Try cucumber salad as an alternative to the same old lettuce and tomatoes. These zesty salads are quick and easy to make.
Cucumber is a good base for salad recipes. Its crispy, crunchy texture stands up to marinades, making it easy to prepare these recipes in advance. They're healthy and vegetable-rich, low-fat and vegetarian.
Make-Ahead Lunches
For easy lunch side dishes, double the recipe and keep it in a large sealed container in the fridge. Each day, scoop out a single portion. It’s a painless way to get more veggies into your diet.
Easy Weeknight Meals
Try:
- Dill cucumber salad,
- Cucumber salad with yogurt dressing, or
- Bean salad with cucumbers
as a quick and easy weeknight side dish.
Slicing Cucumbers
Making cucumber salads is even easier with a mandolin or vegetable slicer. Some food processors come equipped with a slicing feature.
Dill Cucumber Salad Recipe
Makes 2-3 servings.
Ingredients:
- ½ large cucumber
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- ½ tsp. sugar
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. (or less, to taste) ground black pepper
- 3 tsp. (unpacked) fresh dill
Directions:
- Slice cucumber into very thin slices.
- Place in a container with a lid that forms a tight seal. Add the white vinegar, sugar, salt, black pepper, and fresh dill.
- Close the lid and gently shake the container to mix the marinade ingredients and cover all the cucumber slices.
- Marinate at least 30 minutes, or up to several days in the fridge.
Cucumber Salad with Yogurt Dressing Recipe
Makes 2-3 servings.
Ingredients:
- ½ large cucumber
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt (or combine yogurt with sour cream for a richer flavor)
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- Juice of ½ lime or lemon
- 1 Tbsp. fresh dill
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
Directions:
- Slice cucumber into ¼” slices and place in a container with a lid that forms a tight seal.
- Add the yogurt/sour cream, salt, lemon or lime juice, fresh dill and garlic powder.
- Close the lid and shake gently to mix the marinade ingredients and cover all the cucumber slices. Serve cold.
Bean Salad with Cucumbers Recipe
Makes 6 servings.
Ingredients:
For the salad:
- 2 (19 ounce) cans beans (try kidney beans, chickpeas, black eyed peas, pinto beans, or a combination)
- ½ large cucumber, diced
- 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 large stalk celery (excluding the fronds), chopped
- 1/3 green pepper, chopped
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1/8 tsp mustard powder
Directions:
- Drain and rinse the beans.
- Add the beans, diced cucumber, tomatoes, onions, celery, and green pepper to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine the red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and mustard powder. Whisk gently with a whisk or a fork.
- Pour dressing over bean salad.
- Allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 60 minutes before serving. Serve cold.
The copyright of the article Cucumber Salad Recipes in Vegetarian Recipes is owned by Jill Harris. Permission to republish Cucumber Salad Recipes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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