The dish in your photo looks like a crunchy cucumber salad with dill, garlic, feta, olive oil, vinegar, and a little red-pepper seasoning. The cucumbers appear to be sliced into fairly thick rounds and lightly coated rather than swimming in dressing.
A short salt-and-drain step is especially useful because cucumbers contain about 95% water; removing some moisture keeps the finished salad crisp instead of watery. Ingredients — serves 6
For the salad
- 6 medium Persian or small English cucumbers, about 900 g–1 kg
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese, about 75–100 g
- ¼ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
- 2–3 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated
- ¼ small red onion, very thinly sliced — optional
- ½ tsp red-pepper flakes
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
For seasoning
- ¾ tsp kosher salt for draining
- Additional salt to taste
Dressing
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp red-wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard — optional
- ½ tsp honey or sugar — optional, particularly if you prefer a slightly less sharp dressing
The basic combination of cucumber, feta, dill, olive oil and vinegar is consistent with several established cucumber-dill salad recipes.
Step-by-step method
1. Prepare the cucumbers
Wash and dry the cucumbers well.
Slice them into ¼-inch / 6-mm rounds. You can leave the skin on, as in the photo.
For especially large, watery cucumbers, cut them lengthwise and scrape out some of the seeds before slicing.
2. Salt and drain
Put the sliced cucumber in a colander.
Sprinkle with ¾ tsp kosher salt, toss gently, and leave for 10–15 minutes.
Pat the cucumbers dry with paper towels.
This step is optional, but it makes a noticeable difference in texture. Similar cucumber salads use a short salt rest specifically to draw out excess moisture.
3. Make the dressing
Whisk together:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp red-wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Dijon, if using
- honey/sugar, if using
- black pepper
Taste it.
You want a balance of tangy + salty + herby + slightly garlicky.
4. Add the flavorings
Place the drained cucumbers in a large bowl.
Add:
- garlic
- dill
- oregano
- red-pepper flakes
- red onion, if using
Pour over the dressing.
5. Toss gently
Use a large spoon or your hands to gently toss everything together.
Don’t overmix—the cucumber slices can break and release more water.
6. Add feta
Fold in the crumbled feta last.
Reserve a little feta and dill for sprinkling over the top.
7. Chill
For the best flavor, refrigerate for 20–30 minutes before serving.
If you want maximum crunch, serve soon after dressing. Cucumber salads naturally become more watery as they sit.
🌿 Flavor profile
This version gives you:
- Cucumber: cool, crisp and juicy
- Dill: fresh, grassy flavor
- Garlic: savory punch
- Feta: salty and creamy
- Olive oil: richness
- Vinegar + lemon: brightness
- Red pepper: gentle heat
- Oregano: Mediterranean character
For a flavor particularly close to the photograph, I’d use fresh dill, plenty of garlic, feta, red-pepper flakes and a moderate amount of olive oil.
Nut information / allergen information
This recipe contains no tree nuts or peanuts.
The main potential allergens are:
- Milk: from feta cheese
- Mustard: only if Dijon mustard is used
If buying packaged feta, check its label for the manufacturer’s allergen statement.
Nut-free version
Simply make the recipe as written. There is no need for nuts.
If you actually want nuts
For additional crunch, you could add:
- 2 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds — technically a seed, not a tree nut
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 2 tbsp chopped walnuts
- 2 tbsp sliced almonds
Add them immediately before serving so they stay crunchy.