Cucumber Feta Salad : Jawns I Cooked

Name: Cucumber Feta Salad Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 large English cucumber (seeds removed, sliced); 1 small shallot (thinly sliced); ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (for serving); Za'atar and parsley or cilantro (for serving); ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream); ½ cup crumbled feta cheese; Juice of 1/2 lemon; 2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil; 1 clove garlic (grated or minced); 2 tsp Za'atar seasoning; Salt and pepper (to taste ); Water (up to 4 tbsp, to thin)

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This Cucumber Feta Salad is on the table in 15 minutes with no cooking at all. A simple combination of cold, crisp cucumbers and shallots in a creamy za'atar dressing, Each bite is tangy with lemon, sharp with garlic, and loaded with salty feta. For more ways to enjoy cucumbers, try this Spicy Korean cucumber salad next.

A bowl of cucumber feta salad garnished with za'atar and cilantro leaves.

Recipe Summary: Cucumber Feta Salad

✅ Recipe Name: Cucumber Feta Salad with Whipped Za’atar Dressing
🕒 Ready In: 15 minutes
👪 Serves: 4
🍽 Calories: 163
🥣 Main Ingredients: Cucumber, feta, Greek yogurt or sour cream, za'atar, fresh lemon juice
📖 Dietary Info: 📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, gluten-free, and nut-free. Contains dairy but can be made dairy-free with tahini.
⭐ Why You'll Love It: The feta goes in the dressing, blended creamy with Greek yogurt and lemon, so every bite is salty and tangy instead of just the ones that catch a crumble.

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The original version of this salad had a thin za'atar vinaigrette made with olive oil, rice vinegar, lemon, a little honey, and some feta crumbled over the top. It was good. But the dressing slid straight to the bottom of the bowl, and every bite was either cucumber or feta, never both.

So I put the feta in the dressing. Half of it goes into the blender with Greek yogurt, lemon, garlic, and za'atar, so the cheese becomes part of the dressing instead of just sitting on top of it. The other half gets crumbled over at the end with another sprinkle of za'atar and a handful of parsley, so you still get those salty pockets on the way down.

For more summer salads, try this Asian cabbage salad or this easy broccoli salad with bacon and cranberries.

Why you'll love this recipe

The dressing is the feta. Blended smooth with Greek yogurt and lemon, so every bite is creamy and salty — not just the ones that catch a crumble.
Fifteen minutes, no cooking. Just blend, slice, toss, and serve.
Za'atar does the heavy lifting. Herby, tangy, a little nutty, making three ingredients taste like a real recipe.
Goes with everything. Grilled marinated chicken thighs, Greek lamb meatballs, salmon, or scooped up with warm pita.

Ingredients

Cucumber: An English or a standard cucumber works for salads. English cucumbers have thin skin and don't need peeling, while regular cucumbers have a thick, waxed skin that turns bitter and tough in a salad, so I recommend peeling it. For both, scoop the seeds out with a spoon. This is the watery part of the cucumber and will thin the dressing if you leave it in.
Feta: Buy a block packed in brine, not the pre-crumbled tubs. Pre-crumbled feta is coated in anti-caking starch, so it never fully breaks down in the blender and leaves the dressing slightly grainy. Block feta blends smoothly and tastes creamier. If you love feta, try this white bean salad recipe and feta cheese scrambled eggs too!
Greek yogurt or sour cream: Greek yogurt is tangier and keeps the dressing bright against the salty feta, just like in this Greek yogurt ranch dressing recipe. Sour cream is richer and rounder, and mellows the za'atar. I use yogurt, but the salad's good either way.
Za'atar: A good za'atar is heavy on the sumac and sesame, not just dried thyme. Older blends go dusty and flat, so if yours has been in the cabinet a couple of years, it's worth replacing before you make this salad.

See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients with measurements.

Cucumber and Feta Salad Variations

Dairy-free.	Swap the yogurt and the blended feta for 3 tablespoons of tahini and an extra squeeze of lemon. You lose the salty edge, so salt more aggressively and taste as you go. Skip the crumbled feta on top or use a firm dairy-free feta.
Vegetable add-ins.	Halved cherry or grape tomatoes are an easy addition to toss in with the cucumber and onions. Diced avocado makes it richer and more of a meal, and thinly sliced radish or fennel adds crunch.
Swap the herbs.	Parsley is the default. Mint makes it brighter and leans Greek, dill leans deli, and cilantro pushes it toward the shawarma end of things. Use one, not all three.
Make it lunch.	A drained can of chickpeas turns this into a full meal and soaks up the dressing, similar to this chickpea feta salad. Grilled chicken or leftover salmon works the same way.

How to Make Cucumber Feta Salad

Cucumbers peeled, cut in half, and seeds scooped out on a cutting board.

Step 1: Peel the cucumber and then slice it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds of the cucumber using a spoon.

Sliced cucumbers and shallots in a bowl.

Step 2: Slice the cucumbers into thin half moons and add to a mixing bowl. Then, thinly slice the shallots and add to the bowl with the cucumbers.

Ingredients to make feta dressing in a glass.

Step 3: Add all dressing ingredients to a tall glass to blend with an immersion blender, or add to a regular blender.

The immersion blender held over the glass of blended dressing.

Step 4: Blend until the mixture is creamy. Add up to a ¼ cup water as needed to thin out the consistency of the dressing to your tastes. Use less for a thicker dressing and add more if you prefer it thinner. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Dressing added to the bowl of cucumbers and shallots.

Step 5: Add the dressing to the bowl of shallots and cucumbers.

Dressing tossed with cucumbers and shallots.

Step 6: Toss the dressing with cucumber and shallots.

A bowl of cucumber salad topped with feta cheese crumbles and a spoon in the bowl.

Step 7: Sprinkle the top with crumbled feta, za'atar seasoning, and garnish with fresh herbs. Enjoy as a side dish with everything from the best BBQ pulled pork to this air fryer roast chicken.

Expert Tips

Dress right before serving. Cucumbers keep releasing water even after you've seeded them, and once they're tossed, that water thins the dressing and pools in the bottom of the bowl. If you're bringing this somewhere, carry the dressing separately and toss when you get there.
Blend in a tall, narrow container. An immersion blender needs the blade fully submerged to catch. In a wide bowl it just spins and splatters; in a tall cup it pulls the feta down and goes creamy in about 30 seconds. A regular blender works too.
Thin it slowly. Add water a tablespoon at a time until the dressing pours off a spoon in a ribbon. Feta brands vary a lot in moisture, so the amount you need will change from block to block.
Storage. The dressing on its own keeps in an airtight container for 5 days. Stir it before using, as it thickens in the fridge. Once dressed, the salad is best the same day because leftovers get watery.

Creamy Cucumber Feta Salad Recipe FAQs

Why is my cucumber salad watery?

Cucumbers are about 95% water, and salt and acid pull that water out as soon as the salad is dressed. Two things fix this problem. First, scoop out the seed core with a spoon before slicing, since that's the wettest part. Second, dress the salad right before serving instead of letting it sit. A creamy dressing shows the problem faster than a vinaigrette does because the water thins it visibly.

Can you make cucumber feta salad ahead of time?

You can prep the components ahead, but wait to finish the salad. The blended feta dressing keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and thickens as it sits. Stir it, and thin with a splash of water if needed before using it. Cucumbers can be sliced and stored dry the day before. Once dressed, cucumber feta salad is best eaten the same day.

What's the best cucumber for cucumber salad?

English cucumbers are the best all-around choice because they have a thin unwaxed skin that doesn't need peeling, few seeds, and a mild sweet flavor. Persian or mini cucumbers are the crispest and need no peeling or seeding at all, but come in smaller packs. Standard field cucumbers work if you peel off the waxed skin and scoop out the seeds, which are larger and more bitter.

Serving Suggestions

This is a side that wants something hot and charred next to it, making it perfect for summer cookouts and parties. Dishes such as ground pork hamburgers straight off the grill or easy air fried salmon bites both work well.

For a bigger Mediterranean spread, put it out alongside baked feta and a stack of flatbread.

A bowl of cucumber salad with feta in front of a blue and white napkin.

More Easy Salad Recipes

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