Simple Tomato Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

DRESSING

• ¼ cup olive oil 
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar 
• 1 tsp dried oregano 
• ½ tsp salt 
• Freshly cracked pepper 

SALAD

• 4 Roma tomatoes (or two medium tomatoes) 
• 1 medium cucumber 
• ½ small red onion 

Instructions

1. Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper in a bowl, or combine them in a jar and shake until mixed. Set the dressing aside to allow the flavors to blend.
2. Thinly slice* the tomato, cucumber, and red onion. Place them in a large bowl.
3. Pour the dressing over the sliced vegetables and toss to coat. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to eat. The onions will become more mild as they marinate in the dressing.

Notes

*The vegetables can be cut into small chunks if preferred.

Step by Step Photos

Begin by making the dressing to allow the flavors a little time to blend. In a small bowl or jar, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. You can customize this dressing by adding some fresh minced garlic, changing up the dried herbs, or even using a different type of vinegar. I wanted this salad to have a REALLY light and fresh flavor, so I kept the ingredients simple and didn’t complicate the flavors.

Shake or whisk the ingredients until combined. This very simple dressing does not contain an emulsifying agent, so it will begin to separate as it sits. That’s quite alright. It will still taste great once it’s coating the vegetables. Give the dressing a taste and add more salt, pepper, or herbs, if necessary. If the dressing is too bitter or tart for your liking, you can always add a 1/4 tsp sugar to help mellow it out (I like my dressing to have a bite).

I try to get equal amounts of tomato and cucumber, with about half as much onion. So, I used 4 Roma tomatoes (because they were the best deal at the store that day), one cucumber, and half of a small red onion. Thinly slice the vegetables and place them in a bowl (you can cut them into a large dice if that’s easier).

Give the dressing a quick stir or shake, then pour it over the vegetables.

Then toss until everything is coated in the dressing. All done! You can serve it immediately, or refrigerate it for later. I find that the onions tend to mellow out a bit as they marinate in the dressing. So, if you have a hard time with fresh onions, making this ahead of time may help.

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/08/simple-tomato-cucumber-salad/