Name: Tomato Cucumber Basil Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 cucumber, chopped; 1 scallion, thinly chopped; 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped; handful basil, chopped; 3 tbsp chopped olives; 1 tbsp olive oil; Salt and pepper

This Mediterranean-style tomato cucumber basil salad is made with simple ingredients and is a super refreshing and healthy vegetable side!

Easy to make and ready in 5 minutes it is bound to become your next favorite. This is a great recipe for the hot summer months that you can enjoy either as a starter or as a healthy side for grilled meat or fish as well as vegetarian options like falafels.

The tomato cucumber basil salad calls for only a few raw vegetables and a simple dressing and requires very basic cooking skills. Know how to chop a cucumber and throw it into a bowl? Then you’re halfway there! So, if you have some tomatoes and cucumbers sitting in your fridge, take them out and make this healthy vegetable side!

Why You’ll Love This Tomato Cucumber Basil Salad

Firstly, this salad is so quick and easy to make that you won’t even notice you are cooking. All you need to do is wash and chop the veggies.
Secondly, it is full of color, freshness, and healthy nutrients because it is made from only all-natural ingredients.
It is a gluten-free as well as vegan dish.
It’s quite a cheap salad, especially if you make it during the summer months when tomatoes and cucumbers are at their lowest prices and highest quality.
And last, but not least, it is super delicious and flavorful with a lovely Mediterranean note.

Ingredients

Here are the basic ingredients you need to make this simple tomato cucumber salad with basil:

Tomatoes. Choose only fresh, ripe tomatoes that have extra sweetness. Their taste is unbeatable and they’ll add a good portion of lycopene that will boost your skin health and protect the cells from free-radical damage.

Cucumbers. Add a pleasant crisp texture and a mildly sweet flavor to your vegetable salad. Cucumbers are also high in essential nutrients and can help with hydration and weight loss.

Basil has a wonderful sweet flavor with hints of mint and pepper, and pairs really well with tomatoes. This herb also has numerous health benefits and has been used in both Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries.

Scallions. Add a little bit of onion flavor, but don’t overwhelm the salad with too much. Scallions or green onions are in season when tomatoes and cucumber are and make a great addition to the salad.

Olives can come in different sizes and colors but what they do have in common is their wonderful taste! They are high in vitamin E as well as healthy fats that are good for your heart health.

How To Make The Tomato Cucumber Basil Salad

It’s really easy, just follow these steps:

Let’s start by washing the tomatoes, scallions and the cucumber thoroughly under running water. In case you prefer it that way, you can also peel the cucumber.
Next, chop all the veggies and add them to a big bowl.
Mince the garlic, chop the olives and a handful of washed basil leaves. Then add them to the bowl as well.
After that, add olive oil and salt to taste. At this point, you may want to add freshly squeezed lemon juice and black pepper – it’s optional. I didn’t need any on my salad.
Finally, mix everything well, serve, and enjoy.

How To Store The Tomato Cucumber Basil Salad

In the best-case scenario, you won’t have to store leftovers. Eat your vegetables, right? Fresh salad with raw vegetables is meant to be eaten right after it was made.

However, if you want to make it ahead is possible to store the tomato cucumber basil salad in an airtight container in the fridge for a few hours. It’s best to layer it in salad jars beginning with the dressing, then olives, whole cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and basil last.

How To Customize

If you’d like to make this tomato cucumber salad your own, feel free to do so and to experiment with different additions and flavors. Here are some great options to try:

Add mozzarella or feta cheese to the salad for a more filling vegetarian version. The cheese will add more calories as well as calcium to the dish and you can serve it as a light dinner or lunch.
Other fresh Herbs. If you don’t like the basil flavor, then you can use freshly chopped parsley or dill instead. You really can’t go wrong here whichever one you choose!
With No Extracted Oils. If you want to stay away from extracted oils, then you can put more olives or diced avocado in this easy tomato salad recipe. Another good option to add healthy fats and some extra crunch is to sprinkle some sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds on top.

More Healthy Salad Recipes

And that’s pretty much it! I hope you love this simple tomato cucumber salad with basil! If you want even more healthy salad recipes, check out these links:

Yield: 2