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Salad

Cucumber-stuffed Tomatoes

A salad of tomatoes hollowed and filled with a cucumber and onion mixture, served with lettuce.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 11 ingredients
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Why it works: Olive and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 15,539 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓

Cucumber-stuffed Tomatoes

4 tomatoes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the dressing

  1. Cut the white part of the onions lengthwise, then slice the white and green parts finely. Place in a glass or plastic bowl.

  2. Add vinegar, olive oil and seasonings and mix well.

Prepare the tomatoes

  1. Wash and core the tomatoes. With a serrated knife, cut a thin slice off the top.

  2. Cut into the middle, around the inside, being careful not to get too close to the shell. With a teaspoon, scoop out the seeds and ribs inside the tomato, leaving a thin shell of flesh and skin.

  3. Turn upside down on a paper towel to drain. Place the insides in a plastic colander or strainer to drain.

Make the cucumber filling

  1. Peel the cucumber. Cut lengthwise, and scoop out most of the seeds. Chop or cube finely.

  2. Do NOT liquefy in a food processor or blender! Add to the onion mixture and stir.

  3. Press on the tomato remnants in the colander to remove most of the moisture. Turn out onto a cutting board and chop.

  4. Add to the onion and cucumber mixture and mix gently.

Assemble and serve

  1. When ready to serve, fill the four tomato shells completely with the cucumber mixture.

  2. Make nests of torn lettuce leaves in individual salad bowls, then nestle a tomato in each bowl.

  3. Drain and spoon any leftover cucumber mixture onto the lettuce leaves, around the outside of the tomatoes.

  4. Serve with steak knives for ease in eating.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

268Calories
4 gProtein
14 gFat
34 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 10 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Cucumber1/2 cup sliced (52g)16
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Lettuce1 cup shredded (36g)5
Dill5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried4
Vinegar1 tbsp (15ml) distilled3
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Olive + tomatotop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together15,539 recipes

    Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).

  2. Dill + cucumbertop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together530 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  3. Tomato + cucumbertop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,405 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  4. Dill + peppertop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,630 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  5. Olive + cucumbertop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together3,611 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyl acetate (fruit).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Tomatoes
Hollowed shells hold the filling, and their flesh and juice flavour the mixture.
Cucumber
Provides crisp, cool texture that contrasts with the soft tomato.
Green onions
Add sharp, fresh onion flavour that mellows as it sits in the vinegar.
Balsamic vinegar
Adds acidity and sweetness that brighten the filling and balance the oil.
Olive oil
Adds fat and smooth mouthfeel that carries the seasonings.
Dried dill
Adds herbal aroma that complements the cucumber.

The step that matters

Draining the tomato pulp and cucumber. Excess water from the tomato and cucumber would dilute the dressing and make the filling soggy, so pressing out moisture and skipping the blender keeps the filling chunky and firm.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (vinegar, olive, sugar, dill, pepper, tomato, cucumber):

  1. Capsicumfits better
  2. Mustardfits better
  3. Lettucefits better
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against vinegar, olive, sugar, dill, pepper, tomato, cucumber. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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