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Home » Soups & Salads » Salad Recipes » Tomato Cucumber & Avocado Salad

Tomato Cucumber & Avocado Salad

June 1, 2019 by victor 21 Comments

Italian inspired, this tomato, cucumber and avocado salad is one of our family favorites. It’s so tasty and so addictive that you just want to eat more and more of it.

Tomato, Cucumber and Avocado Salad in a white bowl.We make this salad all year round, even during winter. I often hear tomato and cucumber salads being labeled as ‘summer’ salads. I couldn’t disagree more, unless you think of them as a piece of summer during cold winter days.

You have to taste this salad to know why it’s so special. The base recipe for this salad supposedly originated in Italy and had been passed down from generation to generation for many years. Everything in this salad seems to be spot on and the resulting flavors are fabulous. You don’t eat it because you have to, you eat it because it entices you, it makes you want to have more of it. This salad is a sibling of my other favorite salad – rustic tomato and cucumber salad.

Close up view of tomato, cucumber and avocado salad.

Making the salad dressing

A typical salad dressing consists of a 3:1 ratio of oil to acid. That’s the first thing you learn when you venture into the realm of making your own salad dressings. In this recipe, I use a 2:1 ratio of oil to acid. I love it. This makes the salad fresh and bright. You have to remember though that not all red wine vinegars are created equal. Some are more acidic than others. I like more mellow kinds. Pompeian Red Wine Vinegar that can be found at pretty much any store is an excellent choice with a very well-rounded taste. Holland House Red Wine Vinegar is another excellent and inexpensive choice for a mild flavor and well-rounded taste.

Tips to help make best tasting tomato, cucumber and avocado salad

  • This salad tastes especially good when made with fully ripe and flavorful ingredients, which makes it incredibly flavorful and delicious.
  • The salad only gets better with time as different flavors in it meld together so let it sit at room temperature for a few hours if possible. The oil and the red wine vinegar have time to do their magic to the veggies.
  • If the tomatoes aren’t ripe, leave them on a windowsill for a few days to ripen. They will soften up and become richer in flavor and color.
  • The cucumbers should be fresh and firm. Try to avoid soft, overripe cucumbers  and opt for firm and crisp cucumbers instead.
  • Avocados should be ripe and just slightly soft. When cut open, they should be bright green in color without brown spots which are an indication of over-ripening.

You can serve this salad as an appetizer or a side dish, or as a meal on its own with a piece of crusty sourdough bread or French baguette. Use that bread to soak in every last drop of that delicious salad dressing. It’s so good!

Tomato, Cucumber and Avocado Salad

Cucumber, Tomato and Avocado Salad

5 from 10 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: avocado salad, cucumber salad, tomato cucumber avocado salad, tomato salad
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Resting time: 1 hour
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 338kcal
Author: Victor

Ingredients

The Vegetables:

  • 4 tomatoes (medium size, fresh and ripe)
  • 4 baby cucumbers (fresh and firm)
  • 1 Hass avocado (ripe and slightly soft)
  • 1/2 red onion (medium size, peeled and diced)
  • 1/2 bunch fresh basil (rinsed, dried and finely chopped)
  • 1 pinch granulated sugar

The dressing:

  • 6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (good quality)
  • 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 3/4 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1 garlic clove (pressed)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 pinch black pepper (freshly ground)

Instructions

  • Core the tomatoes, cut in half, then cut each half lengthwise into 3 wedges. Then cut each wedge in half crosswise. Place the tomatoes in a large bowl, sprinkle with a pinch of sugar and give them a quick toss.
  • Cut off the ends of the cucumbers. Using a vegetable peeler, make long stripes going top down. Slice into 1/4" thick slices slightly on the diagonal. Transfer to the bowl with the tomatoes.
  • Cut the avocado in 4 quarters lengthwise and remove the pit. Gently remove the skin, then slice into 3/8" thick slices on the diagonal and add to tomatoes and cucumbers, along with the diced onion and chopped basil.
  • To prepare the dressing, throw all of the dressing ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together vigorously, until well blended.
  • Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss gently using both hands. You can serve immediately or cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until ready to serve. This salad only gets better with time.

Nutrition

Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 454mg | Potassium: 963mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1365IU | Vitamin C: 32.8mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 1.5mg

This post post updated on June 1, 2019

 

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    Recipe Rating




     

  1. Marlee

    January 06, 2023 at 8:19 pm

    I have tried this amazing super fresh salad was fantastic

    Reply
    • victor

      January 20, 2023 at 1:18 pm

      Happy to hear it, Marlee. Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Da

    October 16, 2022 at 2:44 pm

    Awesomely refreshing salad. A bed of baby spinach can also be layed down. I will definitely be making this often.

    Reply
    • victor

      January 20, 2023 at 1:52 pm

      Glad to hear it. Enjoy!

      Reply
  3. Michael

    September 14, 2022 at 5:40 pm

    I just made this for the first time and will again!! Fantastic recipe, delicious!!!

    Reply
    • victor

      October 06, 2022 at 10:56 am

      You are welcome. Glad you liked it. Happy cooking!

      Reply
  4. Renee

    October 25, 2021 at 9:16 pm

    This recipe is soooo good. Even my husband and daughter like it and they are very picky eaters lol. Would definitely keep making.

    Reply
    • victor

      October 25, 2021 at 10:17 pm

      Happy to hear it. Enjoy!

      Reply
  5. Laura Karczewski

    August 02, 2020 at 12:19 am

    Best salad ever! Thank you for sharing this. My garden is filled with tomatoes, cucumbers and basil so it was so easy to make. Love love love❤️

    Reply
  6. Karen

    July 11, 2020 at 7:16 pm

    How much is half a bunch of basil? I’m going to pick it from my garden and need a better idea of how much I need.

    Reply
    • victor

      July 18, 2020 at 7:30 am

      About 1 cup of loose leaves.

      Reply
  7. Nelly

    May 16, 2020 at 5:01 pm

    Looks beautiful, looking forward to making it.

    Reply
  8. Margaret

    May 15, 2020 at 5:16 pm

    Absolutely love this salad. My new favorite

    Reply
  9. Ann

    December 07, 2019 at 12:02 pm

    Hey Victor! We make this salad all year round, too. I totally agree with you that it’s really addictive. My husband often asks for it to be removed from his eyesight cuz he can’t control himself. He says he could be on a deserted island with this. Highly recommend everyone to give the recipe a try. Believe me, all of the flavors are fab!
    Thank you so much for sharing the idea and all of your precious tips. I hope the recipe will inspire many of your readers. I’m so glad that I discovered your blog a few days ago. I’ll be coming around often. Keep up the good work!

    Best wishes,
    Ann

    Reply
    • victor

      December 07, 2019 at 7:21 pm

      LOL … Your comment made me laugh, Ann. I hear you, we make this salad, or some variation of it, a few times a week. So good and so easy to make! The best part is that the kids a lot of veggies because of it. I add or substitute celery, radishes, radicchio, and other veggies to change things up. Thank you for the kind words and do come back often.

      Reply
  10. Bella

    September 18, 2019 at 9:18 pm

    This recipe is fantastic! I’ve been making this salad every day for the past week and can’t have enough of it. So addictive!

    Reply
  11. Ada

    December 20, 2018 at 1:44 am

    I?m impressed, I must say. A+++

    Reply
  12. Angela

    March 03, 2018 at 4:07 pm

    What a gorgeous looking salad. Can’t wait to give this a taste! Yum!

    Reply
    • victor

      March 03, 2018 at 4:57 pm

      Thank you for the kind words, Angela.

      Reply
  13. Richard Benchimol

    March 02, 2018 at 11:11 am

    Thank you for this! For some reason, I have a lot of avocados passing through my kitchen. I was starting to run out of ideas, this is a big help.

    Reply
    • victor

      March 02, 2018 at 11:14 am

      No problem, Richard. Glad this recipe caught your attention. I have a feeling it won’t disappoint 😉

      Reply

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Hi, I am Victor and welcome to my blog dedicated to simple and delicious everyday food... Read more...
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