Tomato Cucumber Salad with Avocado & Olives

This post is part of our restricted diet series from Beth of Tasty Yummies.

This refreshing, summer-inspired Tomato Cucumber Salad with Avocado & Olives is a beautiful addition to any summer meal.Growing up in a Greek family, tomato cucumber salads were a staple with many of our meals in the summer. We would go to the garden, grab what we needed, mix it up, top it off with some variations of a Greek-inspired dressing, maybe some feta and kalamata olives and that was that.

I swap the feta cheese for avocado in this rendition, creating a dish to please everyone. This light and colorful side dish has a beautiful crunch from the cucumbers, a salty brine from the olives, creaminess from the avocado and the bright fresh flavor of the tomatoes. If you have an abundant garden of your own or maybe a weekly CSA box delivery, I am certain this classic refreshing salad will become a mainstay on your summer menu.

Tomato Cucumber Salad with Avocado & Olives

serves 4-6

Salad:

1 pound tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 large cucumbers, peeled and diced
1 avocado – pitted, peeled and diced
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh dill ( fresh mint and/or oregano are also great)

Dressing:

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, finely minced
sea salt and black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients, until well blended. Set aside.

In a large serving bowl combine all of the salad ingredients. Drizzle the dressing over and toss gently well until everything is evenly coated and well mixed.

Serve immediately or cover and place into the fridge for up to two hours before serving, to really let the flavors come together. Allow the salad to come to room temperature for about 15-30 minutes and drain off any excess liquid just before serving.

RECIPE NOTES:

I used 4 small heirloom tomatoes, diced, you can also opt for cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half

Feta cheese would also be great on this salad