This is one of those fantastic, ‘throw-it-all-together’ salads that just works. It’s incredibly satisfying because it combines fresh, crisp vegetables with savory protein and a rich, creamy sauce that ties everything together. If you have guests coming and need a crowd-pleasing side dish that feels substantive but requires almost no cooking (aside from boiling an egg), this is the recipe to reach for.
### What You’ll Need
*Serves 4 generously | Prep time: 15 mins*
* **The Protein:** about 300g (or ~1.5 cups) of good-quality cooked ham or turkey breast, cubed. If you prefer, leftover grilled chicken works beautifully too.
* **The Fresh Produce:**
* 2 large, ripe tomatoes, diced.
* 1 large English cucumber (the type with few seeds), diced.
* **The Savory Extras:**
* A few hard-boiled eggs, cooled and diced.
* about 1 cup (120g) of shredded sharp cheddar cheese (the kind in the long shreds as seen in the photo).
* **The Brightness:** a large handful of fresh dill, chopped finely.
* **The Dressing:**
* about ½ cup (120ml) of good quality mayonnaise.
* 2 tbsp of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream (this is my little secret—it adds a delightful, fresh tang).
* ½ tsp onion powder.
* A simple pinch of salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
### Let’s Get It Mixed
This is the beauty of it: there are barely any steps!
1. **Chop everything.** The goal is to get all the ingredients (ham, tomatoes, cucumber, boiled eggs) to roughly the same bite-sized cube shape. This makes the salad much better when eating.
2. **Combine.** In a large bowl, gently toss together the cubed ham, tomatoes, cucumber, diced egg, shredded cheddar cheese, and fresh dill.
3. **Make the dressing.** In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, onion powder, salt, and pepper until perfectly smooth and velvety. Give it a taste.
4. **Fold and Chill.** Pour the dressing over the main bowl of ingredients and use a spatula to fold everything together until everything is well-coated. For the best result, cover the bowl and let it chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes to let the flavors really intermingle before serving.
### A Few Little Secrets
* **The “Wait, Where Did All the Water Come From?” Problem:** Tomatoes and cucumbers will release water once salted. To keep the salad from becoming runny, try this: dice the tomatoes and cucumbers first, place them in a colander, sprinkle lightly with salt, and let them weep for 10 minutes before assembling the salad.
* **If you have an extra 5 minutes,** add about 1 tsp of Dijon mustard to the dressing for an extra kick of sophistication.
* **This salad is great on its own,** but it’s also amazing served over a bed of crisp, cold butter lettuce or tucked into a fresh baguette.
