Middle Eastern Tomato Salad or Salad Shirazi

Ingredients

• 1 cup finely diced cucumber
• 1 cup finely diced tomato
• 1 cup finely diced onion
• 1 cup finely chopped parsley
• 1 cup finely chopped mint
• 2-3 T olive oil, or more to taste
• 1-2 T fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
• Salt, pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cut the cucumber into small pieces, keeping them under 1/2 inch, and transfer them to a colander. Sprinkle with plenty of salt and leave them there while you prepare the rest of the vegetables. If the cucumber is not watery, you can skip the salting and draining; if the tomatoes are very juicy, set them in a colander so some liquid can drain away.
2. Dice the cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions so the pieces are all about the same size.
3. Mince the parsley and mint very finely. If you prefer, the mint and parsley can be chopped in a food processor.
4. Once everything is chopped, place it all in a mixing bowl.
5. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then toss to combine. Begin with a little less dressing and seasoning, then adjust until the salad tastes balanced; it should not need a heavy hand with the dressing.
6. Serve right away.