Summer Cotija, Cucumber and Avocado Salad

In need of a fun and healthy appetizer or side dish for a summer gathering? Give this yummy salad with a Mexican flare a try! The cucumber adds the perfect crunch, while the red onion and cilantro add great flavor. The dressing has great combinations of flavors and adds the perfect touch. This recipe is also super simple and comes together in 15 minutes or less.

Wondering why this recipe calls for an English cucumber? I decided to use an English cucumber in this dish because they are generally sweeter than regular cucumbers. Regular cucumbers have larger and more seeds, contributing to their bitter flavor. The skin of an English cucumber is also much thinner, so it is not necessary to skin it. The seeds of an English cucumber are smaller and easy to digest, so it is also not necessary to remove them before enjoying. All you have to do is slice them and serve!

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 1/2 large English cucumber

• 1 Roma tomato

• 1/2 small red onion

• 1 avocado

• 1/4 cup cilantro

• 2 tbsp Cojita cheese (omit if DF or use a DF cheese alternative)

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 1/2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 tbsp minced garlic

• 1 tsp honey

• 1 tsp oregano

• 1/2 juice of a small lime

• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Set aside a large bowl. Start by slicing the cucumber, Roma tomato, red onion, and avocado to your preference. I like to have larger pieces of cucumbers and have the rest in smaller pieces. Place them all into the bowl.

2. Chop up the cilantro into small pieces and add into the bowl. Add the Cojita cheese into the bowl or omit if you are DF.

3. In a small jar or bowl add in all of the dressing ingredients and shake or mix vigorously so all of the ingredients combine. Pour the dressing over the rest of the ingredients in the bowl. If you like less dressing on your salads, save a little bit of the dressing in the jar/bowl.

4. Carefully mix the salad and dressing together and taste test. Add more dressing or salt and pepper as needed. I would suggest serving it right away. I like serving it as an appetizer with tortilla chips or as a side salad with the main course. You can also garnish is with extra cilantro if you would like. Enjoy!

Note: The salad can save in the fridge for about one day, but will get soggy from the dressing after that, so I would suggest enjoying the day of!