Say “cucumber,” and I think Middle Eastern: tzatziki sauce, tabbouleh … and some combination of tomatoes, feta, olives and cukes. The cool of the cucumber lends itself so well to the sharp of the feta, the salt of the olives, the fresh of the tomatoes. So here is how I’ve put those sublime ingredients together. You can mix and match, add more olives and fewer tomatoes, turn your red onions into chives or your mint into basil or parsley. You could even take these same flavors and adapt from salad to pizza topping. The sky’s the limit. Think of this as a mere guide.
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2-3 large cucumbers (about 2 pounds), diced
- 2 large heirloom tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 large red onion (about 3/4 cup), diced
- 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and diced
- 1/2 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
- 6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 1 large lemon
- 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 4 ounces feta, crumbled
Instructions
- Mix together cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, olives and mint in a medium bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pour dressing over the veggies. Sprinkle feta on top.
- Serve immediately or store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.