After a relatively cold start of the spring, the weather took a turn and we saw record-breaking temperatures at the end of May. It was over 35°C in London (which felt more like 50°C), and technically, it wasn’t even summer yet. Immediately, I was in the mood for light and refreshing food, inspired by Polish traditions. Unfortunately, I don’t own a grill – I don’t have a garden, nor even a balcony – but I do have an air fryer, so it did the job. I grilled some chicken kebabs, but I also made a side salad to go with them – and that’s what I want to share with you today. I suppose it’s a Polish version of pico de gallo. It only requires 4 ingredients, it’s super easy to make, and it’s just the best, most refreshing thing for a hot day. Honestly, I ate it as a snack straight from the bowl on those scorching days.

Ingredients for a refreshing salad for a barbecue

For a medium sized bowl – around 3 big servings – you will need:

• 3 large salad tomatoes
• half of a large white onion
• about a 10cm long (4 inch) piece of a large & thick cucumber, or an equivalent amount of small cucumbers
• 3-4 large Polish pickled cucumbers (read more about them below – they’re not the same thing as western pickles!)
• seasoning: salt, pepper, mixed herbs – to taste, optionally

What are Polish picked cucumbers

Polish cucumbers are fermented in salty brine, whereas pickles popular in the western cuisine are preserved in vinegar. Those are two completely different things – not just in the recipe, but most importantly in taste. If you live in Poland, you can easily find them in supermarkets.

If you live elsewhere, there’s a good chance you can still find them in your country. Luckily, there are Polish people everywhere, and for that reason, Polish (or Eastern European) supermarkets are quite popular around the world. I live in London, UK, and I buy these pickles in regular supermarkets. Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s all sell them. Here’s what they look like, for reference.

How to make a Polish pico de gallo salad

Making this refreshing salad – perfect as a side for a barbecue – is no rocket science, though it does usually take me some 15 minutes. The instructions are simple: you just need to chop everything pretty finely. The goal is for each bite of the salad to have all flavours.

Once everything is finely diced, place all of the veggies in a bowl and mix well, then season to taste with salt and pepper. I also usually add a bit of mixed Italian herbs for good measure, though frankly, they’re not necessary – the other ingredients are much more pungent.

There’s no dressing in this recipe. The cucumbers from brine, as well as salad tomatoes, are moist and juicy. That’s all the dressing you need.

Nutritional value of a Polish tomato, pickles and onion salad

The whole recipe has approximately 125 kcal, 1.2 grams of fat, 27 grams of carbs, 6.5 grams of fibre and 5.3 grams of protein. The recipe makes around 3 large servings. Each of them has approximately 0.4 grams of fat, 9 grams of carbs, 2.1 grams of fibre and 1.7 grams of protein.

How to store a Polish cucumber, tomato and onion salad

You can store this salad for 3-4 days in the fridge. I recommend storing it in a closed container to prevent it from absorbing – and emitting – smell.

What to serve with a Polish pickles, tomato and onion salad

Naturally, this salad is great with a barbecue – whether you decide to grill sausages, chicken, or even fish – this refreshing salad will be a great addition to grilled protein of your choice. If you don’t have access to an outdoor grill, don’t worry – how about making this perfect air-fried chicken breast? Or, you can grill some sausages in a traditional oven. If you pop to a Polish store to get the pickled cucumbers, grab some nice Polish sausage too!

Bon Appetit!

I highly recommend making this salad in the summer. It may only have 4 ingredients, but it’s absolutely packed with flavours. The tangy onion and salty cucumbers make it a great, refreshing option for a hot day. It was a staple in my family when I was growing up, for any barbecue event – and rightly so. Since the hot weather arrived this year, I’ve been making this salad on repeat. It holds really well in the fridge, so you can easily use it for meal prepping. Yum!

Also see:

• Food
• Savoury