Marinated Cucumber & Sun Gold Tomato Salad with Basil
Cooling cucumber, sweet Sun Gold tomatoes, red onion, basil, olive oil, and red wine vinegar come together in a bright, no-cook summer salad. Enjoy it as a refreshing snack or side dish, then jar the leftovers for quick refrigerator pickle-style vegetables.
SERVES
4 as a side dish
PREP
10 minutes
COOK
15 min. rest time
Ingredients
2 medium cucumbers, peeled if desired and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, left whole or halved if larger
¼ small red onion, very thinly sliced
¼ cup loosely packed fresh basil, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon Pink Himalayan salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
4 ounces mini mozzarella balls, optional
Make It a Meal
For a more substantial lunch, add:
1½ cups cooked chickpeas, or one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
½ teaspoon ground coriander
Add the coriander and chickpeas with the cucumber and tomatoes, allowing the chickpeas to absorb some of the flavorful marinade. Sprinkle in the pumpkin seeds shortly before serving so they retain their crunch. This variation serves two as a light meal or four as a hearty side.
Instructions
Place the sliced red onion in a medium bowl with the red wine vinegar and Pink Himalayan salt. Allow it to rest for 5–10 minutes to soften the onion’s sharpness.
Add the cucumber, Sun Gold tomatoes, olive oil, black pepper, and fresh basil.
Toss gently until the vegetables are evenly coated in the dressing.
Let the salad rest at room temperature for approximately 15 minutes, allowing the cucumber and tomatoes to release some of their juices into the dressing.
Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, vinegar, or olive oil as desired.
If using mini mozzarella balls, gently fold them into the salad shortly before serving.
Serve as a refreshing snack, light lunch accompaniment, or side dish.
Ayurvedic note
Chickpeas bring plant-based protein, fiber, and satisfying substance, although their dry and astringent qualities can be challenging for Vata or delicate digestion. Olive oil, salt, coriander, and the moist marinade help create balance, while pumpkin seeds add grounding richness and minerals. Enjoy the salad near room temperature and begin with a smaller portion if raw foods or legumes tend to cause bloating.
Seasonal Perspective
This simple summer salad brings together cooling hydration, garden abundance, and just enough warmth and acidity to keep the flavors—and digestion—from becoming flat.
Cucumber is naturally cooling, moist, and hydrating, making it especially supportive during hot weather and times of excess Pitta. Sun Gold tomatoes contribute juicy sweetness and gentle acidity, while fresh basil, black pepper, red onion, and vinegar bring warmth, movement, and digestive stimulation.Olive oil adds grounding richness and helps balance the raw, cooling qualities of the vegetables.
Ayurvedic Perspective
For Vata, serving the salad near room temperature rather than directly from the refrigerator makes it gentler on digestion. Olive oil and salt also help soften and ground the raw vegetables. Optional mozzarella adds more substance, although those with delicate digestion may still prefer a smaller portion.
For Pitta, cucumber’s cooling nature is generally supportive. Tomatoes, vinegar, raw onion, and black pepper, however, may become aggravating in excess. Reducing the onion, pepper, or vinegar creates a gentler variation without losing the salad’s fresh summer character.
For Kapha, this can be a bright, lighter side dish. Vinegar, basil, onion, and black pepper provide stimulating qualities that help balance the cooling vegetables. Use the olive oil moderately and skip or reduce the mozzarella when heaviness or sluggish digestion is present.
Western Nutrition Perspective
Cucumber contributes fluid and fiber, while Sun Gold tomatoes provide vitamin C and colorful carotenoids.
Fresh basil adds aromatic plant compounds, and olive oil helps the body absorb fat-soluble nutrients from the vegetables.Together, these simple ingredients create a dish that is refreshing, satisfying, and far more flavorful than its short ingredient list might suggest.
Fresh from the JenZen Kitchen
Storing the Leftovers
Transfer the leftover salad and all its flavorful liquid into a clean glass jar. Refrigerate immediately and enjoy within 2–3 days as quick refrigerator pickle-style vegetables.
The cucumber and onion will continue absorbing the vinegar, herbs, and seasonings as they rest. The tomatoes will become softer but wonderfully flavorful.
Explore the Ingredients
Each ingredient in this recipe offers its own unique qualities and actions in the body. In Ayurveda, food is more than nourishment — it is medicine. Click below to learn how these ingredients support balance, digestion, and overall well-being.
Coriander
Black Pepper
Cucumber
Tomato
Basil
Chickpea
Onions
