Egyptian Cucumber and Tomato Salad (Salata Baladi)

This traditional Egyptian Cucumber and Tomato Salad features crunchy cucumbers, sweet tomatoes, and fresh herbs. It's a quick, refreshing, and delicious summer salad that makes the perfect side dish or even light meal.

Egyptian Cucumber and Tomato Salad (or Salata Baladi) is a popular salad dish in Egypt and many Middle Eastern countries. When we traveled to the Middle East a couple of years ago, we had this salad with almost all of our meals. This fresh and crunchy salad has a nice acidic bite, which pairs perfectly with hearty Middle Eastern dishes and of course a side of pita or naan. But, you could always bring it to a potluck or barbecue and serve it as a side to some classic American hot dogs and hamburgers (not exactly traditional.) Either way, it's a great excuse to use up all of that fresh summer produce!

Ingredients in Cucumber and Tomato Salad

• Cucumbers: The cucumbers can be added with the peels on or off. I prefer to keep the peels on as it adds texture and more nutrition.
• Roma tomatoes: These are my favorite salad tomatoes as they are tangy and flavorful. But you can really use any tomato in this recipe.
• Red onion: The red onion adds a nice "bite" to the salad.
• Parsley
• Lemon 
• Olive oil: Use high-quality olive oil for the best flavor.
• Salt and pepper

How to Make the Salad

1. Place diced cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, and onion in a large serving bowl.
2. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil.
3. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

What Tomato is Best for This Salad?

The best salad tomatoes are cherry, grape, and roma. I opted to use roma for their tangy flavor.

Should You Peel the Cucumbers?

Whether or not you peel the cucumbers is really up to you and your personal preference. I like the texture and extra nutrition they add to the salad, which is why I chose to leave them on.

Extra Additions

If you want to take this salad up a notch, you can add in some extra additions. Chickpeas, crumbled feta, avocado slices, and ciabatta bread could all be fun add-ins in this salad.

More Middle Eastern Recipes to Try:

• Hearty Shakshuka with Feta
• Crispy Falafel
• Easy Homemade Hummus
• Pumpkin Baklava

If you make this recipe, let me know what you think! I’d love it if you could add a star rating ★ and a comment below. Be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook, too!