Cooking Lesson #1074: Tomato, Onion & Cucumber Salad

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? Dear, sweet Joan has been on me about some of the recipes that are more dessert oriented than healthful. What can I tell you? I love my sweets! My Tomato, Onion & Cucumber Salad gets us closer to Joan’s new mandatory dietary guidelines.
 
When I was traveling in Demark, I found a universal salad that was served with almost all meals. It was a little bit different from restaurant to restaurant and house to house, but all in all pretty much the same and very craveable. 
 
Back in the Southern United States, I found similar salads. And even when I was in Japan there were great cucumber salads sometimes made with rice vinegar and a touch of roasted sesame oil.
 
Like most recipes of this ilk, they are simple and perfect. This Tomato, Onion & Cucumber Salad is made fresh with in-season tomatoes, plump cucumbers, and sweet onions, seasoned with salt and pepper, then dressed in vinegar and just a pinch of sugar (really , Joan, just a pinch). The salad needs to blossom for an hour or two, allowing the vegetables to release some of their flavors, adding to the ‘dressing’ and bringing the whole thing together in one big beautifully harmonious note. Actually, I love making and eating this salad for Joan and me
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Marinade time:  30 minutes
Yield:  6-8 servings
 
Ingredients 
4 medium tomatoes on the vine, peeled if desired, cored, and cut into wedges or a pint of cherry or grape tomatoes that have been peeled
1 English cucumber or 3 Persian cucumbers, peeled, halved, and sliced
1/4 thinly sliced and separated Vidalia onion
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper  
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar or vinegar of your choice (see ChefSecret below)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Fresh or dried herbs and seasonings such as dill, parsley, chili flakes (to taste)
 
Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumbers and onions and season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the vinegar, sugar and herbs and seasonings, if using.
3. Stir, and allow the salad to marinate in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
4. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

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ChefSecrets: It’s not at all complicated , I promise, but a few things to note before you start:

• You can use your favorite kind of vinegar; instead of white vinegar (5%), try a mild rice or sherry vinegar. I always add a teaspoon or two of balsamic vinegar to enhance the taste.
• If you have them on hand, add some fresh basil or parsley—a teaspoon of each is great.
• I love a sweet Vidalia onion, but you can use a red onion or even scallions instead of yellow onion.
• I sometimes use skinned cherry or grape tomatoes just to change it up a touch.

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Quip of the Day:  Q. How does a cucumber become a pickle?  A. It goes through a jarring experience.
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/perspectives-on-food
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                                                                               ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

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