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Italian Cucumber Salad
Benchi

Quick Italian Cucumber Salad

This Italian Cucumber Salad comes together in a flash, but the flavor is anything but basic. It’s crisp and cooling, with juicy tomatoes that balance the subtle bite of red onion. The tangy red wine vinegar dressing gives everything a wakeup call, and fresh basil makes each forkful taste like summer in a bowl.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar (or cane sugar)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • 1 small red onion finely diced
  • 2 medium ripe tomatoes diced into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 english cucumber diced into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 4-5 fresh basil leaves chopped

Method
 

Instructions
  1. Chop the cucumber and tomatoes into chunky, friendly bite-sized pieces. You want a little variety in size—no perfect cubes here—so the juices mingle and cling onto the veggies.
  2. Toss the chopped onion in just after. Letting the onion hit the wet veggies early helps mellow out its sharpness and lets some flavor soak in.
  3. Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, a pinch of sugar, salt, plenty of cracked black pepper, and that classic oregano. The dressing should taste punchy and balanced—if you pucker a little, it’s perfect.
  4. Pour the dressing over the veggies and give everything a big, gentle toss. Watch as the salad starts to glisten and little herby bits stick to every surface.
  5. Sprinkle chopped basil over the top and toss once more—now every forkful gets some of that sweet, fresh, vibrant finish. If you have time, chill the salad for a while to let the flavors meld, but it’s delicious straight from the mixing bowl, too.

Notes

Leftover Italian Cucumber Salad tastes best the same day, but it will keep in the fridge for about a day. Beyond that, the veggies tend to soften and release water.