This Crunchy Tomato Cucumber Salad is a staple in our house from spring to late summer and I hope you enjoy this easy salad too!
When I think of easy, delicious, refreshing and nutritious salads for summer, this is the one that comes to mind.
Both cucumbers and tomatoes, the stars of this recipe, are hydrating vegetables, available in the summer months and rich in antioxidants. Plus, cucumbers are one of the easiest vegetables to grow (in my opinion).
Cucumbers contain vitamin K, potassium, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, copper, vitamin C and magnesium. Tomatoes are rich in antioxidants, especially lycopene. In addition to chopped tomatoes and cucumbers, I like to add spicy red onion, tons of fresh dill and parsley, and occasionally castelvetrano olives.
What I enjoy most about this salad is its simplicity and flexibility: it takes about 10 minutes to prepare and can be enjoyed as a side dish or main dish.
To make this a main dish, increase the level of fat, protein and starchy carbohydrates following the Foundation Five system for a balanced dish. Some ideas to increase the components of a balanced meal include: avocado, edamame, grilled shrimp, fish, smoked salmon, chicken, tofu, hard-boiled eggs, hemp seeds, cooked quinoa and the list goes on.
