Summer is not exactly showing her best face this year here in Germany. But what else is new? German weather is just always unpredictable. Nevertheless, I wanted to share with you guys my favorite salad that I call Endless Summer Salad. We’ve been having it on repeat lately and secretly I’m hoping the Weather Gods hear my outcry for a real summer!
Actually a fan of traditional salads (you know the ones with lettuce, spinach and the like as a base), I rediscovered my love for more Mediterranean-style salads like Greek Salad. These ones are made only using raw veggies such as cucumber, tomatoes or bell pepper and don’t feature any leafy greens at all. The great thing is that they don’t get soggy so fast when you pour dressing over it.
Nothing more refreshing than a salad on a hot summer night
Since I come from Bulgarian heritage, our Greek salad is called ‘Shopska Salad’. But it’s basically the same. In Bulgaria they make it with cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, onions and of course shredded feta cheese. My dad makes it only using cucumber and tomatoes. And then I modernized it a little bit by adding avocado and watermelon.
So, Shopska Salad actually served as the base before it turned into the Endless Summer Salad. We realized that our consumption of cheese (mainly feta cheese) had increased over the first half of the year. That’s not neccessarily a bad thing but I just like to keep dairy products to a minimum as they are generally not doing very well with my stomach. Roman also declared he didn’t want to eat as much cheese anymore.
That’s how I came to nix the feta cheese and just make a salad with cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, watermelon, and the secret ingredient basil. Seriously guys, adding basil to the mix makes ALL the difference!
For the dressing I keep it simple by using a little bit of olive oil, balsamic vinegar (but the cream kind), apple cider vinegar. And to spice things up, I used salt & pepper and chubritsa (a traditional Bulgarian spice). Mix everything together and you have the most delicious yet satisfying summer dish.
Find the recipe below:
Endless Summer Salad
Let summer never end with this refreshing salad made with cucumber, tomatoes, avocado and watermelon.
- 1 cucumber
- 2 handful cherry tomatoes ((you can also use 4-5 big tomatoes))
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 watermelon ((depending how big your watermelon is you can use less or more))
- a few basil leaves
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs crema di balsamico
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- dash of salt
- dash of pepper
- 3 tsp chubritsa
Peel the cucumber and cut into cubes.
Wash the tomatoes and cut into halves (or cubes if you are using big tomatoes).
Cut the avocado into half, remove the pit, and carve out the flesh. Cut into bite-size pieces.
Also cut the watermelon into small cubes.
Add everything together with the basil leaves to a big salad bowl.
Pour olive oil, crema di balsamico, and apple cider vinegar over the mix.
Lastly spice everything with salt, pepper, and chubritsa.
Mix well and serve alone or with your favorite protein.
Serve with a glass of chilling rosé for the ultimate fabulous summer experience! Or a glass of champagne if you are feeling extra fancy. You know I will 😀
What is your favorite summer dish? Share with me over on Pinterest or Instagram @madeleinestanev
Madeleine Stanev 
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