Cucumber Tomato Salad (Printable Version)

Crisp cucumbers and ripe tomatoes with a tangy olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced into rounds
02 - 3 medium ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped into bite-size pieces
03 - 1/4 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced into half-moons
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

→ Vinaigrette Dressing

05 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
06 - 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
07 - 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
08 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# How To Make It:

01 - Slice the cucumbers into thin rounds, core and chop the tomatoes into bite-size pieces, and cut the red onion into thin half-moons. Place all prepared vegetables into a large mixing bowl.
02 - In a small bowl, combine the extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk vigorously until the dressing is well emulsified.
03 - Pour the vinaigrette over the prepared vegetables and toss gently with a large spoon or tongs until every piece is evenly coated.
04 - Sprinkle the chopped fresh parsley over the salad. Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It takes exactly ten minutes from cutting board to table, which means you can make it while the main dish rests.
  • The dressing doubles as a marinade for almost any grilled vegetable, so you will want to memorize it by heart.
02 -
  • Salt draws water out of cucumbers quickly, so if you make this more than an hour ahead the salad will swim in its own juices.
  • Letting the dressed salad rest briefly in the refrigerator actually deepens the flavor as the tomato juices mingle with the vinaigrette.
03 -
  • Peel alternating strips of cucumber skin for a striped look that also keeps some texture without toughness.
  • Soak sliced red onion in ice water for five minutes to tame its harshness without losing crunch.

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