Mediterranean Tomato Cucumber Salad with Oregano and Feta
- Savory
- Quick
- Mediterranean
- Light
- No cook
Cool cucumber and ripe tomatoes tossed with thinly sliced red onion, olives and feta, finished with an oregano and olive oil dressing. A light, no-cook salad that comes together in minutes.
- Total
- 15 min
- Prep 15
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Emulsifying · Seasoning in layers
Instructions
-
Cut the tomatoes into 2 cm wedges and the cucumber into 1 cm half-moon slices. Thinly slice the red onion into half-rings.
~6 min
-
In a small bowl, whisk 3 tbsp olive oil with 1 tsp oregano, 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper until the dressing is evenly combined.
~2 min
Whisking disperses the salt and oregano evenly through the oil so every spoonful of dressing tastes the same.
Emulsifying Whisk briskly in a steady stream until the oil and seasonings form a smooth, uniform dressing; if it looks streaky, keep whisking before you stop.
Seasoning in layers Season the dressing first, then finish with oregano on top, so the salt is spread evenly and the final sprinkle stays fragrant and fresh.
-
Put the tomatoes, cucumber and red onion in a large salad bowl, pour over the dressing and toss gently to coat.
~2 min
Tossing gently keeps the tomato wedges and cucumber slices intact so the salad stays crisp rather than turning mushy.
Salting the tomatoes and cucumber a few minutes before dressing draws out their juices; those juices mix with the olive oil into a light, savory dressing at the bottom of the bowl.
-
Crumble the feta over the salad and scatter on the olives. Sprinkle with the remaining 0.5 tsp oregano and serve.
~5 min
Crumbling the feta by hand rather than cutting it gives uneven, craggy pieces that hold the oregano and catch the dressing better than neat cubes.
Seasoning in layers Season the dressing first, then finish with oregano on top, so the salt is spread evenly and the final sprinkle stays fragrant and fresh.
