This salad, which resembles gazpacho, is a lovely, light way to begin a Mexican meal. Serve it atop lettuce leaves as a salad, or serve over rice. Alternately, use it as a sauce with fish, chicken or fajitas.
Ingredients
- 1 long European cucumber, very finely diced
- Salt to taste
- 1 small red onion, finely minced
- 5 medium-size ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 jalapeño or serrano peppers, seeded if desired and finely chopped
- ¼ to ½ cup chopped cilantro (to taste), plus several sprigs for garnish
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Leaf lettuce or Boston lettuce for serving (optional)
- 1 avocado, sliced, for garnish
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
95 calories; 7 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 8 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
Serves six
Preparation
- Place the finely diced cucumber in a colander, and sprinkle with salt. Toss and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse the cucumber thoroughly with cold water, and drain again on paper towels.
- Meanwhile, place the onion in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes, then drain, rinse with cold water and drain on paper towels.
- Combine the tomatoes, chiles, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice and olive oil in a bowl. Add the cucumber and onion, and season to taste with salt. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Serve the salad on lettuce leaves, garnished with slices of avocado and cilantro sprigs, or spoon over steamed rice.
- Advance preparation: You can assemble the salad a few hours ahead, but don’t add the cilantro until close to serving time. Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.
30 minutes
Dining and Cooking