Italian Cucumber Salad (Printable)

Crisp cucumbers, ripe tomatoes, and red onions tossed in zesty Italian dressing for a refreshing summer side.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 large cucumbers, thinly sliced
02 - 2 medium tomatoes, diced
03 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
04 - 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

→ Dressing

05 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
06 - 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
07 - 1 clove garlic, minced
08 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
09 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

10 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
11 - Fresh cracked black pepper

# Steps:

01 - In a large salad bowl, combine the sliced cucumbers, diced tomatoes, red onion, and chopped basil.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
03 - Pour the dressing over the vegetables. Toss gently to combine and evenly coat all the ingredients.
04 - Let the salad sit for at least 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
05 - Garnish with crumbled feta cheese and additional black pepper, if desired. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Its the kind of salad that actually tastes better after sitting for a while, making it perfect for meal prep or potlucks
  • The Italian dressing penetrates every nook and cranny of the vegetables, turning simple ingredients into something extraordinary
02 -
  • Cucumbers release a lot of water as they sit in the dressing, so dont panic if the bottom of your bowl gets a bit juicy
  • The salad actually improves after sitting for an hour or two, giving those flavors time to really get to know each other
03 -
  • If serving this at a party, make it a few hours ahead and keep it in the refrigerator, letting those flavors develop
  • The key to restaurant-worthy presentation is slicing everything uniformly thin and using a mix of colorful tomato varieties

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