This Filipino Cucumber & Tomato Salad or Ensaladang Pipino at Kamatis with a Filipino Style Vinaigrette dressing makes a delicious starter or side that’s great with hearty dishes as well grilled and fried food.
This recipe is also incredibly easy to make and is ready in less than 20 minutes.
CUCUMBER & TOMATO SALAD OR ENSALADANG PIPINO AT KAMATIS
This is a Filipino style salad with a light and tangy Filipino-style vinaigrette for the dressing. Ensalada is the Filipino word for salad while pipino means cucumber and kamatis means tomato.
I also love Ensaladang Talong or a Filipino Roasted Eggplant Salad. You can check out my eggplant salad recipe here.
WHAT CUCUMBER SHOULD I USE?
For this recipe I used Japanese cucumbers since that's what I had on hand. You can use regular cucumbers or other pickling cucumbers like English or Persian cucumbers.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JAPANESE AND REGULAR CUCUMBER?
I personally love Japanese cucumbers for their thinner skin so these are crunchier. Japanese cucumbers also have less seeds unlike regular cucumbers that have thicker skin.
FILIPINO STYLE VINAIGRETTE DRESSING
WHAT YOU'LL NEED FOR THE DRESSING
- distilled white vinegar
- sugar
- room temperature water
- salt
- bird’s eye or other red chili sliced
- minced garlic
- ground pepper
You can find the full recipe in the recipe card below.
Prepare the dressing by mixing everything in a bowl. Feel free to adjust the dressing to your taste and add more sugar, if desired, to cut the acidity.
HOW TO MAKE THIS SALAD
PREPARE THE CUCUMBERS, TOMATOES, AND ONION
Slice the cucumber into thin 1/4-1/2 inch (0.6-1.25 cm) thick pieces. Place the cucumber on a basket/strainer with a catch basin. Add the salt and gently massage.
You can leave the cucumbers to sit for 10-15 minutes for the excess water to draw out. Afterwards, squeeze out excess water from the cucumber and discard the excess water.
Meanwhile, slice the tomatoes, onions, and other mix-ins of choice.
POUR THE VINAIGRETTE, MIX, AND ENJOY!
- In a bowl, add the cucumber, mix-ins (tomatoes, onions, etc), then pour in the dressing. Mix well. Serve and enjoy!
- You can also refrigerate this for 1-2 hours before serving so it’s cold. You can also prepare this a few days before serving. Do note that the cucumber and other mix-ins will release extra water and dilute the dressing.
HOW TO ENJOY THIE CUCUMBER & TOMATO SALAD
I had this cucumber salad with my favourite vegan tofu sisig and rice with crispy garlic. The salad is crunchy and refreshing and also helps cuts through the rich and tasty sisig.
STORING THIS SALAD & PREPARE-AHEAD TIPS
MORE FILIPINO RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
Filipino Cucumber & Tomato Salad (Ensaladang Pipino at Kamatis)
Ingredients
Cucumber
- 7 oz japanese cucumber or other pickling cucumber, I used 1 Japanese cucumber
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3.5 oz cherry tomatoes
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
Filipino Style Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp room temperature water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 bird’s eye or other red chili sliced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- Freshly ground pepper
Other Mix-Ins
- Thinly bell peppers green mango, green chiles
Instructions
- Prepare the cucumber: slice the cucumber into thin 1/4-1/2 inch (0.6-1.25 cm) thick pieces. Place the cucumber on a basket/strainer with a catch basin. Add the salt and gently massage. Leave the cucumbers to sit for 10-15 minutes for the excess water to draw out.
- Meanwhile, prepare the dressing by mixing everything in a bowl. Feel free to adjust the dressing to your taste and add more sugar, if desired, to cut the acidity.
- Slice the tomatoes, onions, and other mix-ins of choice.
- Squeeze out excess water from the cucumber and discard the excess water.
- In a bowl, add the cucumber, mix-ins (tomatoes, onions, etc), then pour in the dressing. Mix well. Serve and enjoy!
- You can also refrigerate this for 1-2 hours before serving so it’s cold. You can also prepare this a few days before serving. Do note that the cucumber and other mix-ins will release extra water and dilute the dressing.
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NUTRITIONAL INFO
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I made this last night to accompany some bbq and red rice. This is Soooo Delicious! I’m not a vegan, but your dishes are so innovative to traditional foods. Thank you so much!
yay happy you enjoyed it and thanks for giving it a try! ◡̈