Cucumber Tomato Salad Recipe

Summer is officially here! And with that comes a bevy of beautiful produce, such as the beautiful heirloom tomatoes and Persian cucumbers used in this salad recipe. It’s perfect for the season because you don’t have to turn on your stove at all. This would be great as a side dish for grilled chicken or fish, but to be honest I ate it on its own in a big bowl after these pictures were taken, so you always have that option.

If you follow me on Instagram then I’m sure you know by now that I’ve been taking full advantage of having my office located near a farmers’ market. At the very least I take a stroll through the stalls to see what they have available, and at least once a week I’ll buy a few things to take home with me. First were the small Persian cucumbers, which a lot of the times I just eat whole as a snack. And once the tomatoes started popping up, I knew I had to grab them to make something delicious. With these two items combined, enter this cucumber and tomato salad recipe.

I used heirloom tomatoes here—mostly because I like having the different colors—but you can really use any variety of tomato that you’re able to put your hands on. The only real requirement is that the tomatoes you use are ripe and full of flavor. And similarly for the cucumbers—I like to use the small Persian ones because of how crisp they are, as well as their thin skins and small seeds. (Note: If you want to substitute another type of cucumber, you might want to peel it first depending on the thickness of the skin.)

The tomatoes and cucumbers are then tossed with thinly sliced red onion, olive oil, balsamic vinegar (sherry, red wine, or white wine should also work), some salt, and a healthy dose of black pepper. Once the produce has been cut and mixed with some salt (the tomatoes in particular), they will release their own juices to make a nice light dressing for the salad.

And that’s it!

Because it’s so simple, I can’t stress enough how important it is to use cucumbers and tomatoes that are full of flavor, or else you might be disappointed. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you!) But if you’re looking to jazz it up a bit, some fresh soft herbs (basil would be nice) and/or a little cheese (maybe goat or feta) would be great additions. Feel free to make it your own!

Yield: about 6 servings

Cucumber Tomato Salad Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Heirloom tomatoes and Persian cucumbers get tossed with thinly sliced red onion and a handful of other ingredients for a simple, delicious summer salad.

Print

Ingredients

• 3 large (1 1/2 pounds) heirloom tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 4 small (10 ounces) Persian cucumbers, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. For the tomatoes, I cut each into about 16 pieces by slicing in half horizontally and cutting each half into 8 wedges. For the cucumbers, I cut them into triangles (they look like little ramps). This is just what I did to give some nice visual appeal, but do whatever works for you.
2. Combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. (I prefer a healthy dose of black pepper.) Serve.