful olive oil. This is a perfect spot for your good olive oil—it should taste bright and peppery.
- Buy the best tomatoes you can find. They’re the star of the show. I typically use on-the-vine tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes when they are in season.
- Don’t skip salting the cucumbers. It keeps everything crisp and balanced, and helps season the whole dish.
- Chop according to your mood. I dice everything small (my family’s favorite), but if you're short on time, a rough chop works just fine.
More side salads from Parsley & Parm
Prep ahead and storage instructions
Prep ahead: You can dice the cucumbers and onions up to a day in advance. Tomatoes and herbs can be chopped earlier in the day. Wait to dress the salad until shortly before serving for the crispiest texture.
Storage: Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. After that, it's still tasty—but don’t expect crunchy cucumbers.
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Easy Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Fresh Herbs
Ingredients
- 1 large cucumber
- 2-3 vine-ripened tomatoes
- ½ red onion
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, separated plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice plus more to taste
Instructions
- Salt your cucumber (this is optional, but recommended): peel, seed, and dice your cucumber and toss with ½ teaspoon salt. Place in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Note: if you use English or Persian cucumbers, you do not need to peel them.1 large cucumber
- Dice the tomato and add it to the cucumbers. Toss and set aside for 15 minutes to drain.2-3 vine-ripened tomatoes
- While the tomatoes and cucumbers are draining, dice the onion and mince the herbs. Add them to a salad bowl.½ red onion, ¼ cup fresh parsley, ¼ cup fresh cilantro, 2 tablespoons fresh mint
- Add the drained cucumbers and tomatoes to the salad. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of salt and toss, and let sit for 30 seconds or so. Taste for seasoning. It should taste well-seasoned, but not overly salty. Add salt by the pinch if it is not seasoned enough, mixing well, and let sit for 30 seconds before tasting again.¾ teaspoon kosher salt, separated
- Once you have the seasoning right, toss first with the olive oil, and then the red wine vinegar or lemon juice. Taste and add more vinegar by the ½ teaspoon as needed.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
Notes
- If you don't have fresh lemon juice available, red wine vinegar is vastly preferred to bottled lemon juice.
- Use any mix of parsley, cilantro, and mint—you don’t need all three. Just avoid using mint on its own; it needs backup.
- Chop your veggies however you like. We dice everything small (my family’s favorite), but a rougher chop is just fine if you're short on time.
- This salad is endlessly customizable. Try adding kalamata olives, feta, artichoke hearts, fresh or roasted peppers, any kind of bean, or a handful of dill.
- Swap red onion for yellow if needed.
- Champagne or sherry vinegar are good stand-ins for lemon juice or red wine vinegar.
- This Mediterranean chopped salad keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 days. This may vary a bit depending on how fresh your veggies are going in.
Need more servings?
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Nutrition*
*All nutritional values are estimates only. They are calculated by an online resource.
Swathi says
Easy Mediterranean chopped salad is crispy and delicious I have made it so fresh and easy to make.
Jaleah says
This Mediterranean chopped salad with fresh herbs is so delicious! Perfect for summer!
Jean says
What a vibrant beautiful salad. My new go to recipe.
Nicole says
This Mediterranean chopped salad with fresh herbs in incredible! Such a great flavor profile and very refreshing.
The Sudden Cook says
This was so fresh and so delightful! Would highly recommend