Nothing completes a meal like a refreshing side salad. Tomato, Cucumber, Feta Salad is a prime example of a meal companion that is highly versatile and easily made. Only requiring a few minutes of prep and its own simple vinaigrette, this salad will dress up any meal and is sure to please everyone. Not much to this one.....Let's Get Cooking!
This recipe is a great one to get your kids into the kitchen and involved with dinner as the prep work is simple and perfect knife skills are not even necessary. Begin with the tomatoes, whether cherry, grape, or even Roma, and slice them in half. If using a Roma tomato, simply rough dice it down to about the size of a playing dice.
As for the cucumber, you definitely want to stick with an English cucumber over a traditional regular cuke. We don't want the extra seeds and wetness a normal cucumber typically has. You could use 2 or 3 Persian cucumbers, though, since they are basically just the English's smaller cousin. Slice the cucumber in half then simply cut the entire thing into half-moons. You could do a similar chop as the tomatoes, but I think the half-moons are just easier to consume.
Keeping things simple, there is no need to get fancy with the red onion either so just slice it into thin ribbons. Red onions tend to a bit more mild than a yellow or white so eating them raw is easier on those poor tastebuds. If raw onion isn't exactly your thing, feel free to substitute in some pickled red onion, but I still think the raw red brings a nice crisp bite to the salad so bear through it if you can. Besides, the vinaigrette brings everything together and takes that edge off.
Rough chop some fresh cilantro and combine with the prepped veggies in a large mixing or salad bowl. Oh, go ahead and add the feta cheese crumbles as well. Toss to mix everything well and set aside as we move on to making the vinaigrette. If you are not going to be eating the salad immediately, you can cover it and put it in the fridge to stay cold until dinner.
For the vinaigrette, I have found that using a small mason jar to shake and combine the ingredients works best, but a normal bowl and whisk also work just fine. Simply combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and salt/pepper and shake/whisk till the oil and lemon juice actually become homogenous. The two ingredients will separate over time so be sure to give the vinaigrette a good mix just prior to pouring over the veggies and serving. This can be left on the counter at room temperature since the oil will solidify if you refrigerate it.
That pretty much wraps up this Tomato, Cucumber, Feta Salad. Keep the vinaigrette and salad separate until ready to dine. This will ensure the cucumber stays crisp and makes for a better final bite. Give the vinaigrette one final mix and pour it over the veggies. Gently toss everything together to evenly coat and serve up this tasty side salad!
Quick, simple, and delicious, eh? I mean, it is just a salad, but it will elevate your meal to the next level. These mild flavors will basically pair with any main course or it can be enjoyed as is on its own. Obviously, there is a ton of room for substitutions and additions with this base recipe so get in the kitchen and try whatever you like....Just Keep Cooking!
TOMATO, CUCUMBER, FETA SALAD
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