Fire and Ice Salad
This is a staple at barbecues, family gatherings, and reunions. During our Southern Summers, we love the juicy and refreshing experience of eating this salad! Although I had seen it plenty as a child, the first time I actually tasted fire and ice salad was when I was pregnant with my daughter. My husband’s company hosted family night at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, renting the entire Museum out for the night and having a catered banquet.
Now most of y’all probably think the Space museum is a pretty neat place. After all, it is home to the first Space Camp (a great deal of the 80′s movie by that name was filmed there), it is a part of our Marshall Space Flight Center and hosts the IMax along with countless priceless artifacts and memorabilia.
I thought it was pretty cool, too, the first fifty or so times I went there. You see, when you are born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, you tend to have an awful lot of family and school field trips to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center (Two of my grandfather’s even built rocket engines). As a little girl, my enthusiasm remained so long as Miss Baker was there. Amidst all of the rockets and space suits which I knew little about and understood even less, it was still a thrill to get to see a space monkey eat a banana.
But Miss Baker passed away in 1984 and 14 years (and many more field trips) later I married someone whose childhood dream had been to visit the U.S. Space And Rocket Center. ~sighs~. We got annual passes. We went, and went, we did the tour, we walked around the museum. We had a son – who loved to visit the U.S. Space And Rocket Center. We renewed our membership. We visited. We walked, we watched, we participated, we rode, we ate, we oohed, we ahhed, we photographed.
So now I’m standing here at this banquet sponsored by my husband’s company in a museum filled with people just bursting with zeal over seeing an astronaut’s space suit that probably knew my face as well as I knew it, and I spied what amounted to a vat of Fire and Ice Salad on the buffet. Being several months pregnant, NOW I had something to get excited about.
Katy says babies sit in their Mama’s tummies and wait on her to drop food down so that they can catch it. If her theory were true, she would have been covered in tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions on that day! I don’t know how much I ate, but the next day I came home and wouldn’t you know it, I made me some more and ate that too!
If I had to describe the flavor of this salad in two words, I’d say “Refreshing” and “Fresh”. Alright so perhaps my description is a little redundant but you try it and see if I’m not right! This is the embodiment of everything a body craves on a hot summer’s day. Well, everything a body craves that doesn’t come with a little paper umbrella in the glass!
You’ll need: Two fresh tomatoes (I’m using three because mine are small), Two cucumbers, one red or purple onion, sugar, water, and…
White vinegar. Go for the cheap kind here, make me proud. 
You know, speaking of drinks that come with umbrellas, people talking openly of alcohol is really strange to me. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it. Up until a few years ago, I had lived in towns that weren’t even allowed to sell alcohol, “dry counties” is what they were called. Ordinances like this are prevalent in the old south, where are cultural roots are held deeply in the Baptist traditions. When I was in Los Angeles, I went in a drug store and they had an entire cooler of alcoholic drinks! I was really surprised to see that.
It’s amazing when the old gal gets out of the house, huh?
Cut up your tomatoes.
You can cut them in chunks, slices, or dice them. I’m doing little thin slices because it’s pretty that way.
Peel and cut cucumbers.
Allow cute little dimpled hands to steal a few slices even if it does make your picture blurry.
Cucumbers are for stealing. I wholeheartedly encourage it.
Cut up your onion.
I slice mine and then cut the slices in half, still leaving pretty big pieces.
This way, those of you who don’t care for the raw onions can pick them out easily enough.
By “those of you”, I really mean my mother.
See, Mama? There is a point to my onions being big sometimes. Now you don’t have to eat them.
Dump all of that into a bowl.
Now we have to make our dressing.
For this all we are going to do is combine equal parts water, vinegar, and sugar and stir it up.
I start with 1/2 cup of each but you can do more if you like. I wouldn’t do any less though.
This is me adding my sugar to the vinegar and water mixture.
~waves~
Stir that up good.
Don’t worry if your sugar isn’t dissolved all of the way because we’re going to let all of this marinate in the fridge for a spell before we eat.
Pour this over your veggies and stir.
Cover and place in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.
It will make more juice but I like to go give it a good stir after an hour or so.
Save some for me!
Oh and if you’re ever in Huntsville and decide to go to the Space And Rocket Center, give me a holler. My family and I will probably be there, too!
Ingredients
- 2 Tomatoes
- 2 Cucumbers
- 1 purple onion
- water
- white vinegar
- sugar
Instructions
- Peel and slice cucumbers. Chop tomatoes and onion. Combine all in a large bowl. Mix up a dressing of equal parts Vinegar, Water, and Sugar. Pour over vegetables and refrigerate.
- *I start with 1/2 cup each of my dressing ingredients.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Pluginhttp://www.southernplate.com/2009/06/fire-and-ice-salad-and-southern-plate-cookbooks.html
Ingredients
- 2 Tomatoes
- 2 Cucumbers
- 1 purple onion
- water
- white vinegar
- sugar
Instructions
- Peel and slice cucumbers. Chop tomatoes and onion. Combine all in a large bowl. Mix up a dressing of equal parts Vinegar, Water, and Sugar. Pour over vegetables and refrigerate.
- *I start with 1/2 cup each of my dressing ingredients.
Print This Recipe
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Posted by Christy Jordan
on Jun 9 2009. Filed under FEATURED Southern Favorites!, Side Dishes.
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This would probably be good with some precooked pasta thrown in.
I make this same salad but I use lemon juice for a dressing for it after it set a few hours in a cool place you serve it with meatloaf and it is sooooo good.
Christie, you dog you! Don’t you know I went right to your cookbook (which I preordered on Amazon and love,love,love) and this recipe is not in it !!! Of course, it better be in the next one or else!! LMAO. RobbieAnn
Be sure vinegar, water, and sugar are in equal parts. I put less sugar in one time and it was pucker-worthy. Not good. Hmmmn….I wonder if Splenda will work. Love me some fire and ice salad!
Splenda works GREAT in this!
Hey Christie how come you can print out some of your recipes and some you cant
Hey Rebecca!
.
I wasn’t able to make the recipes printable until a few months ago. Having been writing for Southern Plate for nearly two years at the time, I had to go back and hand code every single post to make it printer friendly. There were over three hundred then, so I missed a few here and there
Thanks for bringing this one to my attention! It’s printer friendly now!
Gratefully,
Christy
Thanks Christy Your website is the greatest. I have told all my friends about it. By the way this salad is great
Thank you for being a part of the Southern Plate family and spreading the word Rebecca!
I use this recipe all the time. I actually tend to add move veggies each day so that I can have them constantly. I also like to pull them out and add to sandwhichs. YUMMY
Ohhh, what a GREAT idea!!
I love all kinds of salads and I’m definitely going to make this one. The recipe looks so easy and sounds so good. I love your web site! You are so funny and you make me laugh with your story telling which you are so good at. You make my day.LOL.
YOU make MY day!!!!!
If you poor boiling water over your raw, cut onions they don´t give people heartburn anymore and taste somewhat softer and sweeter. Maybe this will soften up your mother about eating raw onions ±’
This looks delicious!! It would be perfect for those on the Weight Watchers plan! ZERO Points!!!!!
Well, maybe 1 or 2 because of the sugar! But still, what a yummy salad!!!
Use Splenda, I usually do, then PIG OUT! This stuff is GOOD!
Hi Christy,
I am so glad you posted this recipe and told us how to make it WW style. I just joined Weight Watcher’s last week and I can use this to “fill up” on when i really get the munchies! I just LOVE YA when you give us this kind of option! No wonder you stay so slim and trim!
Thank you Janet!!!
Christy, I made this two summers ago for lunch when I was attending a writing project at Auburn. Many people commented on how pretty it looked, so I brought some to share the next day. IT WAS A HIT! Thank you so much for your sweet spirit and willingness to share your life and recipes with all of us. You are truly a blessing.
Thank you so much Shay!!
I just purchased your cookbook yesterday. I took it with me to the eye doctor today, and my eye doctor asked if he could look at it. I hesitated, but, finally allowed him to hold it. He loves to cook so he was quite intrested. I’ m savoring it slowly, I hate to come to the end. I hope it sells millions.
Thank you so much Mary!! I am tickled to hear that you are enjoying it.
I have the fire and ice recipe, but mine uses japaleno peppers. Use enough to make it kinda hot (that is if you like it that way). Anyhow it’s a very good recipe, so easy to make and even easier to eat!
Thanks for the tip Doris!!
hey Christie, this is a bit along the lines of the tomato hot slaw. i hope you make it soon. it’s used to be a popular recipe in Hsv (Mullins Restaurant has the slaw dog). it was always taken to church outtings, picnics, back in the 60′s. It’s time to bring it back …. i always say you can’t start summer without the tomato hot slaw.
I will definitely have to make that soon Susan!
Hi Christy, love, love your site! I make this salad all summer long, but I use
Lite Zesty Italian bottled salad dressing from Krogers. It is yummy and very low calorie and taste awesome. This is popular at our church potluck get togethers and vanishes very fast. You gotta try it.
I will have to try it that way. Thanks for the tip Judy!
thats what this salad is called? Ive had this a MILLION times at TWU (Texas Woman’s University) and I never knew what it was called! It is very yummy although the one at TWU has olive oil in it…I think…regardless it is very delicious!
Yep, that’s what we call it!
I used to be in charge of making this growing up with tomatoes and cucumbers right from my parents garden. Never added anything to it though, it was always just the veggies. Might have to suggest that to my mom.
Oh, try it just once Angela. I think you will love it!
I’ve been making this one for years. Love it!
isn’t it great?!
I lived in Blountsville for a short time. Not only was it a dry county there was only one grocery store and it was a “Rainbow Store”. Worse diapers in the world was sold there. It was quite a shock for this city girl.
LOL, I bet that was a big shock. I remember those types of diapers, thin and LEAKY!
Love this any time ! I like to add bell peppers or banana peppers to mine.
I love it anytime too Joyce, and can eat the whole bowl!
I have made this salad before but my fire and ice salad also called for cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes added to the dressing. Serve it ice cold. The pepper is the fire and the coldness of the salad is the ice. When you taste it , it is cold and then the pepper takes over. Made this for a family reunion a couple of years ago and none was left over for me to take home.
~giggles~ Don’t you just love those dishes! You know its a hit when you can see the bottom of the bowl.
I make this dressing with shoepeg white corn, french cut green beans and petite peas…make that fire and ice dressing and put it over all three of those, you have an entirely different dish as well! I’ll have to try your cukes, onions and tomatoes!
Yummy Raenita! I am going to have to try your version as well.
I have always loved this, but never knew how to make it. Thank you sooooo much for this recipe! Made it last night & it is even better today! Love all your recipes!!!
A twist on this……dice the veggies, make a dressing out of EVOO and fresh lemon (3 parts oil to 1 part lemon juice) and add some chopped up mint to taste….it’s excellent, mixes well with Basmati rice ( like a condiment), and is exceptional as a snack with Pita (pocket) bread.
Looks delicious! I want to use Splenda instead of sugar, about how much do you think I should use as its so much stronger than sugar, I would think equal parts would make this too sweet, any thoughts? Thx so much!
[...] Fire & Ice Salad [...]
Never had it with sugar and vinegar. Doesn’t sound as good as using oil and vinegar with fresh sweet basil and a little black pepper. Now that is good.
Christy,
Seeing your Corelle dishes sure brought back memories. My MawMaw had those exact same dishes. She would always make this salad or use Italian dressing. We grew up eating this every meal In our house it is referred to as, what else but “MawMaw salad.
My Grandmother used to make this with only onions and cucumbers. She kept it in a jar in the refrigerator and ate it with everything. Thanks for the memories!
I love this but I’m in love with the new Walnut and Raspberry salad dressing.
I recognize the bowl, I think!
[...] Belle – In the last week we’ve had Jordan Rolls, Fire & Ice Salad, Chicken Planks & Strawberry [...]
I had been looking at this recipe for the longest time and finally made it today. Oh My it was so good!!!!! Thank you, I am now officially addicted! LOL
~giggles~ Isn’t it heavenly?! I am so glad you finally tried it and now share the addiction.
We have been making this for years in ‘southern’ Indiana but we call it thunder and lightning. It is a staple for every meal during summer.
[...] such a huge hit! I have been asked by all grade levels to make all birthday cakes from her on out Fire and Ice Salad for a teacher luncheon….everyone loved this too! Deep Dish Pizza and my step daughter says [...]
In Southern Illinois, my mother use to make Thunder and Lightning Salad a lot like the Fire and Ice Salad. It’s bell pepper, tomatoes, onion, all diced up, with vinegar, sugar, and some water..
[...] – fire and ice salad, twinkie cake, corn salad, fried cabbage.….and tomorrow I am making Chicken [...]
I throw in some celery seed. There’s something about the celery seed that really adds to it. YUM!
I bet poppy seeds would be good too.
I added an avocado to mine for a change of pace. Very good.
My grandmother used to make a summer salad with tomatoes, cucumber and red onion but she had more of a sweet cream type dressing. I would love to be able to recreate that salad …. it’s one of those flavors that I can just TASTE … but it’s been over 40 years since I had the salad. Any ideas on how to recreate that salad dressing?
Melodi, she may have made it with mayonnaise. I get the tri-color slaw at Walmart and I make a creamy dressing of mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar (Spenda). I think a dressing made with sour cream and green onions would be good too.
Melodi, my mother used these same veggies to make a Sour Cream Salad. She just stirred in enough sour cream to lightly coat the the veggies & let it set in the fridge to “juice up.” Sometimes she sprinkled dill weed on it, too. Grandma sprinkled a little sugar over the mix before stirring it up. I hope this helps.
Christy, in my neck of West Virginia, our Fire & Ice Salad is like yours but using cider vinegar instead of white vinegar. Totally delicious both ways! =^..^=
I used that vinegar all the time – good as the more expensive. My question is can you use Spenda in place of the sugar? I am on Atkins and I think I would love this salad for a snack. LOL.
Hey Carmen, most times I use Splenda in mine. I think I mentioned that in my post but I’ll go check soon as I get a chance
Splenda works wonderfully in it!
I love the salad and have made it for years. I lived in TN for 35 years and also felt tied to the space museum as all my family lived out of state and of course every visit to our house included a visit to the space center. My husband worked for NASA.
Christy I just love you girl! I first saw you on Paula Deen and it wasn’t 5 minutes and I was online buying your cookbook. I love it! I don’t know what I like best, the stories,the recipe’s or your dishes!! I have the orange and yellow ‘sunshine’ pyrex it was my mom’s ,maybe 40 years old it means a lot to me.You are making this fire and ice recipe on the dishes I use every day. And I love jadeite!!! You are such a pretty, sweet, christian girl. Keep up the good work. Good luck.God bless.
So funny you posted this. I was dying to make this to eat with our New Year’s Day meal. I thought it would be smart to go ahead and cut up the veggies the night before. I also poured vinegar over them. LOL Oh my goodness, it was so strong and soggy. (I didn’t know to add water and added very little sugar) Needless to say, it would have choked a horse. I ate it anyway because I had been wanting it. But, I will make it again soon. (The right way)
I make this all sumer long, but just put seasoned salt on mine. We call it Thunder and Lightning. Can’t wait to try your dressing on it.
Thanks for all the great recipes!
I made this and LOVED it! Thanks for sharing. I also did some tweaking and added apple cider vinegar in place of some of the vinegar, and added apples to it. I posted my tweaked version on my blog, but also put a link to your original recipe up on my blog as well.
I grow the tomatoes and cucumbers in my garden every year and add the onion but I have been throughing Newman’s on it. I will try this next time it all grows. Thanks. And I like the idea of making the piece big but to pick out the tomato’s not the onions.
I love this salad! My grandma always added a little hot pepper or banana pepper, hence the name “fire and ice”. So yummy, want some now!
I made this for a cookout last weekend and got so many compliments! Everyone loved how “simple” it was–you can taste the cucumbers and tomatoes, and the dressing just enhances their natural taste. Led to lots of good stories about how people used to eat their parents’ cucumbers and tomatoes out of the garden.
I am so glad to hear it was a hit with everyone!!!
I love salads like this! In fact I like a sandwich made of bread, butter and sliced onions,yum! Sometimes I make one using sliced radish instead of onion, try it, you will like it!
Making this Fire & Ice Salad for Memorial Day. Subbing banana peppers for cucumbers, since hubby does not like cucumbers. Also, using Splenda since he is diabetic. Thanks for the great salad idea, Christy!!
I have been hunkering for Fire and ice salad. I looked it up and came across your site. Thanks for sharing. I have a batch now flavoring in my refrigerator.
Velva
Have some for me Velva!!! It is one of my favorites!!
This is a staple in our house. Only I don’t use sugar – just vinegar and water (and a pinch of salt). It is perfect. I substitute it for chips – it provides the crunch and satisfies my salt craving.