Recipe: 5-Minute Cucumber and Heirloom Tomato Salad

One of the greatest things about summer weather is the abundance of fresh, super flavorful, and healthy produce. The tomatoes are tender and tasty. The berries are affordable and super sweet. Folks are pretty much giving away zucchini! You almost have to try to not eat healthfully in the summertime—it’s just all so readily available!

Fresh produce begs for simplicity in the kitchen. Why spend hours cooking on a hot stove (and heating up your kitchen) when the veggies you have taste so darn good without cooking? By focusing on the fresh tastes of the season, you can put delicious, healthy foods on your plate without spending a lot of time in the kitchen.

Take this Cucumber and Heirloom Tomato Salad for example. By cruising your local farmers’ market for the tastiest (and, let’s be honest, most fun) heirloom tomatoes you can find and the freshest cucumbers, you get a crazy tasty side dish that takes little more effort than a few minutes of chopping. Sure, you could make this with tomatoes and cucumbers from your supermarket, but the flavor will be so much better if you find fresh produce grown near you (and bonus: you can get in a little workout by strolling around the market, and meet your neighbors).

Serve this veggie-tastic salad as a side-dish for your summer grilling (it’s great with burgers or grilled chicken) or make a big batch of it and eat it as your main dish for lunch. Add in some sliced hard boiled egg or cooked chicken for a protein boost. Enjoy!

Note: Feel free to experiment with the fresh herbs that you like the best. Parsley, cilantro, dill, basil, chives (or a combination of) are all great in place of the basil!