Vegetable Salad with Brined Cheese and Tomatoes

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make a vegetable salad with brined cheese and tomatoes? Gather all the ingredients listed in the recipe. Which lettuce leaves work best? Use iceberg, butter lettuce, romaine, lollo rosso, or any other fresh greens. I used a mix of two kinds. Wash each lettuce leaf well and pat it dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Peel the onion, and rinse the tomatoes and cucumber in cold water and dry them too.

2. Step 2:

   

   Cut the lettuce coarsely or tear it into pieces by hand. Put it into a deep salad bowl.

3. Step 3:

   

   Slice the onion into thin slivers or half-rings. Which onion is best? Shallots, red onion, or white onion are ideal for vegetable salads. These varieties are milder than regular yellow onion and complement fresh vegetable salads beautifully. Slice the cucumber thin and add it to the bowl.

4. Step 4:

   

   Cut the tomatoes into wedges. If you're using cherry tomatoes, you can cut some in half and add others to the salad whole.

5. Step 5:

   

   Drain the liquid from the canned peas and add them to the salad. Cut the brined cheese into small pieces or crumble it by hand. Feta, brined cheese, or any other soft cheese works well in this salad.

6. Step 6:

   

   Wash, dry, and finely chop the fresh herbs. Dill, parsley, or young green onion all work well. Add the herbs to the salad. Sprinkle a blend of ground peppers on top. I sometimes add dried Provençal herbs — they complement the salad nicely and brighten its flavor. Drizzle with vegetable or olive oil.

7. Step 7:

   

   Toss the salad thoroughly and taste for salt. Add more if needed, though usually it isn't necessary, since the brined cheese is already salty on its own.

8. Step 8:

   

   Let the salad rest for 5–10 minutes, then toss again. Done — ready to serve!