Impress your guests with this incredibly easy to make, beautiful Tomato, Basil, Cucumber Salad. Crunchy sweet candied pecans are the star of the show (don't worry, they're super simple) and a rich, tangy balsamic glaze make this salad the perfect Summer appetizer. Or, simply add a warm crusty sourdough bread and some vegan butter and you have a meal in itself!
The candied pecans are what people will be talking about and really bring all of the flavors together, I could eat em by the handful! You'll love how incredibly easy they are to make, just three ingredients and 5 minutes.
Want a delicious side to go with your salad? Try my Moist Vanilla Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins for a lovely brunch setting. Add this fan favorite Homemade Vegan Garlic Bread and you'll have an impressive lunch on the table in no time! Or, if you're feeling dinner vibes this salad is the perfect addition to these Easy Vegan Burgers!
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❤️Why you'll love this recipe
- Minimal prep, this seriously comes together so fast, yet it looks so fancy your guests will be raving about it!
- Great way to use up that abundance of tomatoes growing in the garden. You can even make this recipe using sweet cherry tomatoes!
- The combination of bright red vine ripened tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, and crisp cucumber makes this the perfect Summer (and even Fall) dish when everything is in season. Go harvest that garden!
🍽Equipment
Cutting board, sharp knife for slicing, vegetable peeler for peeling the cucumbers in that fancy way where you leave some of the peel on. A small pan for making the candied nuts, a spatula, and fun serving plates.
🍅Ingredients
- Vine ripened tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes (any color).
- Fresh Basil leaves
- Cucumber, regular or English (English has less visible seeds).
- Pecans
- Coconut Sugar, or Brown sugar
- Maple Syrup
- Balsamic Glaze, regular Balsamic vinegar would work in a pinch. Balsamic Glaze can be found in the vinegar section at most grocery stores.
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Add in creamy avocado chunks, or swap it for the cucumbers if you prefer. Avocado adds a rich, filling element to the recipe and still goes beautifully with all of the other ingredients.
- Sub in Walnuts or Almonds for the Pecans. I love Pecans because the are a bit softer, however, any nut would work well here, you could even try raw pumpkin seeds if you need to go nut free.
- Jazz it up with a squeeze of a fresh orange. Orange would go well with the tanginess of the balsamic glaze.
- Fresh basil is my go to every time I make this salad, but you could also use fresh Spinach if you aren't a fan of basil or herbs in general.
- Okay, this one gets vetoed in our house but if I was only feeding myself I would totally add Kalamata (Greek) olives and be in heaven. The saltiness creates a wow factor and if you're an olive lover like me you're in for a treat!
- Vegan Feta, need I say more?
🔪Instructions
Step 1. Gather your ingredients!
Step 2. Using your vegetable peeler peel fancy stripes onto your cucumber.
The skin can be slightly bitter and sometimes tougher to chew and it can tend to overwhelm the mellow flesh part. Removing a portion of it reduces the bitterness without taking away all the flavor. And it looks fancier too!
Next, cut the cucumber into approximately ¼ inch slices. If you have a crinkle cut knife use that to create more texture and visual appeal to the dish!
It works great on other veggies and fruits too!
Step 3. Slice the tomatoes! I like to keep them between a quarter and a half inch thickness.
Step 4. Julienne a handful of fresh basil leaves.
To julienne you'll take a few leaves and stack them on top of each other, then roll them up somewhat tightly.
Slice thin strips of basil (see photo) and now you've successfully julienned basil, Yay you!
Set your tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil aside and get ready to make the candied pecans.
Step 5. Roughly chop the pecans and add them to a small frying pan along with the coconut sugar and maple syrup and cook over medium to low heat for 5-6 minutes.
They will start off bubbling, take a spatula and just keep moving them around the pan to get a nice even candy coating.
After a couple of minutes they'll become more gooey and sticky. Keep stirring and move your heat to low.
Once you start to see the gooeyness drying into a sugary candy coating and the pecans have a dry look to them they are done.
Remove from heat. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool for a couple of minutes before handling.
Step 6. Layer tomato and cucumber slices onto plates for serving. Garnish with the fresh basil slices you so perfectly julienned and sprinkle on your beautifully crunchy, candied pecans. Finally, drizzle with the balsamic glaze, go ahead get fancy with it!
💭Pro Tip
Candied Pecan Pro Tip: When candying your pecans, be sure to stir frequently to prevent burning. Start on medium heat until you see bubbles then turn heat to low. Once the pecans are done, let them cool completely then add them to the salad right before serving to maintain that delicious crunch!
Make Ahead Tip: If you're preparing the salad ingredients in advance, store everything separately. This will keep all ingredients fresh and crisp. You can assemble it just before serving without losing that perfect texture. Be sure to also see my Basil tip below.
Basil Tip: To keep basil from wilting wait to slice it until just before serving. This will preserve the freshness and ensure the basil stays aromatic without getting wilty or turning dark.
Balsamic Glaze Tip: If you can't find balsamic glaze in your supermarket you can make your own by simmering balsamic vinegar with a little maple syrup until it thickens to your desired consistency. This homemade glaze will have a beautifully deep flavor that will go well on many things, I love it on baked sweet potatoes!.
🧊Storage & Meal Prep
Refrigeration: This salad is best eaten right away, but if you do end up with leftovers store it in an airtight container for a day or two. Do not freeze.
Balsamic Glaze Storage: Store bought balsamic glaze keeps well in the panty, but if you're making your own balsamic glaze, store it in a small jar or bottle in the fridge. It will keep for about 1-2 weeks, and you can drizzle it over other salads, roasted veggies, or even roasted potatoes!
How to Store Candied Pecans: Try batch making these and then store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. You can also freeze them for up to a month. They are also insanely good on oatmeal and vegan ice cream!
Pack for Lunches: If you’re making this salad for lunch, keep the glaze and pecans in small separate containers. Then at lunch time simply toss them in with your tomatoes, cucumber, and basil for a fresh meal.
❓FAQ's
Add a half cup pecans to a pan with 1 Tablespoon each coconut sugar and maple syrup and cook on medium/low heat until the liquid turns sugary and nuts are evenly coated (about 5-6 minutes). Enjoy!
Candied pecans are amazing in oatmeal, on vegan ice cream, in salads, on baked sweet potatoes or baked butternut squash, in a homemade trail mix. And they store well at room temp for up to a week or in the freezer.
This flavors in this salad would be excellent with cubed extra firm tofu, the vacuumed packed kind rather than the tofu packed in water. You could also opt for chick peas.
Layer basil leaves on top of each other, roll them up fairly tightly, then make thin slices.
To prepare the salad in advance, store the glaze and candied pecans separately. This will keep everything fresh and crisp, and you can assemble it just before serving without losing that perfect texture. I would recommend slicing the basil just before serving to preserve freshness, or simply toss on the whole fresh leaves instead of slicing if you need to save time.
👩🏻🍳Creating the shot: A behind the scenes look
Getting the scene and lighting all set up!
Overhead view. These shots have to be set up on the floor. Then it becomes a game of keep away with Charlie cat! He kept barging in to see what I was doing.
Chris was golfing so I got to eat up the finished dish! I made him his own though 😋. He said it was FANTASTIC!
What really happened
I had everything sliced and ready, and was setting up the scene with the basil leaves and coconut sugar dish when I realized I was going to be late for church. So, I quickly put the basil in cold water to keep it fresh and ran out the door. I totally forgot the coconut sugar though… and who found it and licked it up like it was his job while I was gone? Yep, Charlie😐.
⭐Did you enjoy this recipe?
If you give this Tomato, Basil & Cucumber Salad a try, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a review below or share your own twist in the comments—your feedback and creativity make this space even more delicious!
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Tomato Basil Cucumber Salad with Candied Pecans
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 Salads 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Impress your guests with this incredibly easy to make beautiful Tomato, Basil, Cucumber Salad. With crunchy sweet candied pecans (don't worry, they're super simple) and a rich, tangy balsamic glaze it's the perfect appetizer. Or, simply add a warm crusty sourdough bread and some vegan butter and it's a meal in itself!
Ingredients
For The Salad
3 tomatoes, medium sized (about the size of a tennis ball), sliced. The ones that come still on the vine are the perfect size.
Half of a cucumber, sliced
8-10 large fresh basil leaves julienned (you can also toss them on your salad whole if you prefer).
½ Tablespoon Balsamic Glaze per salad, drizzled over top.
For The Candied Pecans
½ cup Pecans, roughly chopped
1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
1 Tablespoon Coconut Sugar (or Brown Sugar)
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients!
- Peel your cucumber with a vegetable peeler to create fancy stripes. This helps reduce the bitterness of the skin without losing too much flavor, and it looks fancier too! Slice the cucumber into about ¼-inch rounds. For extra texture, use a crinkle cut knife!
- Slice your tomatoes into ¼ to ½ inch thick slices.
- Julienne a handful of fresh basil leaves. Stack a few leaves, roll them up tightly, and slice thin strips. You can also just toss the fresh leaves on the salad if you prefer, that's pretty too!
- Roughly chop your pecans and add them to a small frying pan with the coconut sugar and maple syrup. Cook over medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring often as the mixture bubbles and turns sticky. When the pecans are coated in a sugary glaze and look dry, remove them from the heat and let cool for a couple of minutes.
- Layer the tomato and cucumber slices on plates. Top with your beautifully julienned basil and crunchy candied pecans. Drizzle with balsamic glaze, go ahead get fancy with it!
Notes
Candied Pecan Tip: Stir frequently while candying pecans to prevent burning. Start on medium heat, then reduce to low. Let cool completely before adding to the salad for the perfect crunch!
Make Ahead Tip: Store salad ingredients separately to keep them fresh and crisp. Assemble just before serving.
Basil Tip: Slice basil right before serving to preserve freshness and avoid wilting.
Balsamic Glaze Tip: If you can’t find balsamic glaze, simmer balsamic vinegar with maple syrup until thickened. Homemade glaze adds a deep flavor.
Storage: Best eaten fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Do not freeze.
Balsamic Glaze Storage: Store bought glaze keeps in the pantry. Homemade lasts 1-2 weeks in the fridge. Great on other salads or roasted veggies.
Candied Pecan Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or freeze for up to a month.
Lunch Tip: Pack salad ingredients separately with dressing and pecans, then toss together for a fresh lunch.
Variations: Add creamy avocado chunks for a more filling meal. Swap pecans for walnuts, almonds, or raw pumpkin seeds for a nut-free version. Replace basil with spinach if you're not a fan of herbs. Try adding Kalamata olives for a salty kick. Top with vegan feta.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salads, Side Dishes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Plant-based
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is an estimate calculated using Nutrifox, an online tool. Please note that this information is for general guidance only and should not replace advice from a qualified professional. Additionally, this page may include affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase through those links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Fresh Fun Flavor!
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