Cucumber, Onion & Tomato Salad

There is nothing more refreshing to eat on a hot summer day than a cucumber, onion & tomato salad.

Especially when the produce comes from your own garden!

The cold salad filled with crisp cucumbers and onions pair perfectly with chunks of tomatoes.

And the tangy yet sweet vinegar dressing wakens up your taste buds to appreciate the true taste of summer.

Creamy Cucumber, Onion & Tomato Salad

I first had cucumber, onion and tomato salad as a kid. However, the dressing was mix of mayonnaise and vinegar.

And because my father loved things a little on the spicy side, he would always add a few pinches of cayenne pepper. See: Creamy Cucumber Salad Recipe

It was absolutely delicious. In fact, it only got better day after day.

So when I went to a barbecue pit restaurant and ordered a side of cucumbers, onions and tomatoes, I was shocked at what I received.

Vinegar Based Cucumber, Onions & Tomato Salad

Next to my plate of the most amazing brisket that I had ever saw was a small bowl filled with what looked like fresh cucumbers and onions with a few wedges of tomatoes.

I was expecting to see a creamy dressing over the top of the veggies.

However, after one bite, I was hooked!

The dressing was a simple vinegar and sugar combination. The tangy taste of vinegar was balanced out with just enough sugar to take the bite away.

I added a little black pepper and it was perfect!

My husband actually preferred this lighter version of the cucumber salad over the traditional creamy version that I made.

That is when I knew that I had to figure out how to make it at home!

The Vegetables

When making the salad, you can prepare your vegetables however you prefer.

The Cucumbers

For instance, you can peel and and remove the seeds of the cucumbers if you prefer. When we do this we slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and use a small cookie dough scoop to remove the seeds.

However, we don’t mind the peel or seeds so we simply just remove the ends of the cucumbers and slice it in thin round slices.

You could also cut the cucumbers into small wedges, it really doesn’t matter.

The Onions

We prefer to use red onions whenever we have them on hand.

However, this cucumber, onion, and tomato salad tastes fantastic with sweet onions as well.

If you only have yellow onions, the salad can still be prepared. However, make sure your partner eats it also! The onions can have a strong flavor, even after marinating in the dressing.

The Tomatoes

You can use whatever type of tomatoes that you have on hand. We have used cherry tomatoes when we had so many that we didn’t know what to do with.

However, standard, red tomatoes are our preference for this recipe.

They absorb the flavor the dressing, so you really can’t taste the tomato quality.

Therefore, I would steer away from using very flavorful tomatoes such as most heirloom varieties.

They are much more expensive than slicing red tomatoes that you find at the grocery store.

And they have so much flavor that you don’t want to mask it with the vinegar dressing.

Keeping The Salad Cold

After you have combined all the the ingredients be sure to put it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before eating.

In fact, I would recommend letting it marinate over night if at all possible. The flavor will only improve as the cucumbers, onion and tomato salad has time to sit.

This salad pairs perfectly with Smoked Brisket, Grilled Hamburgers, or even the Perfectly Cooked Steak.

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