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Georgian Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Walnuts

Georgian Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Walnuts

By Rose HattabaughMarch 26, 2025

  • Makes
    4-6 servings
  • Cook Time
    30 minutes
  • Rating

In Georgia (the country, not the state), walnuts aren’t in salad dressing, they are the salad dressing. Crushed and tossed with tomatoes and cucumbers, the nuts create a creamy-savory dressing that adds as much texture as flavor. We learned this version in Georgia from wine horticulturist Giorgi Barisashvili. We salt the tomatoes and cucumbers to enhance their flavor and draw out excess moisture, and we toss slices of red onion in vinegar to soften their bite. Campari tomatoes (sometimes called cocktail tomatoes) are a good choice in the off seasons.

Tip

Don’t overprocess the dressing. You want the mixture to be creamy, but retain some pops of texture from the walnuts.

Ingredients
  • 2

    English cucumbers

  • 12

    ounces ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into ½-inch wedges

  • 1

    pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 1

    small red onion, halved and thinly sliced

  • 1

    tablespoon white wine vinegar or white vinegar

  • ¾

    cup walnuts

  • 1

    medium garlic clove, smashed and peeled

  • 1

    cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

  • ¼

    teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • ¼

    cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1

    small cubanelle or Anaheim pepper, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced

Step 1

Working in alternating strips, peel the cucumbers, leaving every other strip with skin intact. Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scrape out and discard the seeds, then cut them into 1-inch pieces. In a large colander in the sink, combine the cucumbers and both types of tomatoes. Sprinkle with 1½ teaspoons salt and gently toss. Let stand 15 minutes, tossing once or twice.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss the onion and vinegar; set aside. In a food processor, combine the walnuts, garlic, half the cilantro, the pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Pulse until roughly chopped, about 5 pulses. With the processor running, stream in the oil. Process until the dressing is creamy and the walnuts are finely ground.

Step 3

Shake the colander to encourage the liquid to drain, then transfer the tomatoes and cucumbers to a serving bowl. Add the onion-vinegar mixture, the cubanelle pepper, the remaining cilantro and the walnut dressing. Toss, then taste and season with salt and black pepper.

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