Photo: Leigh Loftus
Sometimes you do the best when you’re trying the least.
Maybe you hurl the basketball desperately towards the basket from half-court at the buzzer and make it.
Maybe you find one night that your hair looks awesome just as you’re about to go to bed and bemoan the fact that no one gets to see how good you look.
Maybe you snap a picture of your little niece at the beach and notice later that in the background of the photo you have captured a shot of a centaur sunning himself.
Maybe you make a last-ditch effort to add a healthy component to your meal by using up the random assortment of vegetables that happen to be in your fridge. You grab a half-used cucumber, tomato, and avocado and slice them up. You wonder why you happen to have all these half-used vegetables, I mean, why can’t you ever use a vegetable all at once? You find the answer to this question when you throw some dressing ingredients onto the vegetables and toss it all up, then take a bite and discover that you’ve just made magic.
Photo: Leigh Loftus
Oh, and that last one about the vegetables happened to me. I know. You totally thought I was making up that crazy little scenario.
This salad was a happy accident that will now be part of our regular rotation. We fell hard for it. There’s a good chance that my husband would’ve drunk the remaining dressing with a straw if I’d given him one.
Why should you try it? It’s perfect for summer. It’s easy and light and refreshing. The depth of flavor from the dressing is the perfect accompaniment to the delicate flavors of the vegetables without overwhelming them. And with Memorial Day coming up, I think it’d suffice to say that this salad would do any picnic good.
(Also, I haven’t tried this option yet so don’t quote me on it, but I imagine that adding some feta to this could be rather sensational.)
Photo: Leigh Loftus
- ½ Cucumber, peeled and sliced, with the slices then cut in half
- ½ Tomato, coarsely chopped
- ½ Avocado, coarsely chopped
- 1 T. olive oil (I use lemon-infused)
- 1 T. red wine vinegar
- ½ T. sugar
- 1 tsp. lemon pepper
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- Add cucumber and tomato to a bowl and sprinkle with all of the ingredients except the avocado. Toss well to coat. Adjust seasonings to taste, if desired. Add avocado and toss gently. Serves 2.
30 Comments
Deb
July 21, 2011 at 12:05 pmLOVED it the first time I fixed it (just as listed), tonight I am going to add grilled chicken to it, for a cold supper in this 115 heat index.
Aggie
June 1, 2011 at 2:46 amI need this salad in my life. Like soon. And right before I read the line about the feta, I was actually thinking it. 🙂 Love when great recipes come together with little effort!
Easier Than Falling Off a Log » Cucumber, Tomato, and Avocado Salad
May 31, 2011 at 2:27 am[…] original recipe is from In Good Taste, where it was about being for 2 people, but even though we ARE two people, I doubled it so as not […]
grace
May 30, 2011 at 7:22 amcrisp cucumber paired with creamy avocado and juicy tomato, eh? sounds MAGNIFICENT.
Sawsan@chef in disguise
May 28, 2011 at 8:14 pmI love it..sometimes less is really more..
I agree with you, I think feta would be amazing with this
NancyC
May 27, 2011 at 6:00 pmThis sounds like a great salad for summer!
Bee
May 26, 2011 at 3:24 amAnything with avocado, sign me uppp. Love that beautiful green fruit!
Natalie
May 25, 2011 at 3:18 pmSometimes the simplest things are the best and this is one of those times. I don’t think I could stop myself adding some fresh basil though (I don’t know when to stop) and the feta would be lovely too!!
Katie@Cozydelicious
May 25, 2011 at 2:21 pmThis salad does look wonderful for a summer picnic! And I think the feta idea is awesome – would be wonderful sprinkled over the top. Yum!
Maria @ Scandifoodie
May 24, 2011 at 6:29 pmYum! Sounds healthy, fresh and delicious. I love avocados in anything!
Tasha
May 24, 2011 at 2:30 pmI love happy accidents- especially when they are food related! This sounds perfect for summer and I bet you’re right about the addition of feta.
Greg
May 24, 2011 at 12:16 pmI love this. My wife’s mom makes a simple salad like this, without the avocado. Avocado makes everything better.
Simply Life
May 23, 2011 at 9:57 pmwhat a perfect summer salad!
McKayla @ Green Groats
May 24, 2011 at 2:39 amYes. I agree. I bet adding some feta would be a sensational addition!!
Betty @ scrambled hen fruit
May 24, 2011 at 2:22 amWhat a great simple summer salad! I heart avocados. 🙂
Christy
May 24, 2011 at 1:34 amDeliciously healthy, or health-packed delicious, either way works:) I love the combination in this salad, all my favorites:D
5 Star Foodie
May 23, 2011 at 8:09 pmA perfect simple summer salad! I always love the combination of tomatoes and avocado and i bet it is great with the cucumber too!
Melissa (MelissaLikesToEat)
May 24, 2011 at 1:00 amSo simple and delicious! Looks like the perfect summer salad!
megi
May 24, 2011 at 12:47 amI am new to your site and love it! I’ll be a frequent visitor from now on…. The salad looks very refreshing and delicious.
The Teenage Taste
May 23, 2011 at 11:08 pmI love it when things like that happen to me. This salad looks fab! Avocado is the epitamy of summer for me!
mandy
May 23, 2011 at 11:01 pmSounds delicious for summer dining on the deck!
yummychunklet
May 23, 2011 at 10:48 pmSounds delicious especially with the feta!
Daryl
May 23, 2011 at 9:53 pmWhat a perfect salad for those warm nights when it’s just too hot to cook!
Nami @ Just One Cookbook
May 23, 2011 at 9:24 pmVery nice guest post. This salad is so simple that I should just take a note of the dressing/seasonings! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Lauren at Keep It Sweet
May 23, 2011 at 9:21 pmI love cucumber and tomato salads but never added avocado, what a great idea!
Erica
May 23, 2011 at 9:20 pmFun guest post 🙂 This is such a great summer salad! My tomatoes are just starting to come in on my plants- I will definitely be making this with them!!
Nicole@HeatOvenTo350
May 23, 2011 at 8:35 pmA perfect salad for summer, and for me especially. I love cucumbers and tomatoes, and don’t even get me started on avocados. Thanks for the recipe!
sweetlife
May 23, 2011 at 8:31 pma light healthy salad perfect for those hot summer days!
sweetlife
pigpigscorner
May 23, 2011 at 8:26 pmLight and fresh! Great for picnics, BBQ too!
Juliana
May 23, 2011 at 8:14 pmLove the idea of tossing what you find half used int he fridge…yours came out nice and so refreshing…have a great week ahead Maris 🙂