Refreshing Cucumber and Cherry Tomato Salad with Mediterranean Brunch
Create a Mediterranean Salad Dressing at Home: Cucumber, Cherry Tomato Salad Sauce, Mediterranean Diet (+ Homemade Brunch)
As summer arrives, lighter salad meals just feel so much tastier, don’t you think? Today, I’ll show you how to make a Mediterranean-style salad with cucumber and cherry tomatoes, perfect for a healthy brunch. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes olive oil as a key ingredient, along with whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and fish. It’s highly regarded for its health benefits, including weight management and reduced inflammation. For our brunch, we’ll use cucumber, cherry tomatoes, olives, and crisp lettuce as the salad base, complemented by whole wheat toast and a hard-boiled egg. It’s a perfect light meal! Our Mediterranean dressing is tailored to Korean tastes, featuring a touch of minced garlic, olive oil, white balsamic glaze (or balsamic vinegar if you don’t have it), and salt. The ingredients are healthy, the presentation is beautiful, and the taste is incredibly satisfying. If you’re looking for a light, salad-based meal or a brunch idea, this recipe is a fantastic choice!
Brunch Ingredients- 1-2 hard-boiled eggs
- 1-2 slices whole wheat bread
- 1 piece butter
Salad Ingredients- 1 cucumber
- 6 cherry tomatoes
- 10 olives
- 1 head lettuce
Dressing Ingredients- 1/3 Tbsp minced garlic
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp white balsamic glaze (or balsamic vinegar)
- 1/3 Tbsp salt
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- Pinch of black pepper
- 1 cucumber
- 6 cherry tomatoes
- 10 olives
- 1 head lettuce
Dressing Ingredients- 1/3 Tbsp minced garlic
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp white balsamic glaze (or balsamic vinegar)
- 1/3 Tbsp salt
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- Pinch of black pepper
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the hard-boiled eggs. Boil them until fully cooked, which usually takes about 9 minutes. A helpful tip for easy peeling: place the eggs in boiling water as it starts to bubble. Once cooked, cool them slightly, peel, and slice them to arrange on your brunch plate.
Step 2
Thoroughly wash the cucumber, scrubbing the skin with coarse salt. Trim off both ends. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise. Since the seedy core contains a lot of moisture, it’s best to scoop it out with a spoon, as shown in the picture.
Step 3
Next, slice the cucumber diagonally into bite-sized pieces. This shape allows the dressing to coat the cucumber evenly, enhancing the flavor.
Step 4
Rinse the cherry tomatoes under running water. If they are small, halve them; if larger, cut them into quarters. Slice the black olives into rounds.
Step 5
Wash the lettuce leaves and gently pat them dry. It’s important to remove excess water so the salad doesn’t become soggy. Tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces by hand and set aside.
Step 6
Melt the butter in a pan over low heat. Place the slices of whole wheat bread in the pan and toast them until golden brown on both sides. Once toasted, remove from the pan and set aside.
Step 7
In a mixing bowl, combine the sliced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, and sliced olives. Add the dressing ingredients: 1/3 Tbsp minced garlic, 3 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp white balsamic glaze (or balsamic vinegar), 1/3 Tbsp salt, and 1/2 Tbsp sugar.
Step 8
Gently toss all the ingredients together until the dressing is evenly distributed. This simple step completes your refreshing cucumber and cherry tomato salad!
Step 9
To plate your brunch, arrange the prepared salad on a plate. Add the toasted whole wheat bread, torn lettuce, and sliced hard-boiled egg. Sprinkle with a pinch of black pepper for an extra touch of flavor. Your beautiful homemade brunch is now ready to enjoy!
