Cucumber Tomato Salad

Classic Cucumber Tomato Salad with a sweet and tangy dressing made with simple pantry ingredients.  A super easy recipe made in about 5 minutes. Perfect for picnics, BBQs, potlucks, and holiday entertaining.

This is one of my go-to recipes. It takes simple pantry ingredients I usually have one hand and it’s super fast. I make this a lot during the summer when tomatoes and cucumbers are abundant. It’s perfect for picnics and BBQs. It doesn’t have to be refrigerated and it’s even vegan friendly so everyone can enjoy this.

Ingredients

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut the tomatoes into bite-size pieces and add to a large salad bowl or mixing bowl
2. Peel and dice the cucumbers, removing the seeds if desired, and add to the tomatoes in the bowl.
3. Peel the onion and dice. Add to the bowl. (Photo 1)
4. Add the remaining ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until most of the sugar has dissolved. You can use a small canning jar with a lid and shake it until the sugar is mostly dissolved. (Photo 2)
5. Pour the dressing over the tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. (Photo 3)
6. Toss until everything is well coated. (Photo 4)
7. Serve or place into the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Pro Tips

• When using regular cucumbers, they should be peeled because the skin can be a little tough. There is no reason to deseed cucumbers for this recipe but you can if you like.
  • To remove the seeds from a cucumber just slice it in half longways. Take a spoon and gently scrape the seeds out.  Be gentle so you don’t scrape out the flesh.
• My secret for cutting tomatoes without smashing them is to use a bread knife! The only time my knives are sharp enough to slice through a tomato like a Ginsu commercial is the same day they were sharpened.
  • I have better luck with serrated knives. If you have a serrated steak knife that will also work.
• Cherry tomatoes can be used. You only need to cut those in half.
• Use light tasting oil like vegetable oil. Avoid heavy flavors like walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil.
• I prefer plain white vinegar. It gives this salad that classic old-fashioned flavor.
  • You could use white wine vinegar or something similar, but I would avoid apple cider, malt vinegar, and balsamic vinegar when making a this.  These just overpower the other flavors in the dish.
• This can be served immediately but the flavor will improve after a few hours.
• Granulated garlic was written into the original recipe. Garlic powder can be substituted.
• Use a small canning jar with a lid to combine the dressing ingredients.
• Don’t be tempted to add more dressing. As the salad sits, the tomatoes and cucumbers will give off liquid.

CAN I ADD GREEN PEPPERS?

Sure, you can add anything you like!

Some other common additions are celery, mozzarella cheese cubes, and feta cheese crumbles. I just prefer mine the classic way.

HOW TO SERVE

You can serve this simple salad cold or at room temperature. I usually use a slotted spoon so that all the juice stays in the serving bowl.

This goes great with just about anything.  It can even be eaten alone as a light summer meal.  Here are a few suggested main dish pairings:

• Smoked Chicken
• Burgers, for a real treat, try grinding your own beef for burgers
• BBQ
• Grilled Steaks
• Grilled Chicken

HOW TO STORE

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Give it a stir, or shake the bowl at least once a day to keep everything coated with dressing.

Stir well before serving. This will last a few days before the tomatoes start to lose their structure. I don’t recommend storing this any longer than that. It comes together so quickly that I just make a new batch if I want some later in the week.

MORE VEGETABLE SALADS

Creamy Corn Salad

Green Bean Salad

Broccoli Salad with Cranberries and Sunflower Seeds

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