Mustard Free Mediterranean Cucumber and Olive Salad
Bright, herby, and loaded with briny Kalamata olives, this Mediterranean salad is the kind of dish that disappears fast at any table. The dressing is built entirely from extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, and a touch of turmeric — no mustard, no emulsifiers, nothing hidden. That matters more than you might think, because so many store-bought dressings and even homemade vinaigrette recipes lean on mustard as a binding agent, making salads like this genuinely tricky to navigate. Here, the lemon juice and olive oil come together beautifully on their own, coating every cucumber slice and olive without any compromise. Salting the cucumbers first and patting them dry is a small step that makes a big difference, keeping the whole bowl crisp rather than watery. Fresh parsley, mint, and optional oregano layer in a garden-fresh brightness that makes this feel like something you'd order at a seaside restaurant. It's simple, clean, and completely satisfying.
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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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