Tomato cucumber salad with balsamic dressing and basil

I'll admit- I don't have a green thumb. Give me a plant and it will likely be brown within a week. Maybe it's because my schedule in the past was more hectic and I'd forget to water my plants.

With COVID19, I'm home and enjoying my deck more often where my basil plant resides. I also have a tomato plant that's doing quite well, thank you very much! I hope they are ripe by August to use.

Being a huge fan of Mediterranean food, I love having fresh basil to toss in pasta, salads or veggies. I had some leftover white beans from another dish as well as a few dying cucumbers and ripe tomatoes.

I chopped a few things and now I have a new salad.What's funny about 'salad' is that most people assume it will just be some greens and other veggies and dressing.

When you add beans, lentils, edamame or chick peas to a salad, it makes it more of a meal. All types of dried beans and legumes are high in protein and fiber, which are way more filling to eat than just romaine or spinach.

These also add color and texture to your salads to make them more interesting.Here's a tasty salad to try:

Ingredients:

1/2 cucumber, chopped

1 ripe tomato, chopped

1 small handful fresh basil leaves, ripped

1 can white beans (Navy, Great Northern or canellinni)

1 Tbsp. feta cheese

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

1 Tbsp. olive oilDash of salt

Directions.

1. Combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, beans and feta cheese in a large salad bowl.

2. Whisk vinegar and olive oil together and drizzle over the salad.

3. Toss salad with a dash of salt and serve cold.

Makes 4 servings.