4 Ways to Cucumber Salad

The options for cucumber salads are infinite. We’ve gathered four delicious ways to make a cucumber salad. Perfect for the summer bounty and to keep the house cooler.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Growing up in a German community, cucumber salad was a summer staple. Some households even kept the traditional noon meal guidelines of 7 Sweets and 7 Sours. In Sarah’s family, creamy dressing and Sweet and Sour dressing were the main variations. These were added to a variety of vegetables depending on what was available. Both could be taken to the hay fields or packed safely into Dad’s factory lunch on hot days. Since this was made so often, no recipe used. It was based on how it looked at various stages and how it tasted. This is a base recipe for the creamy version.

Ingredients:

·        2 cucumbers, thinly sliced

·        ½ cup creamy dressing

Method:

·        Wilt cucumbers in a colander by sprinkling salt over the cucumbers and mixing thoroughly. Let stand 20-30 minutes. (if you are serving the salad immediately, this is not strictly necessary, but any leftover salad will be watery.) Rinse thoroughly with fresh water and drain thoroughly. At this point, it won’t look like there’s much left to make a salad, but a little goes a long way.

·        Add dressing and mix completely.

·        Serve immediately or chill.

Creamy Salad Dressing:

Ingredients:

·       1 cup Salad Dressing (Miracle Whip)

·        1-3/4 cups Sugar

·        1/3+ cup vinegar (15 Tbsp)

Method:

·        Place salad dressing in a bowl.

·        Add sugar and stir well to blend. The mixture will look mottled by the sugar melting.

·        Add the vinegar and stir again.

·        Taste. If you like it a little sweeter add a bit more sugar. If you like it tangier, add a small amount of vinegar and check for taste. 

·        Add salt and pepper to taste.

·        Makes 1-3/4 cups dressing.

Options and Notes:

Mayonnaise could also be used but it will change the tangy flavor. If using mayonnaise, the completed salad requires refrigeration.

Double the batch and keep extra dressing in a quart jar in the refrigerator for future salads

This dressing was also used for coleslaw, carrot salad (grated carrots and raisins) and for broccoli salad (broccoli, red onion, raisins, pumpkin seeds or another nut). For a change of pace, try it with cinnamon or curry powder.

Cucumber with Black Sesame Seeds and Sweet Lime Vinegar

Ingredients:

·        2 cucumbers, sliced thin

·        Salt

·        1 Tbsp black sesame seeds (optional)

·        1 Tbsp lime juice

·        ½ cup rice vinegar

·        ½ cup sugar

·        Zest and juice of 1 lime

Method:

·        Prep and wilt the cucumbers. In a colander over the sink, place cucumber slices and sprinkle with a few pinches of salt and let drain 30 minutes. If using a non-English cucumber with thick skin, take a fork and scrape down the sides of the cucumber to allow the vinegar to soak into the cucumber.

·        Make the Sweet Lime Vinegar:

·        Bring the rice vinegar sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer for 2-3 minutes, until sugar is dissolved, and mixture becomes syrupy.

·        Remove from heat and stir in the zest and juice of the lime. Cool before using.

·        Rinse the cucumbers several times in cold water and drain. Once the cucumbers have drained and the vinegar mixture is cool, press down on the cucumbers to release any excess moisture and pat dry. In a small bowl. Mix the cucumber slices with the sweet lime vinegar and all but a pinch of the sesame seeds.

·        Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes and up to 2 days.

·        Using a slotted spoon, transfer cucumbers into serving dish, discard liquid and sprinkle with remaining black sesame seeds.

Notes and Options:

·        While the sesame seeds add an interesting flavor and look, they aren’t strictly necessary. Don’t shy away from this recipe on account of not having them.

·        If your cucumber has more seeds than you like, cut it in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. Then thinly slice the halves.

·        Depending on the season, limes vary in size. If you have a large lime, add the juice gradually. Taste to see if you like the intensity. The flavor is tempered in the salad, so a little punch is good.

·        If making a larger batch of the dressing to keep on hand, consider holding back some of the lime zest from the dressing. The zest intensifies over time. To punch up the flavor, more zest can be added when serving.

Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad

This is a great option for picnics and lunches where refrigeration might be a concern.

Ingredients:

·        2 cucumbers

·        1 small onion

·        3 teaspoons salt

·        1 cup sugar

·        1/2 cup white vinegar

Method:

·        Heat sugar and vinegar until it boils and turns clear. Stir and cool.

·        Peel cucumbers and cut into thin slices. Slice onion thinly. Combine cucumbers and onion.

·        Season with salt and mix well.

·        Let stand for 1 hour, stirring occasionally so flavors will blend evenly. It will become watery.

·        Rinse well in cold water 3 or 4 times, then drain completely.

·        Put in bowl and add the sugar and vinegar mixture; let it stand in the refrigerator until cold.

Options and Notes:

·        To peel or not to peel…this is a preference. For a fancy look, peel stripes into the cucumber skin.

·        The onions may be omitted entirely if that is your preference. If you have a few radishes on hand, these can also be added.

·        The amount of salt seems excessive. This amount is necessary to ‘wilt’ the cucumbers so that their water does not dilute the flavor of the dressing.

Quick Cucumber Kimchi

This is a quick, snappy cucumber dish that complements grilled fish, pork, or chicken.

Ingredients:

·        2 pounds Kirby or English cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick

·        1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

·        1/4 cup untoasted sesame oil

·        1/2 small onion, thinly sliced

·        2 tablespoons finely chopped Thai or sweet basil

·        2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean coarse red pepper powder; see Note)

·        1 tablespoon minced garlic

·        1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

·        1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

·        1/2 teaspoon Asian fish sauce

Method:

·        In a colander, toss the sliced cucumbers with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and let stand for 20 minutes. Rinse the cucumbers and drain well.

·        In a large bowl, toss the cucumbers with all of the remaining ingredients and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

·        Season the kimchi with salt and serve.

Options and Notes:

Gochugaru is available at Korean markets. Substitutes include using Aleppo pepper for a hotter version or Kashmiri chilli powder for a milder version. A pantry friendly option is a mix of paprika and cayenne powder.

Makes about 2-1/2 cups.