Description
Mediterranean cucumber tomato salad celebrates fresh ingredients with crisp vegetables and zesty herbs. Mediterranean cooks blend simple elements to create a refreshing side dish that delights palates.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 oz (57 g) feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil
- 8 oz (226 g) cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 1 medium seedless cucumber, sliced and quartered
- ¼ red onion, diced or very thinly sliced
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh oregano
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Vegetable Preparation: Meticulously dice cucumber into uniform cubes and halve cherry tomatoes, ensuring consistent texture and visual harmony. Simultaneously, slice red onion into gossamer-thin rings to introduce a sharp, crisp counterpoint.
- Seasoning Foundation: Transfer prepared vegetables into a generously sized mixing vessel. Cascade extra virgin olive oil using a fluid, circular technique to evenly coat each ingredient, unlocking their intrinsic flavors. Sprinkle dried oregano to infuse an aromatic dimension.
- Flavor Enhancement: Liberally season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, calibrating to personal taste preferences. This process amplifies the vegetables’ inherent sweetness and creates a nuanced flavor profile.
- Cheese Integration: Crumble feta cheese across the salad’s surface, strategically distributing pockets of tangy, creamy essence throughout the composition.
- Final Composition: Execute a delicate folding technique, gently intermingling ingredients to prevent vegetable degradation. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes, allowing flavors to harmonize and develop a refreshing character. Consume within 24-36 hours to preserve optimal texture and taste integrity.
Notes
- Precision in Chopping: Cut vegetables uniformly to ensure consistent texture and visual appeal in every bite.
- Onion Strategy: Slice red onion paper-thin to prevent overpowering the delicate vegetable balance and provide a subtle sharp crunch.
- Flavor Infusion Technique: Allow salad to rest briefly in refrigerator, enabling herbs and seasonings to deeply penetrate and harmonize ingredients.
- Freshness Window: Consume within 24 hours to maintain crisp texture and vibrant flavor profile, as vegetables will naturally release moisture over time.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: None
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg