Looking for a healthy meal that is ready in minutes? This is it! Tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, cheese and basil all come together in this spectacular dish!
I love to whip up this salad for my family when trying to increase our veggie intake. Do you have trouble with your kids eating enough veggies?
It seems like parents have to work and work to get enough vitamins and minerals into their munchkins! “Fresh veggies!” just doesn’t sound as appealing as “Ooey, gooey, chocolatey, empty-calorie laden pie.”
Every mom has to plan and sometimes even connive a sneaky plan to get her munchkins to learn to eat their veggies. Well, here’s my trick — cheese.M
My kids happen to be cheese-lovers. I mean if there was a kids’ cheese club, they would all be active, card-holding participants. Seriously, all I have to do is yell “Cheese!” and here comes the stampede.
When I offer to make their favorite dishes, here are their responses.
Cheese Pizza
Macaroni and Cheese
Cheese sticks
Cheesy Burritos
Baked Spaghetti with LOTS of cheese on top!
You get the picture.
The cheese in this meal tempts the non-veggie lovers of my family into “just taking a bite.” But soon, they’re hooked!
Honestly, most kiddos I have met don’t like tomatoes or onions, but for some reason this dish goes quickly at our kitchen table — which consists mainly of kids.
I think the secret to my kiddos wanting some heaping spoonfuls of this recipe is because they see mom and dad get excited about it. Plus we remind them of all the yumminess that it does have — cheese and salad dressing!
I like that this salad can be served as an entire meal with bread on the side, or a side dish to a meat and potatoes meal. I need that kind of flexibility during this busy season of life — and you probably do too.
This salad and I fell in love several years ago at a restaurant here in Cambodia. Since then, I have been experimenting with the recipe to attain the perfect crunch and textures. Check out the optional ingredients in the recipe. I add those ingredients when I want to change things up a bit.
Cucumber, Tomato and Basil Salad
This cucumber, tomato and basil salad is a fresh, simple side dish that comes together in just minutes. Made with crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, diced mozzarella, and a drizzle of balsamic, this easy summer salad recipe is light, refreshing, and perfect for potlucks, cookouts, and weeknight dinners.
- Prep Time 15 mins
- Total Time 15 mins
- Yield 4 servings 1x
- Category Appetizer, Side Dish
- Cuisine American
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced mozzarella cheese
- 3 cup diced cucumbers (I prefer Japanese cucumbers…they have less seeds)
- 3 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 bottle balsamic dressing (8 oz)
- 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
Optional, But Highly Recommended Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- 1 cup black olives, sliced (optional)
Instructions
- In medium-sized mixing or serving bowl, place all ingredients and lightly toss until thoroughly incorporated.
- Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
- If you want to be REALLY bad, throw some grated parmesan cheese on top before chowing down.
- Don’t worry, you can feel good about it because you’re eating your veggies and your plate is colorful!
Lovely recipe Alison. Looks yummy. I tend to sprinkle a bit of red chilli flakes or chaat masala powder (if available) to make it a bit tangy. Try it out.
Sounds like a good idea! Will try the chilli flakes!