Delicious & Easy Tomato Cucumber Salads

Photo and Recipe f rom Nancy Andres

 

An easy to assemble tomato and cucumber salad is a refreshing dish that combines fresh tomatoes and crunchy cucumbers, and is often enhanced with onion and garlic, fresh herbs, and a light dressing. It's perfect for simple, relaxing summer meals and can be prepared quickly without any cooking.

I savor this type of salad in late summer, because it’s refreshing, colorful, and takes full advantage of Mother Nature’s Bounty, by featuring veggies when they are at their peak.

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Tomatoes:

Photo and Recipe from Nancy Andres

Tomatoes are juicy and sweet when ripe, and usually bright red, but can be yellow, purple, orange, deep crimson, or even black.

Tomatoes are low calorie, a good source of several essential nutrients including vitamin C, potassium, and lycopene, a plant-based antioxidant linked to improved heart health, cancer prevention, and protection against sunburns. Read Tomatoes 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits for details.

 

Cucumbers:

Cucumbers are a form of green vegetable that grows on a vine, and technically classified as fruit from the same family as watermelons and pumpkins. There are many varieties of cukes from Kirby, to garden, to English. Cucumbers are native to India, and have a slight melon-like taste or slightly bitter one. Use whatever variety is freshest for the recipes below.

A ½ cup serving of cucumber (raw and sliced or chopped) is about 19 calories. Cucumbers contain small amounts of vitamin K and vitamin A and are about 95% water. For more see Cucumber Health Benefits, from the WebMD website.

Onions, Scallions,  Garlic, and Shallots:

Add a chopped red or sweet yellow onion or scallions, and garlic or shallots. One or more of these veggies add a lively dimension to any salad. Pick your favorite in-season organic produce to add to your late summer salad, both for good flavor and eye appeal. Don't forget to season with salt and pepper to taste.

Fresh Herbs:

Fresh Herbs including basil, parsley, dill, and even cilantro are summertime herb  favorites,  as each adds a refreshing note to most any salad. Pick one or add all of those you enjoy.

Vinegar and/or Lemon Juice:

Red Wine Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, or White Vinegar are used as a salad dressing base. I find lemon juice more palatable. Vinegar has a sharp, more potent acidity, while lemon juice provides a fresh, citrusy tang. Lemon juice is often used in lighter dishes and dressings, whereas vinegar is commonly used for pickling and sauces. 

Keep on Scrolling to See a

Collection of Tempting Tomato

Cucumber Salads

Each one is Different from the

Others, yet all are Winners!

  

First up is Jessica, an award-winning photographer, videographer, and home chef! She's a wife, a new mom, and excited to meet you. There are over 1000 recipes at her website, Jessica in the Kitchen, so there’s plenty for you to choose from. 

Here's her recipe for "Cucumber and Tomato Salad." It incorporates vegan feta cheese in the salad, giving the recipe a Grecian flair.

Photo and Recipe from Jessica Hylton

Next to share is talented food blogger Judee Algazi, with her rendition of "Lemony Israeli Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Cucumbers." 

Look for more of Judee's posts at Gluten Free A-Z Blog, where her vegan lifestyle puts the focus on nutrition, wellness, and personal development. 

Photo and Recipe from Judee Algazi

 

Last but not least is yours truly, Nancy Andres, creator and wellness blogger at Colors 4 Health, the place where colors and a healthy lifestyle intersect.

 

 🍅Delicious & Easy Tomato

 Cucumber Salad🥒

 

My recipe for Delicious & Easy Tomato Cucumber Salad is colorful, easy to assemble, and features in-season organic produce. I selected each fruit, vegetable, legume, or bean for its good taste, eye-appeal, and health promoting benefits. Delicious & Easy Tomato and Cucumber Salad can be served as a side dish or a light main course.

Dear Reader, Because of technical difficulties, I was unable to upload photos I took of my salad. I also was delayed with publishing this post as my internet has been down. Sorry for the inconvenience. As soon as I am able, I'll add those photos to this post. 

Recipe and Photo from Nancy Andres

Ingredients:

Note: If one type of tomato, cucumber, or onion isn't available or not at its peak of freshness, choose another

2 large organic beefsteak tomatoes

1 organic English cucumber, washed and sliced thin

1 small organic zucchini, washed and sliced thin

1 large organic yellow sweet pepper, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces

4 scallions, cleaned and sliced thin (both white and green parts) and a handful of red onion sliced thin

3 cloves fresh organic garlic, peeled and minced

2 cups fresh organic parsley, washed and chopped well

1 cup fresh organic dill, washed and chopped well

1 15 oz. can organic white beans that are rinsed and drained (I used great northern beans, but feel free to use any type of white bean you like. If necessary, substitute a 15 oz. can of lentils that have been rinsed and drained)

 

Oil Free Dressing:

1 cup lemon juice

1 or 2 T Maple Syrup

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1T Italian Seasoning Blend

 

 

 What to Do:

1. Gather and prep all ingredients as outlined above. Put them in an air tight glass container with cover and refrigerate for use within that day.

2. Get a salad dressing bottle that has a cover (a glass jar with cover will serve just as well) and pour all salad dressing ingredients into it. Cover and refrigerate dressing until ten minutes before mealtime. Then, take out the dressing bottle and let it sit on kitchen counter.

3. Take all prepped veggies out of refrigerator about 10 minutes before you're ready to serve the salad. Place prepped veggies into a medium-sized salad bowl. Get tomatoes and wash and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Add tomatoes to other veggies. Shake dressing in the covered bottle, until well blended. Then pour and fold dressing into salad.

4. Serve portions of salad in individual salad bowls or salad plates, or on a dinner-sized plate either alongside soup, a sandwich, veggy burger, or crusty whole grain bread. Recipe serves approx. 4-6 people.

Delicious Tomato & Cucumber Salad is full of brightly colored veggies, protein-rich beans or legumes, and light, lemony dressing. You'll want to make it often for no-fuss lunches, picnics, potlucks, and more! 💖

Thanks for checking out this post. Before you go, please comment below and then reach out to my fellow bloggers to comment on their contributions too. We love to hear from you, so thanks in advance.

Have you ever eaten a salad that didn't contain lettuce? Did you enjoy it? What veggies are your go-to ones, and do you eat salad every day? Please share. 

I welcome and appreciate all comments, but cannot publish those that contain links. Thanks for understanding. 

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