This easy mediterranean cucumber salad made with fresh and flavorful whole food ingredients and an easy ACV salad dressing will be your new favorite side dish! Make it in just 20 minutes.
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my massaged kale salad with apple cider vinaigrette!
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❤️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
Flavor in Every Bite - There's a rainbow of colorful ingredients in chopped cucumber parsley salad and they're all cut into bite-size pieces for maximum flavor distribution. Using the right mix of color, textures, and tastes is key to making better salads at home!
Quick & Easy - You basically just need a knife and cutting board for this simple recipe. No fancy kitchen tools or expert techniques--very beginner friendly.
Hormone Healthy Ingredients - The Mediterranean diet is very hormone friendly (Healthline) and I developed this recipe using nutrient rich ingredients from Lebanese, Greek, and Egyptian cuisines to showcase flavors and preparation from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern foodways.
Want dinnertime inspiration? Pair this salad with juicy lamb meatballs and easy homemade yellow rice. It's the perfect bite!
This salad is soooo refreshing & so good! Honestly, the dates are such an underrated STAR of this recipe. I made this with the intent to take it over a friend's house, and well...it never made it out my kitchen. I ate the whole thing!
-reader review from Kameron
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Fresh Herbs like parsley and dill are common components of Mediterranean salads that provide refreshing flavor and support digestion (MedicineNet). Mint is another great addition.
Cucumber is the base of this Mediterranean-inspired recipe, preferably seedless so I recommend English cucumber for the best results but you can use Persian, Armenian or Garden cucumbers, as well.
Pomegranate Arils aka pomegranate seeds add juicy tart and sweet flavors plus antioxidants to this salad. Don't skip them!
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Olives - I use preserved Kalamata olives in this recipe but you can incorporate whichever fresh or preserved variety you enjoy.
Dates - If you can't find Medjool dates, Deglet Noor dates can work instead. Either pitted or you can remove the pits yourself in just a few minutes.
Peppers - Pepperoncini adds subtle heat and tang. Use whichever heat level you like or swap in chopped bell peppers if you like.
Salad Dressing - Make the Mediterranean diet cucumber salad with a simple 1:1 apple cider vinegar and olive oil salad dressing or try other light, flavored options like my orange juice vinaigrette, blood orange dressing or ACV honey vinaigrette!
How to Make a Mediterranean Cucumber and Feta Salad
Step One: Chop up the cucumber, herbs, onion, peppers, olives, and dates.
Step Two: Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl for tossing.
Pro Tip #1: If you're using a thicker skinned cucumber, you might wish to peel it before chopping. I personally like the skins but do what you will most enjoy!
Pro Tip #2: Try to cut the ingredients into roughly the same size, like for a tabbouleh, for the best chance at getting consistent flavor in every single bite.
Step Three: Mix up the apple cider vinegar dressing ingredients then pour over top of the salad components.
Pro Tip #3: I like to mix up homemade salad dressing in an airtight container like a mason jar for easy storage of any leftovers.
Step Four: Toss the salad ingredients in the dressing until evenly coated and thoroughly mixed.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make this salad up to four days in advance if stored properly.
Store refrigerated in an airtight container or bowl covered in plastic wrap. It will last in the fridge for up to five days.
You can add chickpeas, diced tomatoes, and/or Mediterranean nuts like pine nuts, pistachios or chopped walnuts to this salad for more color, protein, and fiber.
Pair with light proteins like roasted or grilled fish, shrimp or scallops or grilled chicken or turkey. You can also serve with plant based proteins like quinoa, falafel, beans or legumes.
Is Mediterranean salad good for PCOS?
This is a super fresh tasting salad with a satisfying mix of colors that indicate a variety of phytonutrients (Harvard Health), which is an important part of a PCOS friendly diet.
Between the salad and the dressing, you're getting an abundance of healthy fats, protein, and fiber to help support balanced blood sugar, which is particularly useful if you're managing insulin resistance (NIH), like so many people with PCOS.
Each serving provides two tablespoons of sunflower seeds, which makes this a great luteal or menstrual phase recipe if you're into seed cycling (Healthline).
Check out all my PCOS-friendly recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
More Favorite Homemade Salad Recipes
Looking for more recipes like this? Try these:
I hope you'll enjoy my fusion Mediterranean cucumber red onion salad soon and very soon. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin the recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Mediterranean Cucumber Salad with Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing
Equipment
- 1 knife
Ingredients
For the Chopped Cucumber Salad
- 1 English cucumber
- 2 cups parsley about one bunch
- ¼ cup dill
- ¼ red onion
- 10-12 kalamata olives
- 4 pepperoncini peppers
- 3 medjool dates
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup pomegranate arils
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
For the Simple Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop cucumber, herbs, red onion, olives, pepperoncini, and dates into bite sized pieces about one inch or smaller. Add into a large bowl with sunflower seeds, pomegranate, and feta.1 English cucumber, 2 cups parsley, ¼ cup dill, ¼ red onion, 10-12 kalamata olives, 4 pepperoncini peppers, 3 medjool dates, ½ cup sunflower seeds, ½ cup pomegranate arils, ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- Add apple cider vinegar, olive oil, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper to an airtight container. Cover and shake vigorously until combined.⅓ cup apple cider vinegar, ⅓ cup olive oil, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper
- Pour shaken dressing over top of salad ingredients then toss until the salad is well mixed and evenly coated in dressing.
Kameron Lyons says
This salad is soooo refreshing & so good! Honestly the dates are such an underrated STAR of this recipe.
I made this with the intent to take it over a friends house and well….it never made it out my kitchen. I ate the whole thing 😆
Also added some strawberries instead of pomegranate bc it was what I had available and it was still scrumptious! The sweet, the sour, the spicy, the freshness from all the herbs! It was a party in my mouth.
Jazzmine Woodard says
Thank you for your feedback, Kameron. I'm so glad you could make this salad your own!
Raquel Seymone says
I made this salad using Jazzmine's tips for better salads and my goodness! Every bite was packed with flavor. Very simple and filling. It'll definitely go into my salad rotation. Try this!
Jazzmine Woodard says
Thanks for your note, Raquel! So glad you enjoyed.