Cucumber Tomato Salad – Budget Bytes

The aroma from this Cucumber Tomato Salad is probably the most deliciously recent scent of cucumbers, parsley, juicy tomatoes, and crunchy inexperienced peppers, and it’s past pleasant. The one factor higher than the aroma is the flavour. This straightforward aspect salad is chilly, crunchy, juicy, budget-friendly, and tossed with a easy purple wine-oregano French dressing that makes each chew style vibrant and recent. Briefly, this cucumber tomato salad is one large bowl of chilly, crunchy, juicy loveliness.

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“I make this salad nearly each week. Generally I modify it slightly based mostly upon what I’ve (further pepper, no onion, and so forth). I like to put it on a pita with some hummus and falafel. Yum!”

Krista

A Deliciously Recent Cucumber Tomato Aspect

Cucumber and tomato salads aren’t precisely new (undoubtedly try my creamy cucumber salad, too!), however generally the only classics are those I come again to most. This one is recent, mild, low-calorie, and full of greens, however it nonetheless has loads of taste due to the tangy oregano French dressing and pops of creamy, salty feta. I like chopping the cucumbers into hearty chunks in order that they hold their crunch higher after dressing, and the French dressing provides brightness with out weighing every little thing down. It’s a straightforward, budget-friendly aspect salad that brings freshness, texture, and coloration to a meal with out including a lot prep time or price.

I additionally love how versatile this cucumber tomato salad is. Serve it as a fast aspect dish, or bulk it up with canned tuna and white beans to show it into one thing nearer to my Mediterranean tuna salad, which is the PERFECT protein and veggie-packed meal prep salad (if you happen to ask me!)

1. Select crisp cucumbers. I take advantage of common recent cucumbers right here as a result of they’re budget-friendly and simple to seek out. They have an inclination to have harder pores and skin, so I prefer to peel a few of it off in stripes earlier than chopping. English cucumbers or Persian (mini) cucumbers additionally work nicely if you happen to desire a thinner pores and skin, fewer seeds, and further crunch!
2. Slice and soak the purple onion. Lower the purple onion very thinly, about 1/8-inch thick, in order that they add a fragile crunch as an alternative of an overwhelming, sharp chew. I additionally prefer to soak the sliced onion in ice water for 5-10 minutes. I used to skip this step, however it actually helps mellow that harsh uncooked onion taste.
3. Preserve it from getting soggy. Cucumbers and tomatoes naturally launch water as soon as they’re minimize and salted, so hold the items chunky and toss the salad with the dressing simply earlier than serving for the freshest crunch. For further insurance coverage, select agency tomatoes and salt your cucumbers to attract out extra water. Place the chopped cucumbers in a colander, toss with ½ tsp salt, and drain for 15-Half-hour, then pat dry earlier than utilizing. Regulate the salt within the dressing to style.
4. Stir earlier than serving. The French dressing and vegetable juices can settle on the backside of the bowl because the salad sits, so give it a delicate stir earlier than serving.
5. Make it your personal. Cucumber tomato salads can go in a number of totally different instructions relying on the dressing and add-ins. Skip the feta for a easy dairy-free model, add 1½ cups couscous (cooked till tender and cooled) for a tomato and cucumber couscous salad, or make it extra filling with a drained and rinsed can of black beans, like in my cucumber and black bean salad!

Serving Solutions

I consider this cucumber tomato salad because the recent, crunchy a part of the plate. The juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, bell pepper, feta, and oregano French dressing add coolness and acidity, so it’s particularly good with heat and hearty mains. Grilled hen is certainly one of my go-to dinners to serve with this salad, particularly in the summertime. I’ll chop the greens and blend the dressing whereas the hen is brining, then toss every little thing collectively as soon as the hen goes on the grill so the salad is prepared when it comes off. It’s additionally nice with do-it-yourself hamburgers as a result of the chilly greens and tangy French dressing loosen up the plate and add a pleasant distinction subsequent to the smooth bun and wealthy beef.

For a meatless meal, I believe this salad is scrumptious with falafel in bowls, wraps, or pita plates. The recent veggies pair very well with the nice and cozy spices within the falafel, particularly with a sauce or hummus on the aspect! It additionally works nicely with air fryer pork chops as a result of the tangy dressing balances the new, savory pork chops with out including a lot further prep!

Cucumber Tomato Salad

Price $6.62 recipe / $1.10 serving

This Cucumber Tomato Salad is a chilly, crunchy, juicy mixture of cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, purple onion, parsley, and feta tossed in a easy purple wine oregano French dressing.

Salad

• ▢ 2 cucumbers (peeled and chopped, (about 1.25 lb., 566g, 4 cups) $1.52*)
• ▢ 4 Roma tomatoes (chopped, (about 1 lb., 453g, 2 cups) $1.27)
• ▢ ½ small purple onion (sliced skinny, (150g, 1 cup) $0.51)
• ▢ 1 inexperienced bell pepper (chopped, (180g, 1 cup) $0.86**)
• ▢ ¼ bunch recent parsley (chopped, (55g, ½ cup) $0.24***)
• ▢ 2 oz. feta (crumbled, $1.15****)

• Collect and put together all elements.

• Put together the French dressing first to let the flavors mix as you put together the remainder of the salad. In a small bowl, whisk collectively the olive oil, purple wine vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and a few freshly cracked pepper. Set the dressing apart.

• Peel the cucumbers if desired. Cube the cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell pepper.

• Thinly slice the purple onion and soak them in a bowl of ice water for 5-10 minutes, then drain the water. This helps to take away the cruel chew of the purple onions.

• Pull the parsley leaves from their stems, then give them a tough chop. Crumble the feta cheese if it is not already crumbled.

• Place the cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, purple onion, parsley, and feta in a big bowl. For those who’re including the olives and roasted purple peppers, embrace them right here (elective). Pour the dressing over prime, and toss to mix. Serve instantly or refrigerate till able to eat. This salad holds up nicely over a number of days within the fridge. Make sure to stir briefly to redistribute the flavors earlier than serving.

See how we calculate recipe prices right here.

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*Common slicing cucumbers have a barely extra pronounced cucumber taste, however their thicker pores and skin can generally be slightly bitter. Peeling alternating strips retains a few of that recent taste and coloration whereas eradicating sufficient pores and skin for a extra nice chew. For those who desire a milder, sweeter cucumber with very tender pores and skin, English or Persian cucumbers are wonderful substitutes and don’t must be peeled!
**Inexperienced bell peppers are often probably the most budget-friendly choice relating to bell peppers! Their crisp texture and barely bitter taste additionally stability the candy tomatoes and tangy French dressing on this salad. You can even use different peppers if most popular. Crimson peppers make the salad sweeter and juicier, whereas orange and yellow peppers provide a milder sweetness if that’s what you favor.
***Recent parsley provides a clear, herby taste that lets the greens and French dressing shine, however you’ll be able to swap it for recent dill, basil, mint, oregano, chives, or cilantro. Every herb takes the salad in a barely totally different course, so select one which matches the remainder of your meal.
****I take advantage of pre-crumbled feta right here as a result of it’s extra reasonably priced and simple to seek out. Nevertheless, block feta packed in brine gives you the creamiest texture and tangiest taste as a result of it stays moist till you’re able to crumble it. The feta additionally offers this salad a nod to a basic Greek cucumber tomato salad, which historically combines chunky cucumbers, tomatoes, inexperienced bell pepper, purple onion, olives, a slab of feta, and a easy olive oil dressing with none lettuce.
Non-compulsory add-ins: Kalamata olives and roasted purple peppers add much more Mediterranean-style taste to this salad. The olives convey a salty, briny chew, and the roasted peppers add slightly pure sweetness. See the Variations⁠ part beneath for simpler methods to alter up this cucumber tomato salad.
Adjusting the yield: This recipe is straightforward to scale as a result of there’s no cooking concerned. Merely improve or lower the greens and French dressing in the identical proportions. For just one or two servings, I believe it’s simpler to whisk the dressing proper within the serving bowl. For bigger gatherings, make a double batch of the salad and dressing, and gown the salad simply earlier than serving so every little thing stays as crisp as attainable.

Serving: 1serving (1⅓ cups every, with out elective add-ins)Energy: 135kcal (7%)Carbohydrates: 7g (2%)Protein: 3g (6%)Fats: 11g (17%)Sodium: 309mg (13%)Fiber: 2g (8%)

The diet knowledge is routinely calculated utilizing all elements listed on the recipe card, together with any listed as elective. Percentages are of each day worth.

How one can Make Cucumber Tomato Salad Step-by-Step Images

Collect the dressing elements: You’ll want ¼ cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp purple wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper.

Collect the salad elements: You’ll want 2 cucumbers, 4 Roma tomatoes, ½ small purple onion, 1 inexperienced bell pepper, ¼ bunch recent parsley, and a pair of oz. feta. Additionally, if utilizing, some kalamata olives and roasted purple pepper (each elective).

Make the French dressing: Begin with the French dressing so the dried oregano has a couple of minutes to hydrate and the flavors can mingle whilst you chop the greens. In a small bowl, whisk collectively ¼ cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp purple wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper.

The French dressing will look shiny and calmly speckled with oregano and pepper. It could not keep totally mixed as a result of oil and vinegar naturally separate, so simply give it one other fast whisk earlier than pouring it over the salad.

Prep the cucumbers: That is how I prep my cucumbers. A chunky cube is sweet for this salad as a result of it helps them maintain up slightly higher within the fridge. Peeling stripes into the pores and skin first removes among the waxy pores and skin and provides them a cool visible impact as soon as chopped. Then minimize the cucumbers into about 1/2-inch huge rounds, and minimize every spherical into quarters. That offers me good chunky items of cucumber.

Prep the onion: Very thinly slice ½ small purple onion. Very skinny means about ⅛-inch thick or thinner, so the onion bends simply and doesn’t take over each chew. Soak the sliced purple onion in a bowl of ice water for five–10 minutes, then drain nicely. This helps tame the sharp chew whereas holding the onion crisp and crunchy.

Prep the opposite salad elements: Chop 4 Roma tomatoes into similar-sized items, eradicating any robust cores as wanted. Roma tomatoes are good right here as a result of they’re meaty and maintain their form nicely. Chop 1 inexperienced bell pepper into bite-sized items as nicely. Additionally pull the parsley leaves from the stems, then roughly chop ¼ bunch recent parsley. Crumble 2 oz. feta cheese, if it isn’t already crumbled.

Assemble the salad: Add the cucumbers, tomatoes, inexperienced bell pepper, drained purple onion, parsley, and feta to a big bowl. If utilizing kalamata olives or roasted purple peppers, add them now. Give the French dressing one other fast whisk, then pour it over the salad. Toss gently till the greens are evenly coated and shiny, and also you see little flecks of oregano all through.

Serve instantly for the crispest texture, or refrigerate till able to eat. The greens will proceed to launch juices because the salad sits, so the dressing will change into slightly extra flavorful and barely extra diluted over time. Retailer the salad in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 2-3 days. Stir gently earlier than serving to redistribute the French dressing, and use a slotted spoon if further liquid has gathered on the backside of the bowl.

Storage Directions

This cucumber tomato salad is greatest served the day it’s made, when the cucumbers are crisp, and the tomatoes are at their juiciest. Leftovers will be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for 2-3 days, however the texture will soften because the greens sit within the French dressing. I truly don’t thoughts it on day two as a result of it takes on a calmly marinated taste, however it gained’t be fairly as crunchy as when freshly tossed.

Make Forward

For the perfect make-ahead choice, chop the greens and whisk the dressing individually, then retailer them in separate hermetic containers within the fridge. Toss every little thing collectively simply earlier than serving so the salad stays as recent and crisp as attainable.

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