With summer fast approaching, my crisper drawer is becoming more full by the week, ready to meal-prep tons of fresh and healthy salads to get me through the week. At the moment, I’m slightly obsessed with ripe tomatoes and cucumber, too, it seems. So recently, I’ve posted a simple cucumber and tomato salad, Shirazi salad (which combined cucumber, tomato, and onion), and now this simple avocado cucumber tomato salad (also with onion!). This simple tomato and cucumber salad with avocado relies on just seven simple, fresh ingredients (plus salt and pepper) for an easy, part creamy, part crunchy, all delicious salad that can be chopped up and thrown together in minutes. It’s perfect for serving at potlucks, BBQ’s and alongside all sorts of meals like lasagna, soups, and more. It’s also gluten-free, vegan, paleo, keto, etc. – an ultimate crowd-pleaser! Best of all, because of the simplicity of this avocado tomato cucumber salad, there are tons of ways to jazz it up with whatever you have lying around. Add in extra veggies, beef it up with cheese, or turn it into a complete meal with the addition of grain and protein – the options are endless (keep reading for my favorite recommendations!) Looking for more summer-ready simple salads? You might also like this roasted pepper salad, Korean cucumber salad, Italian bread salad (Panzanella), and traditional Caprese salad (or burrata Caprese)! Stick with me, and you won’t run out of fun, fresh salad recipes this summer (or year-round!).
The Ingredients
Cucumber: I recommend using smaller low-seed/seedless varieties for the best salads like Persian cucumbers. English cucumber will also work. If your cucumber has lots of seeds, you can scoop them out to avoid a watery salad. Avocado: choose a ripe avocado without lots of brown spots. Tomato: I recommend using the ripest tomatoes you can find. I try to use vine-ripened, Roma, and Heirloom tomatoes. Smaller grape and cherry tomatoes will also work (especially out of season). Cilantro: if you’re not a fan of cilantro, then substitute parsley or dill. Red onion: red onion is slightly sweeter/less pungent than yellow onions, making it great for salads like this avocado salad. You could alternatively use shallots. Dressing: I used a simple salad dressing of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice (or lime), salt, and pepper. You could substitute another neutral heart-healthy oil like avocado oil (green in color). Optionally add in a bit of garlic or even honey/maple.
Optional Add-ins
Since this avocado cucumber tomato salad is so simple, there are tons of ways you can “jazz” it up with other ingredients. Here are a few top suggestions for add-ins.
Cheese: swap out the cheese based on the flavor you prefer. Mozzarella (or vegan mozzarella or mini bocconcini) are neutral and creamy, feta (or vegan feta) or goat cheese (crumbly and savory), grilled halloumi (salty and firm), or parmesan flakes, etc. Leafy greens: take this avocado salad further with leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula, etc. You may need a little extra dressing. Nuts/seeds: help to add protein and crunch and can be added raw or roasted. Omega seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almond slivers, walnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, hemp seeds, black sesame seeds, etc. Other herbs: dried mint, basil, sumac, oregano, cumin, thyme, and paprika are all optional additions or substitutions to cilantro. Spice: I recommend adding some fresh chopped chilies (like jalapeño) or chili flakes for a kick. Bread: there are several ways to use leftover bread for this tomato and cucumber salad with avocado. Add toasted, crispy baked pita or tortilla chips/strips. Alternatively, you can make homemade croutons. Other vegetables: there are tons of extra veggies you could add. Celery, broccoli, asparagus, corn, green onions, bell peppers, carrots, potatoes, zucchini (raw or grilled), eggplant (grilled), radish, etc. Fruit: this salad also pairs surprisingly well with fruit, including watermelon, mango, pineapple, peaches, and grapefruit (raw or grilled). Protein: add the protein of your choice for more of a complete meal. Tofu, prawns(shrimp), chicken, etc. Grilled works particularly well with this avocado salad. Boiled eggs could also be added to the salad or, for a vegan option, red kidney beans, chickpeas (raw or crispy roasted), or other legumes, etc.
Recipe variations
Tropical Mango Avocado salad: I love the sweet and savory combination (as you can see in this watermelon salsa and mango salad). For a tropical mango variation, add about ½ cup chopped mango to the salad and increase to personal preference. Mexican avocado salad: combine the above salad with chilies and other veg like grilled corn and feta or queso. You can also optionally add in some toasted strips of corn tortilla for crunch. Mediterranean avocado cucumber tomato salad: add raw or roasted Mediterranean vegetables (zucchini, bell peppers) and swap the cilantro for parsley. I also add in sliced olives, crumble over feta cheese, and optionally swap out the lemon in the dressing for balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar (though lemon works too). Grain salad: for more of a “complete meal,” you can combine this avocado tomato, and cucumber salad with the grain of your choice: rice, quinoa, couscous, orzo, etc. Aim to add in around ¼ cup of grain per portion. You will likely need to increase the dressing slightly so it covers the grain. Cold avocado pasta salad: like the above, you can easily adjust this salad recipe into a healthy pasta salad with the addition of leftover cooked and cooled pasta. For a super fun pasta salad, I recommend using beetroot pasta. Though you can use vegan pasta, fresh egg pasta, oat pasta, red lentil pasta, spinach pasta, etc.
How to Make Avocado Cucumber Tomato Salad
Step 1: Chop the ingredients
First, dice the tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, and onion. I cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, sliced it into ½ inch moon pieces, finely sliced the red onion, and roughly diced the tomato (for smaller cherry/grape tomatoes, you can halve them) and avocado. To open the avocado, slice all the way around the avocado lengthwise, then gently twist to pull apart. Remove the seed by tapping it (with some force) with your knife, twisting slightly, and pulling to remove. Peel the avocado by hand or scoop the flesh out with a spoon, then roughly dice. Place the diced ingredients in a large bowl and add the fresh cilantro leaves. Feel free to finely chop the herbs if you prefer them to be more evenly spread throughout the avocado salad.
Step 2: Prepare the dressing
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well to combine.
Step 3: Assemble the avocado salad
Pour the dressing over the avocado cucumber tomato salad mixture and toss gently to combine, then serve immediately or leave to “marinate” for 10 minutes first. The longer the salad sits, the more the flavors will develop. The bite from the raw onions will also reduce as it sits in the lemon juice. However, if you want to reduce this as soon as possible, you can leave the raw onion to soak in the lemon juice for 10 minutes before preparing this salad. Alternatively, soak the onion in a bowl of ice water, stirring a couple of times.
How to Store Cucumber Avocado Salad
Like any recipe using avocado, this avocado cucumber tomato salad is best enjoyed fresh. The lemon juice will help to keep the avocado pieces from browning, but I still recommend enjoying this salad within a day. Press plastic wrap against the surface of the salad, then another layer over the top of the bowl to avoid as much oxygen as possible. This will avoid the avocado browning too soon. Make ahead: if you want to make this salad ahead, I recommend preparing the salad minus the avocado and cilantro and storing the dressing separately (all of which you should add just before serving). That way you can enjoy salad for several days. The flavor will continue to develop over time, so you may want to add in a little extra lemon juice or seasoning before serving.
How to Serve?
This simple salad pairs well with all sorts of meals and events, including potlucks, BBQs, and dinner parties. Here are a few suggested pairings:
Burgers. Grilled meats/proteins – like grilled chicken, shrimp, or tofu. Wraps/Pitas – like this falafel wrap or halloumi and eggplant wrap. Roasted potatoes. Alongside soups. Turn it into a pasta salad by adding leftover cooked and cooled pasta.
Let me know in the comments what you enjoy this tomato, cucumber, and avocado salad with!
Recipe Notes & Variations
To avoid a soggy salad: you can optionally “salt” the cucumber and tomato. To do so, add them to a colander, salt generously, and leave to drain (with a bowl beneath) for 15-20 minutes. After draining, pat dry, removing any excess salt. This produces crisper cucumber and meatier tomatoes with a more concentrated flavor. The drained juice (if it’s not too salty) can be added to smoothies and juices or used in stock. Experiment with add-ins: I’ve added a long list of potential add-ins and recipe variations for this simple avocado salad, so feel free to experiment. You’ll never get bored! Use fresh, ripe ingredients: this salad is so simple and works best with in-season produce. However, if you do want to enjoy it year-round, I recommend using smaller tomatoes like cherry and grape. These tend to taste better when out of season than larger varieties. Swap out the salad dressing: I’ve used a simple lemon vinaigrette (with olive oil, salt, and pepper) for this salad. However, the simplicity of the ingredients lends it to all sorts of dressings, including swapping out the lemon for balsamic or red wine vinegar. A creamy avocado cilantro dressing could work too if you want something creamy or a light healthy ranch dressing- experiment!
More Fresh Salad Recipes
Simple Waldorf salad (Celery salad) Spinach and blackberry salad Thai green papaya salad Spinach Strawberry Salad Caribbean Buljol salad Simple Cucumber Onion Salad
If you try this avocado cucumber tomato salad recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
