Feta Cucumber Herb Salad (Printable)
Cool cucumbers meet tangy feta and fresh herbs in this Mediterranean-inspired salad with zesty lemon dressing.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2 large cucumbers, sliced into half-moons
02 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
→ Dairy
04 - 5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
→ Fresh Herbs
05 - 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
06 - 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
→ Dressing
08 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
09 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
10 - 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
11 - 1 garlic clove, minced
12 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
# Steps:
01 - Slice the cucumbers into half-moons, cut the red onion into thin slices, and halve the cherry tomatoes. Place all vegetables in a large salad bowl.
02 - Crumble the feta cheese over the vegetables. Add the chopped dill, mint, and parsley to the bowl.
03 - In a small jar or bowl, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper until well combined and emulsified.
04 - Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine, ensuring all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld together.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Zero cooking means you can throw it together while the grill heats up and still have time to sip something cold.
- The herbs and lemon make it taste like something you ordered at a seaside taverna, even if your kitchen overlooks a parking lot.
02 -
- If you dress the salad more than an hour ahead the cucumbers will weep and you will end up with a soup at the bottom of the bowl.
- Block feta crumbled by hand gives you those lovely uneven nuggets, some tiny and salty, some thick and milky, that make every bite different.
03 -
- A mandoline set to paper thin will give you red onion slices so delicate they almost dissolve, which converts even the onion skeptical at your table.
- If you have five extra minutes, toast a pinch of sesame seeds in a dry pan and scatter them on top right before serving for a nutty crunch nobody expects.