Cucumber Tomato Onion Salad Recipe

Cucumber tomato onion salad with avocado and fresh herbs being scooped from a bowl with a serving spoon.

No ratings yet

This cucumber tomato onion salad is my go-to side all summer. I make it most often once my garden basil takes off and the farmers market tomatoes turn truly ripe. I quick-pickle the red onion so it comes out with more flavor. Avocado adds a creamy bite against all that crunch. A honey-Dijon vinaigrette perfectly coats all the veggies.

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Mediterranean

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 207kcal

Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

To Pickle Onion:

1/2 red onion
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup white vinegar warmed
1 tsp coarse kosher salt
1 tsp white granulated sugar

The Salad:

12 oz English cucumber
1 avocado
5 oz cherry tomatoes
pickled onions from above

Simple Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup avocado or olive oil
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley packed
1 Tbsp minced fresh basil packed
salt
black pepper

Instructions

Quick pickle the onions:

Slice red onion thinly and add it into a small mixing bowl.
Pour in the hot water and warmed vinegar and mix in the salt and sugar. Mix well.
Let them sit about 15 minutes, while you prepare everything else.
Tip: you can pickle them overnight if you wish, just transfer into a glass jar with a lid.

Optional step - salt the cucumbers:

This is a good step to draw out excess moisture from the cucumber so it doesn't dilute the dressing and to flavor the cucumber.
Wash and slice the cucumber thinly and mix it with some salt. Transfer into a mesh strainer and let it sit while onions are pickling. Shake off and pat them dry before adding to the salad.

Make the salad:

Wash the cucumber and tomatoes and pat dry. No need to peel English cucumbers since their skin is so thin.
Slice cucumber thinly, cut cherry tomatoes in half, and dice the avocado meat.
Add the veggies into the mixing bowl.
Strain off the pickling liquid from the onion and shake off all excess pickling liquid before adding to the mixing bowl with other veggies.
For the vinaigrette: simply combine all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette in another mixing bowl or a dressing shaker. Mix well and add to the mixing bowl with the veggies.
Very gently mix the veggies and the vinaigrette together. Be careful not to mash the veggies and smash the avocado.
Serve right away or store in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.

Notes

Serving: this salad is best served right away or within a couple of hours.
Make ahead: you can make it a day ahead of time but don't add the avocado until ready to serve.
Why only salt cucumbers: cucumbers are pretty flavorless on their own so their juices don't add any flavor to the dressing but only dilute. Tomato juices will add some flavor to the dressing. Although, if you wish, you can salt them at the same time as the cucumber.

Nutrition