This Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad is from a reader named Lisa and the simple balsamic vinegar dressing makes these ingredients shine! This salad is so simple and good you’ll probably make it all summer long.

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Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad photo of finished salad in serving bowl

There are lots of salads with tomatoes and cucumbers on this site, and to me that combination just screams summer. But I also eat tomatoes and cucumbers all year (whenever I can get good flavorful cherry tomatoes and Persian cucumbers from Costco.) So when a reader from Hawaii named Lisa sent me her recipe for this Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad that she called “dumb salad” and said it was something she made often, I was interested.

Lisa discovered this combination when she was going out of town and needed to use what was on hand, and I promise you, this simple salad that just combines cucumbers, tomatoes, green onion, avocado, and balsamic vinegar is not dumb at all! This recipe that’s low-carb, Keto, gluten-free, and vegan, is probably going to become a recipe you’ll make over and over when you have avocado and just want an easy salad for a side dish.

Of course, make this Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad only when you have fresh flavorful tomatoes, but I loved this combination, accented with just sea salt and coarse ground black pepper. And I like the idea of a salad with no added oil except the fat from the avocado.

Lisa invited me to change it up, but really I didn’t change it much except to sub sliced green onions for the sweet onions she used. And I was making more than I’d eat right away, so I also tossed the avocado with just the tiniest bit of lemon juice to make sure it didn’t go brown. And the first time I tried it, I made the salad like Lisa does and happily gobbled it up for lunch!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(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.)

  • small Persian cucumbers or fresh garden cucumbers
  • fresh tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
  • green onion
  • avocado
  • fresh-squeezed lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
  • good-quality balsamic vinegar
  • sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

What Vinegar did I use for the Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad?

This simple salad has so few ingredients that you want to be sure every ingredient tastes great, so be sure to use good quality balsamic vinegar! But you don’t need expensive Balsamic Vinegar that’s $40 a bottle for this recipe! I’ve made it many times with medium-priced Colavita Aged Balsamic Vinegar (affiliate link) and I think it tastes great. The Balsamic Vinegar does slightly color the other ingredients, so if you happen to have white balsamic vinegar (affiliate link) that would also be a great choice.

What variations could you make for this salad?

The simple ingredients are one thing I think makes this Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad so great. But Lisa’s friends suggested adding lots of chopped herbs, and I’m thinking mint, basil, or parsley could have a great supporting role in this salad if you wanted a variation. You could also add other things like olives, artichoke hearts, or hearts of palm, and Feta Cheese or Gorgonzola would also be a nice addition to the flavors here.

Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad process shots collage

How to make Tomato Cucumber Avocado 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.)

  1. I used those small Persian cucumbers but you could also use one large European cucumber instead of three small ones.
  2. I don’t have garden tomatoes yet, so I used sweet Cherubs tomatoes from Costco.  This is something I buy over and over.  (Cherubs has never paid me or sent tomatoes, I just like their product!)
  3. I cut the green onion in slices to make about 1/4 cup, use more or less to taste.
  4. You need one perfectly ripe avocado, diced into smallish pieces.
  5. I tossed the avocado with just a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice to keep the leftovers from turning brown, but I’m guessing most of the time you make this it will all be eaten right away, so feel free to skip this step.
  6. Gently toss together the cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, and avocado, then dress with just enough good quality balsamic vinegar to coat the veggies. 
  7. Season to taste with good sea salt and fresh ground black pepper and enjoy!

Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad photo of finished salad in serving bowl

More Salads with Tomatoes and Cucumbers:

close-up shot of Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad photo of finished salad in serving bowl
Yield: 4 servings

Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad

Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

This simple and delicious salad I got from a reader named Lisa just has tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, green onion, and balsamic vinegar, and this is definitely not a dumb idea for a tasty salad!

Ingredients

  • 3 small Persian cucumbers (see notes)
  • 1 cup diced tomato or cherry tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup thinly diagonally sliced green onion
  • 1 avocado
  • 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice (optional, for tossing with avocado)
  • 1 T good-quality balsamic vinegar
  • sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise, then slice into half-moon slices.  (I never peel Persian cucumbers, but if you use other cucumbers you might want to peel some of the skin off in stripes before you slice them.)
  2. Dice tomatoes or cut cherry tomatoes in half to make one cup.  (Only make this salad when you have flavorful fresh tomatoes.)
  3. Slice green onion to make 1/4 cup, or more if you like onion.
  4. Peel and cut up the avocado into small cubes. Toss with lemon juice if desired, optional.
  5. Combine the cucumber, tomato, onion, and avocado in a plastic or glass bowl and gently toss together.
  6. Add a small amount of balsamic vinegar, enough to barely coat the veggies, and toss again.  (I used about a tablespoon of vinegar, which was plenty.)
  7. Season to taste with your favorite sea salt and plenty of fresh-ground black pepper.
  8. If you like it as much as I did, you probably won’t have leftovers no matter how much you make!

Notes

You can also use one large European cucumber or two middle-sized garden cucumbers.

This recipe created by a reader named Lisa who lives on Maui.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 120Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 159mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 5gSugar: 5gProtein: 3g

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.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad thumbnail image of salad in serving bowl

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad is perfect for most any low-carb eating plan, including Keto, and it’s also great for Paleo diets. Everything in this salad is a perfect ingredient for the original South Beach Diet, although avocado is a limited food for South Beach. This recipe does have some carbs in the tomatoes and avocado, but there is also fiber so the net carbs are lower than you might think. If you want a lower-carb option, use more cucumber in proportion to the tomato and avocado.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use the Salad Index 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:
I first posted this recipe on Kalyn’s Kitchen in 2011 after a reader named Lisa sent me the recipe. It was updated with better photos in 2022 and slightly updated with more information in 2023.

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