Cucumber Radish Tomato Salad
This Cucumber Radish Tomato Salad has amazing flavor from fresh ingredients, an interesting yogurt-tahini dressing, and a sprinkle of Sumac!
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There must be thousands of variations of tomato and cucumber salad in the world, but recently I had a tomato and cucumber salad that really knocked my socks off. I was on the way to The Spice House with my blogging friend Lydia, and we stopped in at Old Jerusalem Restaurant for a quick lunch.
Lydia and I both have middle-eastern tastebuds, and we loved this unpretentious restaurant, with me especially swooning over the Jerusalem Salad with a yogurt and tahini dressing.I was determined to recreate the flavors from that dressing, and although when I found their website I realized my salad was a bit different, I loved the Cucumber Radish Tomato Salad I came up with in memory of that restaurant.
And if you’re not sure about radishes in a tomato-cucumber salad, please trust me on this. The radishes added a delightful crunch and flavor that really made this salad a wow!
What ingredients do you need for this salad?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- cucumber
- tomato
- radishes
- salt (for salting cucumbers) plus more to taste
- Greek yogurt
- Tahini Sauce (affiliate link) (See notes)
- fresh squeezed lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
- ground cumin (affiliate link)
- Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
- Aleppo Pepper (affiliate link) or cayenne pepper
- Ground Sumac (affiliate link) (optional, for sprinkling on salad)
What makes this Cucumber Radish Tomato Salad so good?
One thing that makes this salad so fun is the interesting addition of radishes to a cucumber and tomato salad. But the interesting dressing with middle eastern ingredients is another thing that really makes it a wow!
What if you don’t have all the interesting ingredients?
I sometimes get e-mail from people urging me to just use “ordinary” ingredients on the blog, and this recipe isn’t one that will make you happy if you’re that kind of cook because it has Tahini Sauce (affiliate link), Sumac (affiliate link), and Aleppo Pepper (affiliate link), all of which are probably unusual ingredients for many people. If you don’t want to look for those ingredients, check after the recipe for more lovely salads featuring cucumbers and tomatoes.
How to make Cucumber Radish Tomato Salad:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.
- Start by dicing the cucumbers and placing in a colander in the sink, then add a generous amount of salt (about 1 tsp.) Let the cucumbers sweat out the water and drain while you prep other ingredients. Most of the salt gets washed away in this process, but taste the salad before you add more salt.
- Next mix the Greek yogurt, tahini sauce, lemon juice, cumin, garlic, and Aleppo pepper or cayenne. Taste and see if you want to add more cumin or a pinch of salt, then let the ingredients hang out together while you chop cucumbers and radishes.
- I would have definitely used diced whole tomatoes from the garden if I had them (not yet!) but I used these grape tomatoes from Costco, which I love for salads.
- The salad at Old Jerusalem Restaurant didn’t have radishes, but I thought they would add a nice kick to it, plus I love radishes, especially when they’re cut into half-moon shapes like this. I used more cucumbers than tomatoes or radishes because that’s what I happened to have, but I think you can change the proportions here, or leave out the radishes completely if you don’t happen to have any.
- Mix in the desired amount of dressing (you might have some left for another salad).
- Sprinkle salad with Sumac if you have some and serve! The salad makes four side-dish servings, but I’d happily eat twice as much and call it a meal when the weather is hot!
- I’m guessing there are also lots of other salads that would work well with this dressing. If anyone tries it on something else, I’d love to hear about it!
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
Cucumber Radish Tomato Salad is a great side dish for any type of grilled food, especially something like Kubideh (ground meat kabobs) or Souvlaki.
More Salads with Tomatoes and Cucumbers:
- Tomato Salad with Cucumber, Avocado, and Cilantro
- Middle Eastern Tomato Salad
- American Greek Salad
- Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad
- Tomato Cucumber Salad with Peperoncini
Want More Summer Tomato Salads?
Check out my big round-up of Favorite Summer Tomato Salads for even more tomato salad ideas.
Cucumber Radish Tomato Salad
Cucumber Radish Tomato Salad with Yogurt-Tahini Dressing is perfect in the summer when you have fresh ingredients from the garden. And this simple salad recipe is loaded with interesting flavors.
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped cucumber
- 1 cup chopped tomato
- 1 cup chopped radishes (Any proportion of cucumber, tomato, and radishes can be used, or use just cucumber and tomato if you don’t have any radishes)
- 1 tsp. salt (for salting cucumbers) plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup tahini sauce (See notes)
- 2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice (see notes)
- 1/2 – 1 tsp. ground cumin (start with 1/2 tsp. and taste)
- 1/2 tsp. finely minced garlic
- 2 pinches Aleppo pepper or cayenne pepper (see notes)
- ground Sumac (optional, for sprinkling on salad)
Instructions
- Wash cucumbers and peel if desired. (If you can get fresh garden cucumbers, they don’t have to be peeled.)
- Cut cucumbers into same-size pieces about 3/4 inch and place in a colander sitting in the sink.
- Sprinkle with about 1 tsp. salt, mix with your hand so all the cucumber pieces are salted.
- Let cucumbers stand and release water while you prep other ingredients, or if you have time, let cucumbers drain in the sink for 20-30 minutes. (The salad will be more watery if you skip this salting step, but if you’re eating it right away it probably doesn’t matter too much.
- While cucumbers drain, put Greek yogurt, tahini sauce, lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. ground cumin, minced garlic, and Aleppo pepper in a small bowl or measuring cup and mix together. (I found a fork worked best for mixing.)
- Taste and see if you want to add more ground cumin or a pinch of salt, then set aside to let ingredients blend.
- Wash tomatoes and cut in half (if using cherry tomatoes) or cut into 3/4 inch pieces (if using whole tomatoes.)
- Wash radishes, cut off stem and root ends, then cut in half and slice into half moon pieces.
- Blot cucumbers dry with a paper towel (most of the salt will have rinsed off if you’ve drained them long enough.)
- Combine cucumbers, tomatoes, and radishes in a bowl.
- Stir in enough dressing to moisten (I used about half the dressing, save the rest in the fridge for another salad.)
- Sprinkle salad with Sumac if desired.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Here's more about tahini paste, also called tahina.
Here is more about Aleppo pepper.
Here is more about Sumac.
I used fresh frozen lemon juice for this recipe.
Recipe inspired by Jerusalem Salad at Old Jerusalem Restaurant in Chicago.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 132Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 50mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 7g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Cucumber Radish Tomato Salad is a great choice for most any low-carb or low-glycemic diet plan. If made with low-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt, this could be a great choice for any phase of the original South Beach Diet; other low-carb diets will prefer full-fat yogurt.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
The Cucumber Radish Tomato Salad recipe was first posted in 2009 after I tried the recipe in Chicago with Lydia! It was last updated in 2023.
34 Comments on “Cucumber Radish Tomato Salad”
Thanks Donna. Love all these flavors!
The thing I love most about KK recipes is that the flavors are combined in a new fresh way. I never would have thought of these flavors together, but once again you have expanded my horizons!
Lydia, when we finally make it to Chicago for our "middle of the country shopping spree" we must eat lunch there again!
I remember how much we loved our lunch at Old Jerusalem. And although some of the ingredients in this salad are unusual, they are worth seeking out and adding to the pantry.
Steaming Pot, glad you enjoy the salads. For this one, a squeeze of lemon juice is a good substitute for the Sumac, but if you ever find it Sumac is such a nice flavor!
So colorful and tempting. I love your salad recipes Kalyn. Difficult to find all the ingredients in India (sumac and Aleppo pepper for example) – your suggestions for alternatives are very helpful.
Sofia, your variation sounds very good!
I made this to go with Kalyn's Thai Barbecue Chicken, but adapted it a bit to incorporate some southeast Asian flavors: used peanut butter instead of tahini, lime juice instead of lemon juice, and Thai chili paste in place of the Aleppo/cayenne. I topped it off with a little bit of chopped fresh cilantro and Thai basil. It was SO yummy! My boyfriend declared it the best cucumber salad he's ever tasted.
you could also add avocadoes to the mix!! essential nutrients plus fiber and anti-cancerious properties!
The tahini dressing looks awesome! Thanks for sharing this great combo.
Jasmine, thanks. Loved it.
Amy, to each her own. Personally I like the "tang" of the fat free yogurt, but I do like sour flavors a lot.
UPrinting, try a health foods store.
MrSD, definitely some flavors here that are similar to hummus.
Amy, thanks. I try to keep it interesting, but obtainable, if that makes sense.
Stash, I'm a big tabbouli fan here too. I agree, lots of mint and parsley and not too much bulgur.
One of my favorite tomato/cucumber salads is tabbouleh (not as much bulgur, more parsley and mint, a moderate amount of tomato and cucumber; A LOT of lemon juice in proportion to olive oil and just a teensy amount of allspice). Most recipes that you see in the U.S. — indeed some versions in delis here in New York City — use way too much bulgur in comparison to the other ingredients.
We must be on the same wavelength though because I just did a radish/cucumber salad a couple of days ago. Recipe on my blog.
And for people who want you to use "normal" ingredients — well, "normal" is in the eye of the beholder. 😉 Keep on doing what you've been doing; it's a nice foodblog.
That dressing looks awesome!
And please, know that many of us really appreciate your emphasis on wide-ranging, healthy ingredients! The world is full of wonderful flavors, why limit ourselves?
This yogurt and tahini dressing sounds delicious. I imagine it will taste like a very creamy hummus. I think your recipe is similar but with greek yogurt instead of garbanzo beans and a nice kick of flavor.
That sounds like a really yummy salad! But yeah, the ingredients are not that "ordinary", not the type you can get in the grocery. I guess a specialty store is a good place to find those ingredients. I wonder if there's one anywhere near our area.. Thanks!
I love tahini and greek yogurt. I bought some fat-free greek yogurt and it had a big twang to it that I didn't like. So, I went back to the store and bought 2% and whole milk greek yogurt and proceeded to taste them all. Personally, I think the 2% and the whole milk Greek Yogurts are almost exactly the same in taste and worlds better than fat-free.
That being said, if mixing it with tahini I think fat-free wouldn't affect the flavor at all because of the distinct tahini flavors. Just my opinion…
Beautiful salad & delicious dressing. Thanks so much.
There you go with your fabulous ingredients 🙂
That salad looks beautiful…love the colours.
j
Sandie, I'm betting you will love the Aleppo pepper. Just a touch of heat, but with a lot of flavor too.
Jennifer, thanks. I love tahini, it was great in this salad.
Tracy, wow, thanks so much for that lovely feedback. I am pretty strict about not putting things on the blog unless it's really a good recipe, so it's so great to know that you're enjoying them all.
Oneshotbeyond, it was great.
wow…that sounds heavenly right about now!
I just have to tell you how much I love Kalyn's Kitchen. I'm not really a South Beach follower, but I do use it as a guide for eating healthy, which is how I found you. I am constantly looking for and making healthy recipes, and you are the only source that has never disappointed me. So often "healthy" recipes smell great and taste bland, but your are always delicious. I haven't made a single one I wouldn't make again. Thanks for sharing them with us!
What a great summer salad!!!! I love the yogurt tahini dressing!!! yum!!!!
Serious yum factor here—so many of my favorite flavors plus a great recipe to break the seal on that bottle of Aleppo pepper Lydia gave me in Chicago. I am excited to try this (never used Aleppo pepper before)!
Hi Karen,
I think your version sounds closer to the description on the menu at Old Jerusalem Restaurant; thanks for the tips! Love it!
Hi Kalyn, I used to make this Israeli-type salad all the time, using just tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley or coriander,chopped Greek olives, tahina, olive oil and lemon juice. It's also good with chopped up peperoncini peppers for a little kick. Almost equal amounts of cukes and tomatoes, with a slight edge to the cukes. Makes a good sandwich stuffed into a pita as well!
Hi Ed,
I didn't buy that dried orange peel, but I'll put it on my list for my next order. I agree, what an amazing store. How's life?
Meeta, thanks for visiting! Hope you're adjusting to all your unplanned adjustments!
Debi, lucky you. I planted some Abe Lincoln tomatoes which I think are a larger yellow cherry tomato. (I say "I think" because I haven't had any ripe ones yet. Bad year for tomatoes here!)
Joanne, me too. But then, we are food bloggers!
Tahini and greek yogurt are normal in my house! And I love them both. Great recipe.
I too love the Costco grape tomatoes–always reliable. Thankfully I have a plethora of tomatoes out in the garden right now, and will put my "sweet 100's" to work in this recipe. This is the perfect salad to go with something off the grill.
had to come around to check this out! 😉 looks lovely and will make the perfect side for a dinner party on saturday!
Kalyn – I hope that you are well. I LOVE the Spice House. Every time in Chicago, I restock my spice cabinet. Have you tried their dried orange peel?
Karina, this dressing turned out great, loved it.
Lori, very fun meeting you too. Yes, hopefully some other time.
Lydia, it was a fun day and definitely a very good lunch! Now that I've found the menu and description on the website, I'm going to try again at perfecting the salad recipe. (Can't believe I forgot there was parsley!)
Jackie, lucky you to live two blocks from there. Do try the Jerusalem Salad, I loved it!
I can't believe you were at Old Jerusalem which is just two blocks from where I live! I eat there often but have never tried the cucumber salad. Next time I'll definitely try it.
The original salad was delicious, but I think yours looks even better. I love the addition of Aleppo pepper. Can't wait to try this and relive that wonderful lunch in Chicago.
Kalyn, what an honor is was to meet you at Blogher. Really wished I could have spent more time to get to know you but time was scrunched to say the least.
Maybe at a foodie event?? 😉
Thanks for linking me up. I appreciate it.
Lori
I love tahini based dressings- and yours sounds so fresh and fabulous. What a gorgeous salad for the late days of summer.