This fresh and tangy salad is a perfect side with grilled and roasted meats, baked fish and poultry dishes during the summer season.
When you are needing a delicious and refreshing salad at the last minute, look no further! This easy salad only requires a few ingredients and it makes a perfect side for so many dishes.
ONLY A FEW INGREDIENTS
- Cucumbers: I used mini greenhouse cucumbers for this recipe
- Shallots: is mild tasting onion
- Gourmet Tomatoes: are coloured grape tomatoes and any small grape or cherry tomatoes can be added to this salad
- Dill: use fresh
- Vinegar
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: my choice is Chrisopigi extra virgin olive oil from Greece
- Sugar
- Salt and pepper
- Black olives is optional
WHAT MAKES THIS SALAD SO GOOD
Well, honestly, it’s the fresh ingredients. Since the harvest season hasn’t started yet, I look for local greenhouse vegetables and the mini cucumbers and gourmet tomatoes were both grown locally in a greenhouse. Since we live in Canada our summer season is short and more and more local farmers are growing vegetables using this method. The vegetables grown in Ontario are pesticide free and they use beneficial insects as a replacement.
If you can purchase fresh organic or field grown cucumbers and tomatoes, I would highly recommend it. The flavours from field grown vegetables cannot be compared. They are so much more sweeter and the outer surface is more firm and long lasting.
Shallots are an excellent choice of onion to use in many dishes. I like to use it for it’s mild and sweet taste, and it worked perfectly in this salad.
The vinaigrette is so simple and easy to make. This is similar to what the Hungarian’s add to their green salads and cucumber salads.
WHEN MAKING THIS DELCIOUS SALAD
Slice the cucumbers by hand, or mandoline slicer, or like I did, I used the side of the grater for slicing and it worked perfectly. As I mentioned I used 4 mini cucumbers but you can replace them with a regular English cucumber.
By adding multi-colour gourmet grape tomatoes adds a pop of colour to the salad. Cutting them in half is all you need to do. Cutting them smaller then that will only cause them to get mushy.
I added 4 tablespoon of fresh dill but feel free to add more if you like. I did say to add extra for garnishing. Mix the vinaigrette in a measuring cup or small bowl and pour over the salad. Gently toss and mix until the vegetables are coated. Add the extra dill and black olives if you so desire.
I would suggest to mix the salad 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavours to absorb into the vegetables.
A great simple and easy summer salad to incorporate into a meal. It’s light and tangy that goes so well with grilled meats, fried fish or spicy sausage.
FAQ
Can I substitute mini greenhouse cucumbers for other cucumbers? Yes of course, you can you English cucumber and slice them in half or quarters slices. Once the other variety of cucumbers come into season, they can be easily substituted.
Tangy Cucumber Tomato and Dill Salad
Equipment
- large bowl
Ingredients
- 4 mini cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1 shallot, sliced
- ¾ cup gourmet tomatoes, cut in half
- 4 tbsp fresh dill, roughly chopped (extra for garnishing)
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp Himalayan salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- black olives for garnishing (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together slice cucumbers and salt. Set aside for about 30 minutes or place in the refrigerator. Then squeeze out gently any excess water. Then add shallots, tomatoes and dill.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and stir until the dressing is evenly distributed. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Give it a quick toss before serving.
- Garnish with dill and black olives if desired.
