Cucumber salad is a popular dish served in the summer, when these vegetables grow in abundance and the weather is hot. There are many different recipes for making cucumber salad, but they all have some common characteristics: they're easy to make, delicious, and refreshing! Once you have learned how to make some variations, you can try to come up with your own recipe.
Ingrediants
Cucumber salad
For 6 people
- 2 medium sized sliced cucumbers
- 80 ml of white or apple vinegar
- 80 ml of water
- 30 g of sugar
- A pinch of salt
- A pinch of pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or parsley (optional)
Creamy Cucumber Salad
For 4 people
- 1 medium sized cucumber cut into 3mm thick slices
- 4 g of salt
- 125 ml of sour cream
- 2 tablespoons of dill or chopped chives
- 15 ml of white vinegar
- A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Greek Cucumber Salad
For 4-6 people
- 2 seedless cucumbers
- Salt to taste.
- 150 g of crumbled feta
- 2 tablespoons of oregano or fresh dill
- 1 minced clove of garlic
- 1 chopped shallot
- Juice and zest of 2 lemons
- 60 ml of extra virgin olive oil
Japanese Cucumber Salad
For 4 people
- 2 medium sized traditional cucumbers or one large seedless cucumber
- 60 ml of rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds
Thai Cucumber Salad
For 6 people
- 2 large cucumbers, peeled and sliced
- 3 finely sliced green onions
- 30 g of chopped peanuts
For the dressing
- 80 ml of rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
- 3 ml of toasted sesame oil
- A pinch or two of chopped red pepper
- A pinch of salt
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Cucumber Salad
Step 1. Place the finely sliced cucumbers in a small bowl
You can also use the salad bowl that you will bring to the table or a different container; in the end you will have to let the salad cool for a few hours and drain the liquid.
Try to use the seedless variant; if cucumbers contain them, you must first eliminate them
Step 2. Prepare the topping
Pour the vinegar and water into a jar, add salt, sugar and pepper. Close the bowl and shake it to mix the ingredients. If you don't have a jar, you can use a plastic container with a tightly fitting lid; alternatively, you can pour the ingredients into a bowl and beat them with a fork or small whisk.
Step 3. Pour the dressing over the cucumbers
Stir gently to distribute the liquid.
Step 4. Cover the salad bowl and place it in the refrigerator
Use cling film to seal the container and place it in the refrigerator for at least three hours; you have to let the vegetables absorb the aromas of the seasoning.
Step 5. Drain the salad
Remove the cling film and transfer the vegetables to a sieve or colander; shake the latter over the sink to get rid of any excess liquid.
Step 6. Transfer the cucumbers to the salad bowl
Add fresh, chopped dill or parsley as desired. Bring the salad to the table immediately or leave it in the refrigerator until you are ready to consume it.
Method 2 of 5: Creamy Cucumber Salad
Step 1. Put the cucumbers in a colander along with the salt
Transfer the thin slices to a sieve or similar container and sprinkle them with a pinch of salt; shake them to evenly mix the seasoning.
Step 2. Let the vegetables sit for about an hour so that the vegetation liquid drips
If the sink is perfectly clean, you can leave the colander in it during this time; alternatively, place it on top of a bowl. Do not store vegetables in the refrigerator.
Step 3. Drain the cucumbers
Lift the colander or sieve and shake it to get rid of any residual liquid; throw the liquid from the bowl into the sink and then clean the container.
Step 4. Dry the cucumber slices by blotting them with kitchen paper
Cover your work surface with paper towels and arrange the slices in an even layer. Add more sheets of paper on top of them to absorb excess moisture.
Step 5. Prepare the dressing in the salad bowl
Put sour cream and add chopped dill or chives. Pour in the vinegar, add the pepper and the rest of the salt; mix everything with a fork or a whisk.
- If you don't like vinegar or don't have it, you can substitute it with lemon juice.
- If you don't like sour cream or can't find it in the supermarket, use plain yogurt.
Step 6. Stir the vegetables together with the dressing
Add the cucumbers to the salad bowl and mix with a large spoon or rubber spatula. Remember to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl often to catch the cream.
Step 7. Serve the salad immediately
If you made it in advance, cover the bowl with cling film and place it in the refrigerator for no more than 24 hours.
Method 3 of 5: Greek Cucumber Salad
Step 1. Put the cucumbers in a colander and add the salt
Place the container over a bowl, coat the vegetables with a generous pinch of salt and mix.
Do not use the salad bowl for this operation
Step 2. Prepare the topping
Pour the lemon juice and olive oil into a small bowl. Add the citrus peel and all the other ingredients, mixing with a fork or small whisk. Leave the dressing aside while you work on the rest of the recipe.
Step 3. Mix the other ingredients in a separate container
Add the feta cheese to the salad bowl, incorporate the oregano, garlic and shallot; mix everything with salad tongs until each ingredient is well blended.
For this operation, use the salad bowl that you will bring to the table
Step 4. Drain the cucumbers and transfer them to the salad bowl
Lift the sieve or colander, shake it a little to get rid of excess moisture, and add the vegetables to the rest of the ingredients.
Step 5. Mix the salad with the dressing
Pour the latter into the salad bowl and mix with a pair of kitchen tongs; be sure to take the ingredients from the bottom and bring them to the top.
Step 6. Serve her immediately
If you don't have to bring the salad to the table right away, cover the container with cling film and place it in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
Method 4 of 5: Japanese Cucumber Salad
Step 1. Toast the sesame seeds if necessary
If they are already toasted, you can skip this step; if not, put them in a dry pan and heat them over low heat, stirring constantly. After about two minutes they should become golden and fragrant; transfer them to a saucer so they can cool down.
Step 2. Peel the cucumbers
You can remove the peel completely or leave alternating strips for a more interesting presentation.
Step 3. Remove the seeds
Cut the cucumbers lengthwise, scrape the seeds off with a spoon and throw them away; do this even if you bought the seedless variety.
Step 4. Finely slice the vegetables
You can use a sharp knife or food processor; slices should be as thin as paper.
Step 5. Press the slices between two sheets of kitchen paper to absorb all the moisture
Cover the work surface with a layer of paper, arrange the vegetables evenly and cover them with a second layer of sheets; gently press the paper to absorb excess vegetation liquid.
Step 6. Prepare the dressing in a salad bowl
Pour the vinegar into a medium-sized bowl, add the sugar, salt and stir with a fork or small whisk until the powders dissolve.
Step 7. Add the cucumbers and sesame seeds
Shake everything with a pair of kitchen tongs, taking care to grab the ingredients from the bottom.
Step 8. Serve the salad immediately
This side dish pairs perfectly with other Japanese cuisine, including sushi and sashimi.
Method 5 of 5: Thai Cucumber Salad
Step 1. Prepare the dressing
Pour the vinegar into a small bowl, add the sugar, sesame oil, red pepper and salt. Mix everything with a fork or small whisk and leave the mixture aside; that way, the flavors will have time to blend as you prepare the rest of the salad.
Step 2. Peel and slice the cucumbers
Try to cut them as finely as possible; if there are any large seeds, you must take them out first. When finished, place the vegetables in a large salad bowl.
Step 3. Add the peanuts and green onions
If you can't find chopped peanuts in the store, you can buy regular ones, remove the shell and chop them coarsely with a knife; alternatively, you can use a food processor by pulsing it.
Step 4. Add the seasoning while stirring
Pour it over the salad and mix everything with a pair of kitchen tongs; remember to grab the vegetables at the bottom of the bowl so that they are completely covered.
If the seasoning ingredients have separated or settled, stir the mixture quickly before pouring it
Step 5. Serve the salad immediately
If you can't bring it to the table right away, cover it with cling film and place it in the fridge; you will need to mix it again just before serving.
Advice
- You can finely slice the cucumber using a mandolin, a vegetable slicer, or even a food processor.
- If possible, choose seedless cucumbers, otherwise you will have to remove them from the vegetable.
- You can peel the vegetables or leave them as they are.
- Add tomato slices to the Greek salad or creamy salad.
- Incorporate black olives into the Greek salad.
- You can enrich the basic or Greek preparation with finely sliced red onion; it is a tasty variant.
- Take a fork and run the prongs over the surface of the cucumber before slicing to leave thin "streaks" on the green peel.
- Serve the salad with dill sprigs for garnish.
- Seedless, unwaxed or very thin-skinned cucumbers are basically the same thing; typically, they are sold individually packaged in plastic wrappers.
- You don't necessarily have to let the cucumbers release the vegetation liquid and dry them; however, this step prevents the vegetable from over-moistening and diluting the seasoning.
- Make your own salad! The ingredients that go perfectly with cucumbers are lemon, white vinegar, dill, mint and yogurt.
