Ingredients
Vegetables
- 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 mini cucumbers, ends trimmed and sliced
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, sliced
Herbs & Seasonings
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Dressing
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Prep Tomatoes: Core the tomatoes and slice them in half. Add the halved tomatoes into a large mixing bowl.
- Slice Cucumbers: Trim off the ends of the mini cucumbers and discard. Slice the cucumbers into round pieces; you may dice them smaller if preferred.
- Chop Onion: Thinly slice or chop the red onion, ideally using a mandoline to achieve fine strips for better texture and flavor distribution.
- Combine Ingredients: Add the sliced cucumbers, onions, chopped basil, salt, black pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar to the bowl with the tomatoes. Toss everything thoroughly until well mixed.
- Marinate: Let the salad marinate for about 15 minutes to allow the tomatoes to soften slightly and the flavors to meld beautifully.
- Add Avocado: After marinating, gently add the sliced avocado to the salad. Toss lightly to combine without mashing the avocado pieces.
- Serve: Serve the salad fresh as a light dish on its own or paired with your favorite bread.
Notes
- Use ripe but firm avocados to avoid mushy salad texture.
- Marinating the salad is key to develop deeper flavor and soften the tomatoes.
- This salad is best eaten fresh, ideally within a few hours of preparation.
- For extra zing, add a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice along with the balsamic vinegar.
- Feel free to substitute fresh basil with fresh mint or parsley for a different herbaceous note.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
