A tomato and cucumber salad, dressed lightly with a seasoned, mayonnaise-based dressing and lots of crumbled bacon!
Bacon, Cucumber and Tomato Salad
I didn't have nearly as many tomatoes or cucumbers this year. Early on, in the spring, they did great, but then by June we had constant, heavy rainstorms - which, by the way haven't stopped - intertwined with heat indexes in the triple digits - that haven't stopped either - and the tomatoes really suffered. Guess I'm either going to have to start from seed so I can plant earlier, or else just forget about it and hit the fresh market weekly for my tomato fix! |
| My early tomatoes - Deep South Dish on Instagram |
One thing's for sure though. Summertime and heat means a steady supply of cooling foods though, tomato and cucumber being right in the top of the list, and all kinds of salads are on the menu! I love this one, but of course... it has bacon! But I especially like that it's light on the mayo and just as simple as can be, but still delicious.
First things first gotta cook up that bacon.
Do it in the skillet, in the oven - my personal favorite when I'm cooking more than a couple slices - or whatever your favorite method is. Set aside to cool, crumble and reserve a bit for garnish.
This salad is really only lightly dressed with mayonnaise, so the tomatoes and cucumbers really shine and I like to cut them into good sized chunks. Since my garden tomatoes and cucumbers have been ripening in a variety of sizes from the garden, for purposes of writing a recipe you could use, rather than measure them by count, I measured them chopped. Mix them together to let the juices start to develop.
Simply dressed with mayo and a few seasonings.
Whip up a very simple dressing of mayo with salt, pepper, Creole or Cajun seasoning and garlic. I recently discovered Justin Wilson's Cajun seasoning {affil link} and wow is it good y'all, plus it's Certified Cajun, meaning it's made in Louisiana. Add the dressing to the tomato mixture. Fold in the remaining bacon. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to an hour if needed. Garnish with a sprinkle of Cajun seasoning and the reserved bacon. Easy!)
For more of my favorite cucumber salads, check out the collection on my Pinterest page!
My favorite kitchen tool featured in this post is my Rada tomato slicer. {affil link} This dual serrated knife so beautifully slices through the soft skin of a tomato, never squishing or tearing it. Like all of your good kitchen knives, never put them in a dishwasher. Always hand wash only. So sturdy, they feel great in your hand and they'll last a long time - and they're made right here in the U.S.A.
If you make this or any of my recipes, I'd love to see your results! Just snap a photo and hashtag it #DeepSouthDish on social media or tag me @deepsouthdish on Instagram!Recipe: Bacon, Cucumber and Tomato Salad
©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
Prep time: 10 min
Inactive time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 10 min
Yield: About 4 servings
Ingredients
Instructions
- 6 slices bacon
- 3 cups large cut chopped cucumber
- 3 cups large cut chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup real mayonnaise
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Cook bacon to crisp, drain on paper towels and set aside. Chop once cool enough to handle. Reserve a pinch for garnish.
Toss cucumber and tomatoes together. Season with salt. Mix together the mayonnaise and seasonings, add to tomatoes and gently toss. Add remaining bacon to salad. Gently toss, taste and adjust seasonings. Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with a sprinkle of Cajun seasoning and the reserved bacon. Serve right away or refrigerate for 1 hour to chill. Serves about 4.
Cook's Notes: Swap the mayonnaise for Ranch dressing. I personally love a cucumber salad with sweet onion and have several recipes, however I intentionally left it out of this recipe, not wanting the onion to take over the beautiful mix of flavor here. By all means, add some if you like!
Tomato and Macaroni Salad: Prepare as above, omitting cucumber and adding 1 cup chopped Vidalia onion. Increase mayonnaise to 1/2 cup. Cook 2 cups elbow macaroni and add to salad. Refrigerate for one hour before serving. Garnish with additional Cajun/Creole seasoning or paprika for color and reserved chopped bacon. I like to add a tablespoon of sweet pickle cubes.
Old Fashioned Cracker Salad: Prepare salad as above, omitting cucumber and adding 1/2 cup chopped Vidalia onion, or two large green onions, sliced. Double mayonnaise. Stir in one sleeve of saltine crackers, coarsely broken. Mix well, adding additional mayonnaise as needed to moisten. Serve immediately or, if refrigerating, wait to add crackers until just before serving. Also good with one chopped, boiled egg added.
Source: http://deepsouthdish.com
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