Cucumber, Tomato, and Onion Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 large English cucumbers (also called hothouse)
  • 1 teaspoon salt for sweating the cucumbers
  • 4 Tablespoons white wine vinegar or white balsamic
  • 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • Half of a small red onion thinly-sliced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved (see note)
  • 2-3 Tablespoons chopped fresh herbs basil, dill, etc., more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic finely mincedGround black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Slice cucumbers thinly and lay the slices evenly in a large bowl. Sprinkle salt all over the slices, tossing to combine. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and let the cucumbers “sweat” for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  2. Meanwhile add both vinegars and granulated sugar to a small saucepan set over low/medium heat. Stir a few times over the next 4-5 minutes as the sugar dissolves. Once dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool down.
  3. Once the cucumbers have chilled, drain off all excess liquid and blot the cucumber slices with a paper towel to absorb as much moisture as you can. Place the drained cucumber slices back in the bowl.
  4. Thinly slice the red onion and, if desired, very briefly soak the slices in a bowl of cool water for a few minutes (maximum 5), then drain well and add the slices to the bowl with the cucumber. This soaking step is optional and serves to reduce the amount of raw onion “bite”.
  5. Add tomatoes (see note if using a larger variety than cherry) and chopped fresh herbs to the bowl with the cucumber and onion.
  6. Add the olive oil, minced garlic, and black pepper to the pan of vinegar and whisk well. Pour it into the bowl over the cucumber and tomatoes and toss to combine.
  7. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate at the very least for 2 hours, but ideally longer, such as overnight. Before serving, leave the bowl out of the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes and stir well so any solidified olive oil thins out again. Serve with a slotted spoon to leave excess liquid behind.

Notes

  • Vinegars: All of one or the other can be used, or you can sub in a portion of apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar.
  • Tomatoes: A larger type, like beefsteak tomatoes, can be sliced and used. If doing so, consider not marinating them overnight, rather mixing them into the salad about 30 minutes before serving so they don’t overly soften and mush.
  • Be gentle when stirring them in so the insides don’t separate out.
  • Herbs: I like fresh basil, but fresh dill is another great option. Even a little bit of fresh mint.