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Classic Summer Salad with Tomatoes and Cucumbers
Make this Classic Summer Salad with tomatoes and cucumbers! This fresh and simple recipe is ideal as a side to any main dish.
Sometimes, I crave a dish that requires one too many ingredients (read: 5 more than I have on hand). Do you know how difficult it is to crave something and not be able to satisfy those cravings? Oh, it’s hard. Especially when you’re craving something cool and fresh during those hot summer days.
Something that’s healthy but also delicious. Perhaps the perfect mid-afternoon snack while the sun is beating down relentlessly.
Table of Contents
Queue the birth of this easy summer salad.
A bit too dramatic? Perhaps. But I’m so glad I came up with a recipe that’s easy to make and calls for ingredients that I almost always have on hand.
Juicy cherry tomatoes. English cucumber. Zesty red onions. Earthy dill. Smooth olive oil. And a dash of salt. That’s all you need! No fancy ingredients.
Simple, humble ingredients that make for an impactful dish. It’s as light as the summer breeze while adding lots of nutrition.
Speaking of nutrition, we need to talk about the benefits of this easy recipe.
Simple ingredients like juicy tomatoes, regular cucumbers, and raw onions make up the best fresh salads while adding in a punch of nutrition. The fresh tomatoes protect your cells from damage while giving you potassium and vitamin E. Crunchy cucumbers may be 95% water, but that hydration doesn’t come alone. Fresh cucumbers also contain vitamins K and A. There are many different types of onion, but red onion has quercetin, which can boost your immune system. Fresh dill can help to reduce the risks of heart disease.
Homegrown veggies reign supreme in the summer months. Growing your own veggies is a great way to ensure that your fresh produce doesn’t have anything sprayed on it or hasn’t been handled roughly.
Fresh cucumbers and heirloom tomatoes from the garden taste different from store bought in any perfect salad. You can even grow a seedless variety of cucumbers at home. Of course, it all comes down to personal preference. This flavorful salad will taste amazing no matter what you choose.
A simple salad like this, I can’t help but to pair it up with a main dish or two.
You can devour a bowl as is, or pair it with your favorite meal. These veggies would go great with a baked chicken or grilled meat dish. The crisp cucumber and ripe tomatoes always combine so well, I just have to make more and more combinations with those two.
Grilled chicken, salsa, lemonade, and this salad? Done. A large bowl of salad needed at backyard barbecues? This is the perfect side dish.
If I just feel like a light lunch, this cucumber tomato salad recipe always comes in clutch.
It’s wonderful to have an easy salad recipe that comes together in less than 5 minutes, and this is definitely one of them!
Key Ingredients:
Cucumbers start this recipe off with vitamins and a boost of hydration.
Tomatoes are so juicy when they’re fresh, so be sure to grab some cherry tomatoes!
Red onion adds the tangy flavors that I just can’t resist. They are always present in a perfect summer side dish!
Olive oil makes up the simple dressing of this salad. You can choose to have extra virgin olive oil, whatever satisfies your tastes!
Fresh dill is one of those fresh herbs that’s constantly present in Slavic dishes. I love to add it into any recipe, and it is especially perfect in this fresh cucumber tomato salad.
Along with these ingredients, you will need salt and black pepper.
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
How to make Classic Summer Salad with Tomatoes and Cucumbers
Step 1: Cut tomatoes
Cut tomatoes into small pieces and place into a bowl.
Step 2: Chop red onion
Chop red onion and add to the tomatoes.
Step 3: Cut cucumber
Cut cucumber into small slices and place into the bowl with tomatoes and onion.
Step 4: Add dill
I like to also add a handful of chopped fresh dill and add to the bowl with the rest of the cut vegetables. (this step is optional, and you could add cilantro or parsley instead.)
Step 5: Dress with olive oil
When you are ready to eat the salad, combine it with 3-4 Tablespoons of olive oil.
Step 6: Season
Add salt to taste and pepper (optional)
Step 7: Enjoy
This classic summer salad is ready to enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Add fresh herbs to improve the taste. If you don’t have fresh dill, substitute for parsley!
- For the cucumbers, use Persian cucumbers or the English cucumber variety. These work best for this recipe.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste and consider adding a pinch of sugar for a subtle sweetness.
Recipe FAQs
I don’t recommend making this summer salad ahead of time. Serve it fresh, because the juices from the fresh tomatoes tend to let out.
Yes, you can use sweet onions or scallions for a milder taste.
This summer salad pairs well with these dishes:
- You can make a Creamy and Quick Dinner Spaghetti with Beef and Mushroom Sauce!
- I like to make this Vegetarian Asparagus Summer Soup in just one pot!
- Baked Feta Pasta is a delicious and easy pasta recipe you can put together in no time!
Other tomato recipes
If you tried this Classic Summer Salad with tomatoes and cucumbers or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you enjoyed it in the📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Classic Summer Salad with Tomatoes and Cucumbers
Equipment
- bowl
Ingredients
- 1 big cucumber, chopped
- 5 medium tomatoes, chopped
- ½ red onion, chopped
- olive oil, to taste
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, optional
- 1 handful fresh dill, optional
Instructions
- Cut tomatoes into small pieces and place into a bowl.5 medium tomatoes,
- Chop red onion and add to the tomatoes.½ red onion,
- Cut cucumber into small slices and place into the bowl with tomatoes and onion.1 big cucumber,
- I like to also add a handful of chopped fresh dill and add to the bowl with the rest of the cut vegetables. (this step is optional, and you could add cilantro or parsley instead.)1 handful fresh dill,
- When you are ready to eat the salad, combine it with 3-4 Tablespoons of olive oil.olive oil,
- Add salt to taste and pepper (optional)salt,, black pepper,
- This classic summer salad is ready to enjoy!
Notes
- If you don’t have olive oil, try with organic canola oil.
- Salt to taste.
