Balsamic Cucumber Tomato Salad

‘Tis the season! Salad season, that is. Ring in the summer with marvelous fresh fruits and vegetables. For me, cucumbers and tomatoes are tops. Salads are needed for this in-season produce!!!

This salad takes inspiration from two others on this site. One is my Greek Cucumber Salad, with its main ingredients of cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onion. And the balsamic vinaigrette dressing is reminiscent of a Caprese salad. Taking these favorite tastes and making a new salad is an easy button for sure. That’s what summer is all about!

Ingredients for Balsamic Cucumber Tomato Salad

It’s a pretty simple ingredient list, and experimenting with different combinations, etc. is easy,  as I describe below.

• Cucumber (English)
• Grape Tomatoes
• Red onion
• Avocado
• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

How to make this cucumber tomato salad with balsamic

I like to make this salad up before I start the rest of the meal, waiting only to add the avocado at the end. It does great just hangin’ out in the fridge for a few hours.

Start by cutting the cucumber into chunks, halving the grape tomatoes and slicing the onion. Whisk the vinegar and oil together and season with salt and pepper. Pour this over the veggies and toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve, then cut up the avocado and add to the salad just before serving.

This salad goes perfectly with all your grilled summer delights!

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Balsamic Cucumber Tomato Salad

An easy salad with fresh produce - a perfect summer side!

Prep Time10 mins

Total Time10 mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4

Calories: 179kcal

Author: Sula

Ingredients

• 1 English cucumber
• 10 oz grape tomatoes
• ½ red onion medium
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil extra-virgin
• Salt and pepper – to taste
• 1 avocado large

Instructions

• Chop the cucumber into chunks, halve the tomatoes, and slice the onion. Add all to a medium bowl.
• In a cup or small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add salt and pepper and whisk again.
• Add dressing to the bowl and toss gently to distribute. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Just before serving, cut the avocado into cubes and add to the bowl. Toss gently.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 179kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 551mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 742IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.

Ingredient options/substitutions for this salad recipe

Cucumber:

I love English cucumbers because of their thin skin. It means I don’t have to peel!! But feel free to use other cucumber varieties if you prefer.

Tomato:

I always default to grape tomatoes because they have a little extra sweetness in every bite. But cherry tomatoes are a great substitute. You could even chunk up a Roma or a slicing tomato. They are the best when in season!

Red onion:

In the world of onions, the red variety is described as “sweet.” That always feels wrong to me when describing an onion. You can substitute with a white or yellow onion if desired. Just be aware that other onions can impart an extremely strong taste and could potentially overwhelm the other flavors in this salad.

Avocado:

I love the creamy texture the avocado adds to this salad. In addition to providing healthy fats, the avocado helps give a feeling of satiety, or fullness, from eating this salad. However, if you prefer to use cheese, some fresh mozzarella or feta would work well.

Dressing:

If you have a favorite way to make a balsamic vinaigrette dressing, give that a try for this salad. For even more convenience, bottled balsamic vinaigrette dressing works great. #nojudging #stillcountsashomemade

More summer salad recipes for you to try:

• Greek Cucumber Salad
• Grape Tomato Mozzarella Salad
• Corn Tomato Avocado Salad
• Chickpea, Carrot and Arugula Salad

Did you know?

You probably know that tomatoes are actually a fruit. But did you realize that that same is true of cucumbers? Because a cucumber grows from the flower part of a plant, it is botanically considered a fruit. Which makes it just another in a long list of veggies that are actually fruits. We probably need a whole new classification system for these. Fregetables, maybe?