Simple Side Salad

Growing up, we were the sit down to breakfast, lunch and dinner as a family and no TV type of house. Take out or restaurant outings were rare treats. My mom cooked well rounded three meals every day. We always started the day with a hearty breakfast consisting of arepa, cheese, eggs or chorizo, and sometimes we had calentado (a traditional Colombian breakfast made with leftover rice and beans).

Lunch and dinner in Colombia usually consisted of a protein (chicken, seafood, pork or beef), rice, yuca, plantain or potato, some type of vegetable, a bowl of soup and this simple side salad.

This is the salad I ate almost every day growing up in Colombia and it’s my go to salad now. I love it because it’s very easy to make, fresh and healthy. Also, you can use more of less of any ingredient based on your own taste preferences.

I always serve it as a side dish, but you can add hard boiled egg, shrimp or grilled chicken and serve as a main dish.

Buen provecho!

Ingredients:

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro chopped
1 English cucumber, sliced
3 tablespoons of white vinegar
Juice of 4 limes
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Arrange the lettuce on a large plate, next add the sliced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, cucumber and avocado slices.
2. Drizzle with the vinegar and lime juice. Add salt and pepper to your taste.