(4 servings)
One thing I rarely do is to seed a cucumber. I have been told it's best to remove the seeds as they taste bitter, or they cause indigestion or they cause the salad to become watery.
In all honesty I have never found the seeds to be bitter tasting, nor have I gotten an upset stomach after eating them. I do agree they can add an extra quantity of liquid to a dish but this isn't usually an issue for me, especially in this type of salad.
1 large cucumber
3 tomatoes (about 1 lb)
small handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
juice from 1/2 lime or more to taste
salt and freshly cracked pepper
Wash and peel the cucumber if it has a lot of wax coating it. Cut into small dice and place into a non reactive bowl.
Wash and dice the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes and chopped cilantro to the bowl as well.
Dribble the olive oil over the salad and start off with a small amount to freshly squeezed lime juice as well as a bit of salt and pepper. Toss the salad and adjust the quantities of lime, salt and pepper until you are happy with the balance and taste.
Allow to the salad to sit for a few minutes or more before serving. This gives the flavours a chance to meld a bit.
oh no....I'm ready to make this salad but don't have LIME!! Can I substitute with some Meyer lemon juice? I know it's not the same but it's still "citrusy".
ReplyDeleteHELP!
Maria
Maria, You can use lemon if you wish. You can also swap out the cilantro for parsley. This salad is flexible and good either way.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to try it! Thanks from a mom in Paraguay, South America!
ReplyDeleteHow about zesty Italian dressing in place of the olive oil?
ReplyDeleteI'd replace the olive oil and lime juice if I were using the Italian dressing.
ReplyDeleteThe cilantro I'd swap probably swap out for parsley or basil, depending on what's in that dressing.
Could feta cheese be added?
ReplyDeleteI think feta would be great in this salad. I'd probably swap out the cilantro for a bit of fresh mint.
ReplyDeleteCan i substitute cilantro for basil?
ReplyDeleteYes, you can use basil instead of cilantro. You can also swap out the lime juice for lemon juice, balsamic or wine vinegar if you wish.
ReplyDeleteIf I wanted to do red vinegar instead should I omit the lime?
ReplyDeleteYes, replace the lime with wine vinegar. :)
ReplyDeleteYou can do this with just the tomato, cucumber, lime and salt. BTW the best cucumbers are the Persian cucumbers because they are crisper.
ReplyDeleteI actually prefer English or Persian cucumbers. I'll only purchase the waxed variety if they happen to be on sale.
ReplyDeleteMade this tonight w/ homegrown tomatoes & cucumber ~ SUCH a good, light summer salad ~ thanks!
ReplyDeleteMade it tonight with tomatoes, cucumbers & basil from the garden. It was tasty but very juicy. I should've heeded your recommendation to seed the cucumber.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome, thank you for sharing and answering all the questions above. It made it easier to decide how I wanted to make it. =)
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of tomatoes work best for this salad?
ReplyDeleteSweet juicy tomatoes straight from the garden would probably be best, or some freshly picked tomatoes from the farmers market.
ReplyDeletedo you know how many calories into one serving?
ReplyDeleteSorry, I don't know how many calories the salad contains off hand. The following site has a calorie chart for different types of tomatoes, cucumbers and foods; http://www.calorieking.com/foods/
ReplyDeleteHTH
Calorie counting went out with the dinosaurs. You should be looking at the glycemic index of foods, avoid transfats & GMOs. Organic Saturated fats such as olive oil & avocado are some of the healthiest you can use, once you start spooning In processed foods(ie commercially prepared salad dressing, the health factor decreases.
ReplyDeleteWhat about adding fresh corn off the cob?
ReplyDeleteErin....I imagine corn might be good as well as any other veggies you happen to like for this salad.
ReplyDeletenice recipe
ReplyDeleteCan that recipe be made and saved overnight for lunch next day?
ReplyDeletePurpura66
ReplyDeleteIt can, however it will become more watery so you might have to adjust the seasonings.