Tomato, Cucumber, and Onion Salad

A salad can’t get much more refreshing or more summery than tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions topped with olive oil and vinegar. It’s flashy and classy. It belongs equally at a potluck picnic or on a fine dinner table.

I always associated this salad with the end of the school year as the tomatoes were coming in strong. I never thought much of it as being something special although I always knew it was delicious until I was eating it about a month ago. The meaty tomato sweetened with salt, the crispy cucumber, and sweet sharpness of an onion is a perfect combination. I told My Armo, it always reminds me of my childhood and then I said it also reminds me of your people’s food. It donged on me that I hadn’t really seen this salad outside of Louisiana or a chopped version in Mediterranean restaurants.

I always heard that you make this salad with a Creole tomato. Well, jokes on us because a Creole tomato is any tomato grown in Louisiana and isn’t a specific variety. You can use any good meaty tomato; Purple Cherokee tomatoes are probably my favorite. Use the regular ole American cucumber and a Vidalia or any sweet onion. While olive oil is always the oil of choice, you can use any dark vinegar with balsamic vinegar (the thin kind) being the most common. 

This dish is one that even the most rule following cook won’t measure. However, I do think the ratios of vegetables is fairly important although it still has plenty of wiggle room. If you’re the person who whips out your measuring spoons for everything, I challenge you not to. 

Tomato, Cucumber, and Onion Salad Ingredients
¾ heirloom tomato
1 c of ¼” sliced American cucumber
½ c sweet onion ¼” sliced
2 Tbl olive oil
1 Tbl balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp coarse black pepper
¼ tsp salt

Tomato, Cucumber, and Onion Salad Directions
Put the tomato stem on its side and with a serrated knife (you can use a regular one if it’s extremely sharp) slice into ⅓” slices.

Lay 1 tomato slice on the exterior edge of a large plate followed by a few slices of cucumber (you want the cucumber slices to be the same width as the tomato, and top it with a few slices of onion. Repeat going in a circle.

Drizzle 2 Tbl olive oil on top of the vegetables followed by 1 Tbl balsamic vinegar. In the palm of your non-dominant hand, mix ¼ tsp coarse black pepper and ¼ tsp salt. Use your dominant hand and sprinkle the vegetables with the mixture holding your hand about 1 foot above the vegetables. This salad does not need to be dressed at the last minute. However I do recommend holding the salt until right before serving so the cucumbers stay crisp.

Notes
I’m well aware not every bite of vegetable is equally salted since it’s layered. If you’re concerned with it, before plating the salad, lay the vegetables flat and sprinkle it with salt. This is supposed to be a super quick salad that goes with any meal so no need to complicate it.

If you’re plating the salad in individual servings, you can arrange the vegetables in a single line through the diameter of the plate.