Cucumber Tomato Salad with Pesto

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Cucumber tomato salad with pesto brings everything that is great about summer together in one dish. This no-cook dish is ideal for cookouts and potlucks.

Every year, I plant a garden full of optimism. The one plant that always exceeds my expectations? Cucumbers, of course!

In the height of summer we’re plowing through batch after batch of bread and butter pickles, cucumber agua fresca, and this so simple, so summer cucumber tomato salad.

Cucumbers are perfect for summery salads. They’re so fresh and crisp that when you’re eating them, they make you just feel, well, a bit fresh and crisp yourself.

This cucumber tomato salad with pesto is an excellent side dish for summer cookouts and potlucks. It uses homemade pesto sauce and fresh mozzarella for a salad that people will actually want to eat alongside their burgers!

Ingredients for cucumber tomato salad

You’ll need:

• Cucumbers
• Cherry tomatoes, or grape tomatoes
• Shallot or red onion
• Fresh mozzarella pearls
• Prepared pesto sauce
• Red wine vinegar
• Lemon juice
• Salt and pepper

For the cucumbers, you really can use whichever variety you have on hand, though I like English cucumber or seedless Persian cucumbers the best. I’ve also made this with Armenian cucumbers, which are in the photo above—they’re long and slightly curled, and don’t have too many seeds. If your cucumbers have a thicker skin you can peel it before slicing.

(Side note: did you know cucumbers have tiny spines on them that stab your hand when picking? They come off easily with a vegetable brush, but it was still a shock the first time I grabbed for a ripe cucumber. Wear gardening gloves!)

How to make this recipe

Honestly, this salad couldn’t be easier!

Slice your cucumbers and halve the tomatoes. Add them to a bowl along with the shallot and mozzarella.

In a small bowl, whisk together the pesto, red wine vinegar, and lemon juice. You could use just the pesto alone, but the vinegar and lemon brighten it up even more for the salad. (White wine vinegar can be substituted.)

Pour the dressing over the veggies and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

You can enjoy right away, or cover and chill until ready to serve.

Tips for Making Cucumber Tomato Salad with Pesto

I recommend using small-ball fresh mozzarella in cucumber tomato salad. You can find them labeled as either “pearls” or “ciliegene” and come either vacuum-packed (as pictured) or in a tub with liquid. The size is perfect for salads.

If you can’t find the smaller size, however, just buy whatever size you can and cut into bite-size pieces. Fresh mozzarella only, please, not the hard shredded kind! Feta cheese is a great swap if you like.

The pesto will coat cut tomatoes better than whole ones, so be sure to cut even if your tomatoes are already bite-size.

I used a mix of cherry and grape for variety of size and color. Larger tomatoes will work in a pinch, cut into wedges or slices.

If you do not have a shallot, you can use minced red onion instead. You’ll need about 1/4 cup, or add to taste.

Make this salad a main dish by adding flaked cooked salmon or chopped grilled chicken.

Storage tips

Make the cucumber tomato salad a few hours ahead of serving and store covered in the refrigerator. This will help draw some of the juices out of the fruit and let the flavors meld.

As long as your cucumbers are fresh and you don’t cut them too thin, the salad will stay crisp, not soggy!

If you have leftovers, make sure to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

The salad will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Note that the longer it sits, the more liquid will draw out of the cucumbers and tomatoes, so I do recommend eating this as soon as possible.

If you still find yourself with a surplus of cucumbers or cherry tomatoes, try using them in tortellini pasta salad or pesto chicken caprese pasta.

With crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and vibrant pesto, this is a summer salad you’ll make again and again!