simply summer

When I was young, my mom used to marinate cucumbers in Good Seasons Italian dressing, and we would eat them like they were going out of style. Those cucumbers are the inspiration for the recipe I created below. This fresh salad, bursting with summery goodness, can be eaten as-is. Add more vegetables to your liking. Or, for more variety, toss in some pasta for a healthy pasta salad, or serve over greens with a little extra dressing for a delicious meal.

Thanks to my mom, not only for the inspiration, but also for all the delicious veggies that went into this salad! She gave us cherry and roma tomatoes, cucumbers, red and green peppers, and onion. I usually don't like raw onion, but I thought it was so little and cute, why not? I added a purple pepper from the farmer's market and a few yellow cherry tomatoes fom our garden. Voila! The At-Home Vegan's Simple Summer Salad...

Veggies:
1 cucumber, chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or 3-4 vine-ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (optional)
a little chopped onion, if you wish

Dressing:
2/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tbsp Water
2 Tbsp Oil
seasoning of your choice, to taste (salt and pepper, italian spices, or the old standby Good Seasons Italian packet)

Chop veggies to desired size and place in large bowl
Combine dressing ingredients in small bowl
Toss half the dressing with veggies until veggies are well-coated
*Use all dressing if making pasta salad
Serve chilled

Happy, healthy eating!