Our Cypriot tomato salad makes a summery Mediterranean salad that’s the perfect accompaniment to Cypriot meatballs. Cyprus has a salad similar to the traditional Greek feta salad called horiatiki, but I really love this simple village salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, capsicums, and red onions, doused in quality extra virgin olive oil and wine vinegar.
Just as a Greek salad is a great side dish to Greek meatballs, this simple, summery Cypriot tomato salad is fantastic served with Cypriot meatballs. It’s one of my favourite tomato salad recipes. I love a simple village salad made with beautiful fresh seasonal produce – such as this Middle Eastern farmers salad and my Russian-Ukrainian baboushka’s garden salad.
Just as you would in Greece, on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus you’d eat the Cypriot tomato salad and meatballs with warm pita bread and the cucumber yoghurt dip, tzatziki, called talatouri in Cyprus. That’s a perfect lunch or dinner. Or you could serve the salad with an array of meze or mezedes, the dips, snacks and starters eaten around the Mediterranean. Also try this refreshing Cypriot watermelon, tomato and halloumi salad recipe.
If you’re a fan of Mediterranean food, you’ll enjoy the pairing of this salad and meatballs. It’s simple, light and healthy. I’ll tell you more about this Cypriot tomato salad recipe, below. If you want to save it, just click on the heart on the right side of the page to save it to your private account. If you’re looking for more cooking inspiration, we have hundreds of recipes here.
Cypriot Tomato Salad Recipe for a Simple Summery Mediterranean Salad
Eat at a taverna on Cyprus and you’ll spot classic Greek salads on menus in Greek Cyprus, the southern part of the island. You’ll also see variations on Cypriot tomato salads – from tomatoes topped with onion slices, olives, crumbly feta, and capers to simple tomato-based village salads with tomato, cucumber, bell peppers, onions, and herbs. That’s what this is.
While this Cypriot tomato salad might seem super-simple, when the produce is so beautiful and fresh, and smells and tastes like it’s just been plucked from the vines, as it does in Cyprus, this salad tastes truly great. If you haven’t been to Cyprus, go for the food as much as the archaeological sites, beaches and forests.
With over 300 days of sunshine on Cyprus – which is why it’s such a popular beach holiday destination – rich red fertile soils on parts of the island, and evidence of some of the oldest farming traditions in the world, it’s no surprise that Cyprus produces some of the most delicious produce you’ll ever taste.
You’ll see gorgeous produce grown everywhere as you drive around Cyprus – which is the best way to experience the island; we’ve criss-crossed it by car on holidays and for magazine and guidebook assignments. There’s everything from citrus fruits, which heave from trees in vast orchards, to the prized Cypriot potatoes, and vibrant red, sweet tomatoes, which you’ll smell in markets before you see them.
Spain’s Pamplona isn’t the only place that has a tomato festival. The ancient Cypriot village of Parekklisia has a summer tomato festival – although the village is better known for the nearby Neolithic site of Shillourokambos, home to a tomb where the world’s oldest domesticated cat was buried, and other domesticated animals, including cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats.
No wonder the Cypriot produce is so good. I only have a few tips to making this Cypriot tomato salad recipe, as it’s super easy to prepare and comes together quickly.
Tips to Making this Cypriot Tomato Salad Recipe
This Cypriot tomato salad recipe is a cinch to make. It’s another of those recipes that you won’t need to look at again after preparing the salad once. The secret to what makes this salad so good is the quality of ingredients, so buy the best tomatoes and other ingredients that you can find and afford.
Use a great quality extra virgin olive oil. If you can’t source a Cypriot extra virgin olive oil, use a Greek extra virgin olive oil or another Mediterranean olive oil.
The quintessential herbs used in Cypriot cooking are fresh and dried mint, oregano, thyme, parsley, and dill. You could really use any combination of those herbs, and a mix of fresh and dried is just fine.
You could certainly crumble some Cypriot feta or Greek feta on top of this salad – and you could also add olives. Grind on some more cracked black pepper and sprinkle on some sea salt and serve immediately with those Cypriot meatballs, yoghurt cucumber dip, and a stack of warm pita bread.
Cypriot Tomato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 beef tomatoes - thickly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper - capsicum, de-seeded, sliced
- 1 large cucumber - sliced, quartered
- 1 small red onion - or purple shallot, sliced
- 1 tsp fresh dill - sprigs torn off stems
- ½ tsp dried mint
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil - good quality
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp salt - or to taste
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper - or to taste
Instructions
- To a big salad bowl, add the thick slices of vine-ripened beef tomatoes, cucumber quarters, green bell pepper slices, red onion or purple shallot slices, fresh dill sprigs, and dried mint.
- Add the quality extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and toss the salad. Try it and adjust the seasoning or dressing to suit your taste.
- Serve straight away with Cypriot keftedes (Cyprus style meatballs), souvlaki (skewers) or grilled seafood, and warm pita.
Nutrition
Please do let us know in the Comments section below if you make this Cypriot tomato salad recipe as we love to hear how our recipes turned out for our readers.
