Description
Cool Mediterranean cucumber and tomato salad delivers summer freshness with crisp vegetables, zesty herbs, and tangy olive oil dressing. Quick ingredients blend seamlessly, offering refreshing flavors you’ll crave on warm afternoons.
Ingredients
Scale
Fresh Vegetables:
- 2 large cucumbers, diced
- 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
Dairy and Cheese:
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Flavor Enhancers and Seasonings:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Gather and prepare fresh vegetables by dicing cucumbers into uniform cubes, chopping ripe tomatoes, and thinly slicing red onion into delicate rings.
- Add Kalamata olives to the vegetable mixture, creating a vibrant Mediterranean palette of colors and textures.
- Craft a zesty dressing by whisking together extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and finely minced garlic until emulsified.
- Season the dressing with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to enhance the overall flavor profile.
- Drizzle the prepared dressing over the vegetable medley, gently folding ingredients to ensure even coating.
- Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese generously across the salad, adding a creamy and tangy dimension.
- Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and mint leaves, distributing herbs evenly for balanced aromatics.
- Allow salad to rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, enabling flavors to harmonize and intensify.
- Serve immediately or slightly chilled, presenting a refreshing and vibrant Mediterranean-inspired side dish.
Notes
- Choose ripe, firm tomatoes for the best flavor and texture in your salad.
- Chill ingredients beforehand to keep the salad refreshingly cool and crisp.
- Use a sharp knife to dice cucumbers and tomatoes uniformly for consistent bite and presentation.
- For a lighter version, reduce feta cheese quantity or substitute with low-fat Greek yogurt crumbles.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 115 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 370 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 12 mg