Artificial Flavors Free Mediterranean Cucumber and Olive Salad
Bright, briny, and bursting with fresh herbs, this Mediterranean salad is the kind of dish that makes you feel like you're eating well without any effort at all. Every ingredient here is exactly what it says it is — crisp English cucumber, Kalamata olives, red onion, and a handful of parsley, mint, and oregano pulled straight from the bunch. The dressing is built from extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, and a pinch of turmeric, so there's no reaching for a bottled vinaigrette loaded with mystery flavor compounds. Salting and draining the cucumber before tossing is a small step that makes a big difference, keeping the salad crisp rather than watery. The result is clean, vibrant, and genuinely satisfying — the kind of side that holds its own next to grilled proteins or piled onto a grain bowl. If you've been burned by store-bought dressings that sneak in artificial flavoring agents, making your own takes about two minutes and tastes infinitely better anyway.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 2 english cucumbers (about 1 ½ lb total), halved lengthwise and sliced into ¼-inch half-moons
- ¾ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, roughly chopped (optional)
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 small clove garlic, finely minced
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
- 1
Place the sliced cucumber in a colander set over the sink, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and toss to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels.
- 2
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, turmeric, and 1/2 tsp salt until the dressing is uniform and slightly emulsified.
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