This is a simple little salad that takes no more work than chopping and drizzling, but it looks and tastes fancy. Balsamic vinegar- which is what gives this dish its punch- is an ingredient that packs a ton of flavor in a very small quantity, but as ketonians we still need to be mindful of ingredients and carb count. You're looking for a balsamic that's made of Modena grape must, possibly blended with wine vinegar, and contains no added sugars. To keep the carb count down, look for one that has around 3 carbs per tablespoon (15 ml), maximum.

Due to some reported shadiness in the Italian olive oil industry, I also recommend springing for a good quality, extra virgin olive oil from California. Better quality ingredients will yield the best taste.

Notes: This salad tastes excellent a day or so later, but because watery vegetables like tomato and cucumber tend to degrade and wilt a bit with the addition of salt or other liquids, it looks prettiest and has the best mouthfeel the day of. I recommend making it and letting it stand in the fridge for a few hours prior to serving.

[tasty-recipe id="3235"]