This cucumber tomato salad is a refreshing summer side dish! A tangy vinaigrette brightens juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, onions, and herbs.

This cucumber tomato salad recipe is the simplest summer side dish! Making it is as easy as tossing sliced cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, crisp onions, and herbs with a tangy 5-ingredient dressing.

I make some version of it every week in the summer, changing up the herbs to use what looks best in my garden or tossing in fun add-ins like avocado or cheese. Bright and refreshing, it pairs well with almost any meal, from fresh summer pastas to veggie burgers off the grill.

Whether you make it as written or make it your own, this recipe is a great one to have in your summer rotation. It’s a quick, delicious way to enjoy the season’s best produce. I hope you love it as much as I do!

How to Make Cucumber Tomato Salad

You can find the full recipe at the bottom of this post, but for now, here’s a quick overview of how it goes:

Ingredients

This cucumber tomato salad starts with simple, fresh ingredients:

• Tomatoes – Use whatever kinds look best at your farmers market or grocery store. I love to make this salad with heirloom tomatoes, but cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or vine tomatoes all work well too.
• Cucumber – I typically make this salad with English cucumber. English cucumbers have small seeds and very thin skin, so I don’t peel or seed them for this salad. You can use any other variety you like, but if it has thicker skin or larger seeds, you may want to peel and/or seed it.
• Onion – Red onion is my go-to, but white onion also works.
• Fresh herbs – Any kind you like! I often reach for fresh basil, mint, parsley, and/or fresh dill, but oregano, cilantro, and thyme would be lovely too.

Dressing for Cucumber Tomato Salad

I complete the salad with a super simple vinaigrette dressing made from fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

I love the combination of the sharp vinegar and bright, fresh lemon juice, but if you’d like to simplify the dressing ingredients, you could use just one or the other. Other vinegars would work well here too. Any of these types would be a good substitute for the red wine vinegar:

• distilled white vinegar
• white wine vinegar
• sherry vinegar

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Recipe Variations

This simple recipe is delicious as written, but it’s also super flexible. Feel free to change it up! Have fun tossing in flavorful add-ins like these:

• Mini mozzarella balls
• Cubed or crumbled feta cheese
• Diced avocado
• Olives
• Chopped bell pepper
• Thinly sliced celery

Add fresh veggies like celery and bell pepper to the salad along with the tomatoes and cucumbers. Add other mix-ins to the salad after it chills, along with the olive oil and herbs.

More Summer Salads to Try

If you love this tomato cucumber salad, try one of these fresh summer salads next:

Yes, grilled corn is always good—sweet, pleasantly charred, summery—but swipe it with this bold, harissa-spiked compound butter, and it becomes something else entirely. Deeply savory, smoky, spicy, and bright, this butter transforms a simple ear of corn into a scene-stealing side dish.

The real magic lies in the flavor-building combo of harissa and smoked paprika. Harissa paste brings heat, depth, and just the right amount of funk, while smoked paprika echoes the grill’s charred aroma with a warm, woodsy finish. Garlic sharpens the edges, lemon juice cuts through the richness, and a touch of honey ties everything together. It’s a flavor boost in spreadable form.

Harissa can vary widely in heat and intensity depending on the brand or style—Tunisian and Moroccan versions, for example, each put their own spin on it. Made from red chiles, garlic, spices, and olive oil, harissa delivers warmth, complexity, and a touch of smokiness. For this recipe, I prefer a milder harissa, allowing the smoky-sweet corn to shine while adding a gentle kick. If you’re working with a spicier version—or just love more heat—feel free to adjust the amount to suit your taste. You’re in control of the firepower here.

In the US, I recommend the mild harissa from Mina, which has a balanced flavor and heat—it brings brightness without overpowering the other ingredients. In the UK, where I live, I often use Belazu, also available at some specialty stores in the US. You can also use homemade harissa and customize the flavor even further.

This butter is low-effort with high reward. You can make it ahead (days ahead, even), stash it in the fridge, and pull it out whenever the grill is hot and the corn is rolling. It melts beautifully into every groove and ridge, soaking into each bite. I recommend making a double batch—you’ll want it on crusty bread, grilled fish, charred zucchini, and maybe even stirred into a pot of beans.

On a technical level, this butter does more than just taste good—it also acts as a moisture-locking finish, keeping the corn juicy and flavorful even after it cools. That means the corn looks great on a platter, and doesn’t require last-minute fussing to impress.

Serve it alongside grilled meats, tuck it next to a slab of halloumi, or pair it with a grain bowl or salad and call it dinner. Add extra herbs if you’re feeling fancy, or adjust the level of spiciness by playing with your favorite harissa. If you’re already grilling corn, there’s no reason not to take this extra (but not really extra) step. It takes five minutes, and the payoff is big: smoky-sweet kernels coated in a buttery, brick-red glaze that tastes complex, satisfying, and wonderfully summery.

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• 8 tablespoons (120 g) unsalted butter, softened

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice from 2 lemons

• 4 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 2 tablespoons harissa paste, or more to taste (see notes)

• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed

• 2 teaspoons honey

• 2 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, or to taste; for table salt, use half as much by volume or the same weight

• 6 ears corn, shucked

• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, for garnishd

1. In a small bowl, combine the butter, lemon juice, paprika, harissa, garlic, honey, and salt. Season to taste with more salt or harissa.

2. For a Charcoal Grill

   Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled 3/4 with charcoal briquettes (4 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over bottom of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.

   For a Gas Grill

   Turn all burners to high; cover; and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.

3. Clean and oil cooking grate. Grill corn, turning frequently, until charred and tender on all sides, about 10 minutes.

4. Immediately slather corn with prepared harissa butter. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Special Equipment

Charcoal or gas grill, charcoal briquettes and a chimney starter if using charcoal grill

Notes

This recipe can easily be doubled.

For best results, look for a mild-to-medium-spicy harissa to balance heat without overpowering the other flavors. I recommend mild harissa and prefer the brand Mina.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The compound butter can be prepared ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

This easy fruit salad recipe is a perfect summer side dish! Kids and adults love this one—it’s made with colorful fruit and a bright honey-lime dressing.

This classic fruit salad recipe has become one of our go-to summer side dishes. It’s fresh, it’s colorful, and—best of all—it’s kid-friendly. Our kiddo has always loved fresh fruit, so when I want to bring a dish to a gathering that I know he’ll go for, fruit salad wins every time.

I call for a vibrant blend of pineapple, mandarin oranges, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, and kiwi in this recipe, but I want to say up front that this fruit salad is super flexible. I’m sharing some of my go-to subs and swaps below, but honestly, almost any fruit tastes delicious with this salad’s simple honey-lime dressing. Feel free to toss in your seasonal favorites!

Fruit Salad Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:

• Fresh pineapple – I call for 1 medium pineapple in this recipe, but if you don’t feel like breaking down a whole one, pre-cut pineapple will work here too. You’ll need about 5 cups chopped, though this recipe is flexible, so no need to be 100% exact.
• Kiwi – For tangy flavor and a fun pop of green.
• Grapes – Any kind you like! I love their bursty, juicy texture in this recipe.
• Strawberries and blueberries – If you ask me, berries are the best part of any fruit salad. I especially love the blueberries here because you can toss them in whole—no chopping required!
• Mandarin oranges – For sweet, juicy, citrusy flavor. You’ll use mandarin juice in the fruit salad dressing too!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Fruit Salad

This fruit salad recipe is super easy to make—most of the work is chopping the fruit. Try to cut each type into similar-sized pieces so that you can get a variety of fruits in each bite!

• Tip: The pineapple will take the longest to chop. For a shortcut, use pre-cut pineapple.

Combine the fruit in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the dressing in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, and then pour it over the fruit.

Mix to combine…and that’s it!

Recipe Tips and Variations

Fresh fruit is best. I don’t recommend substituting thawed frozen fruit or canned fruit for the fresh fruits in this recipe. Fresh fruit will have the best texture (read: not mushy!) and balanced flavor.

Make it your own. The best fruit for a fruit salad is whatever’s in season! Here are a few subs and swaps that are great in this recipe:

• Instead of mandarins… Use 1 peeled and diced mango, 2 chopped peaches, or nectarines.
• Instead of strawberries… Use blackberries or raspberries. These berries are delicate, so I would fold them into the salad at the very end, after you add the dressing.
• Instead of blueberries or grapes… Use halved pitted cherries or chopped plums.
• Instead of pineapple… Use chopped cantaloupe or honeydew melon, mango, peaches, or nectarines.
• Instead of kiwi… Use mango or green grapes.

Fruits to avoid: Apples, pears, and bananas all oxidize (aka turn brown) after they’re cut. Unless you’re serving this fruit salad right away, I’d skip them!

Enjoy with other classic sides like pasta salad, potato salad, and broccoli salad at your next summer picnic!

Recipe adapted from The Kitchn