Summer Veggie Salad

Grab your tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, peppers, and feta for a refreshing Summer Veggie Salad. Sure to satiate your appetite and leave you feeling cooled off, this is the perfect post-sunshine meal!

While this is seriously so delicious (crunchy, creamy, herby perfection), it’s got a pretty lame title.⁣
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Summer Vegetable Salad. ⁣It’s summertime. These are vegetables. You make them into a salad. That’s the amount of creativity I’m working with right now, fam. 🤷🏼‍♀️⁣

But you know how sometimes eating salad feels like a chore? Where you’re just working to get to the last bite so you can feel “accomplished” for successfully finishing your oh so healthy meal?

This summer veggie salad is not that. And I actually get disappointed when the Final Bite arrives. More, please!

It’s filled to the brim with refreshing veggies and topped with a tangy, savory olive oil and lemon juice dressing combo. The best part? It’s easy to make!

Here’s what you’ll need

For the salad you’ll need a handful of crunchy veggies!

• Tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes will serve as part of the base, adding consistency and flavor! While roma tomatoes are great here (more meaty, less juicy), you can use whatever tomatoes you have on hand.
• Cucumber: I love English cucumber here for the lack of seeds, but again, use what you have on hand!
• Red Bell Pepper: When it comes to the pepper, I like to use red for the flavor, though any color pepper will do the job.
• Red Onion: Finally, add about ½ cup of chopped red onion. You can use more or less depending on your love (or lack thereof) for raw onions!
• Feta: For a much-needed creamy component, we’ll be using ½ cup of diced feta.

The dressing is a quick mixture of mostly pantry staples that ties together all the veggies.

• Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil will serve as the base of the dressing.
• Parsley: Fresh parsley adds flavor and texture. Italian and flat parsley both work well here.
• Lemon Juice: Tangy lemon juice brightens up the salad more than you’d think. Fresh juice is best!
• Oregano: A dash of oregano for seasoning.
• Honey: I know it may sound weird, but just a drizzle of honey helps the flavors to pop!
• Garlic: Garlic? Please and thanks. 1 clove minced will be perfect for this dressing.
• Salt & Pepper: Finally, add a pinch (each) of salt and pepper. You can of course add more or less to taste!

How to make tomato and cucumber summer salad

Nothing’s better than a quick-to-make summer dish. Come inside to escape from the hot sun and whip this together in less than 10 minutes! Simply chop the veggies, whisk the dressing, and combine. 

1. Chop the vegetables: First, chop all of the salad ingredients into equal-sized blocks. Toss them together in a large bowl. 
2. Make the dressing: Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.
3. Assemble the salad: Add the dressing to the salad, tossing evenly to coat. For tastiest results, let the salad chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour prior to serving.

When storing leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Eat within 3-5 days.

Customize your summer salad with optional add-ons

As to be proven by your first bite, this salad is nothing short of delicious. But that doesn’t mean that it can’t be further customized to fit your palate! Here are some ways that you can switch up this salad depending on your mood. 

Add crunch
Why not add some crunch and healthy fat with a handful of almonds or pistachios?! Crush ‘em up and toss them in for an easy and filling add-on. You can also take it up a notch by using glazed nuts. Too delicious!

Switch up the veggies
You can switch up the ingredients however you like. An easy way is by using a white or sweet onion, or green or orange bell peppers. Take your favorites and run with them! 

Substitute feta for your favorite
Not a big fan of feta? Use a cheese you do like! Bleu cheese would be downright delicious in this salad.

More refreshing summer eats

From refreshing ingredients to grilled fruit, there’s a reason why these dishes are perfect for summer!

• Avocado Mango Salad
• Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
• Grilled Watermelon Salad
• Tomato Gazpacho
• Creamy Cucumber Salad
• Tomato Pesto Caprese Panini

Looking for more summer recipe inspiration?