I make a lot of salads. I make salads to bring to parties. I make salads to serve salad to guests. I make salads for myself. I make salads for my family. I mean…I love salads. Probably what I love most is that you could eat a different salad each day of the year if you’re creative enough. I have some go-tos that have proven to be a hit even among those who normal cringe at salad. I also rely on my creative instincts and excellent “use what you’ve got in the back of the fridge” skill to throw together a salad just when my husband has reported that there is nothing to eat. This salad is one of those last-minute creations that was born from realizing that I had fresh cilantro hidden away at the back of my fridge. Lord knows I wasn’t about to let it go bad, so I decided to hold off on my standard lettuce choice and use the cilantro as my salad green instead. I was afraid the cilantro would be overpowering, but luckily, I was wrong. I’ve made this salad about once a week since and it just might become y new summer favorite.
Cheese please
The first time I made this salad I didn’t add any cheese. I only had crumbled blue cheese in the fridge and that didn’t seem like the right choice. I liked the lightness of this salad without cheese, but heard my mother’s voice whispering in my ear, “Where’s the protein?”. I must have head that a thousand times growing up as a vegetarian! The next time I found myself in the supermarket, I grabbed some queso fresco, which I figured would be a great compliment to the Mexican flavors in this salad. I was right! I also absolutely love queso fresco. If you’ve never tried it, it’s a mild, young cheese and you can simply crumble it easily using your fingers. I also think that fresh mozzarella would work well. You could even try some feta, which would pair nicely with the Greek yogurt in the dressing.
Get salad-ing!
This salad is a great way to welcome summer. If you’re looking for some other great summer recipes, try Mama’s Salsa or this Creamy Avocado Dip. For salad inspiration check out these creations: Can Can Salad, Asparagus Tomato Salad and Broccoli Cabbage Caesar Salad. As always, let me know how your Tomato Avocado Cilantro Salad with Lime Yogurt Dressing comes out by leaving a comment below. Enjoy! Buen provecho!
Tomato Avocado Cilantro Salad with Lime Yogurt Dressing
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
- ½ cucumber, peeled and diced
- ¼ large red onion, finely diced
- ¼ cup queso fresco crumbled (optional to make it more of a meal)
- large handful of cilantro, stems removed, chopped (about ¼ cup packed)
Yogurt Lime Dressing
- 2-3 tbsp of Greek yogurt (I used low fat) see note
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- juice of 1 lime
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl. To make the dressing, whisk all ingredients together well. Drizzle dressing on salad and toss.
