I am an official brand advocate for Bel Brands in 2013. While I receive compensation for participation as a brand advocate, opinions are my own.

I whipped this up yesterday on a whim to complement the steak dinner I was cooking for Father’s Day.

I never expected everyone to like it so much, myself included!

I’m really starting to appreciate the flavor that fresh herbs bring to dishes, especially salads like this. Using dried basil just wouldn’t even come close!

Unfortunately, fresh herbs are uber expensive, at least at my local grocery stores, but growing fresh is super simple!

Every spring I grow cilantro, basil and mint (which comes back on its own yearly) in little pots on my deck. It’s the best way to get a hold of fresh herbs all summer.

I bought the cilantro and basil plants a few weeks ago. The mint just came back on its own!

The more you pick them the more they grow too! If you don’t have a deck, put a pot in the windowsill. I always have good luck with basil. The cilantro is a bit harder to grow in my opinion.

Anyway, here’s the salad I whipped up. I hope it gives you a few ideas of your own.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 pinches of salt
½ cup packed basil leaves, chopped
5 mini English cucumber, sliced (about 500g)
handful of grape tomatoes, halved (it was all I had)
3 Mini Babybel Light rounds, cut into small chunks.

Instructions

Whisk the vinegars, honey and salt together to make a quick dressing.

Add the chopped basil and smash a bit into the dressing.

Add the cucumbers, tomatoes and cheese.

Toss and chill until ready to serve.

It made a great complement to our grilled dinner of London Broil and baked beans.

Servings are always tough for me on a side dish as everyone takes varying amounts. I’m estimating it to serve 4 with approximately ¾ cup salad. You could always add a bit more cucumbers and tomatoes to bulk it up. There was enough dressing for some additional veggies.

📖 Recipe