After I made this dish last week, my 4-year old daughter requested “crunchy cucumbers” at every meal. Serve this light salad at this weekend’s July 4th cookout or bring it along on a summer picnic.
Ingredients:
15 Persian or Kirby cucumbers, thinly sliced (peeling optional)
1 tablespoon salt
1/3 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Ground black pepper, to taste
4 sprigs dill, chopped
1) Persian cucumbers
These small cucumbers, similar to Kirby, work great in salads and don’t have many seeds. I like to keep the skin on to up the fiber (just wash the outside well); it also gives the dish a gorgeous green color. Cucumbers are an excellent source of vitamin K and a good source of the antioxidant vitamin C.
Lay cucumbers flat on a cookie tray lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and let stand 1 hour. Squeeze one handful of cucumbers at a time and place squeezed cucumbers in medium bowl; discard squeezed juice.
2) Red Onion
Onion adds sharpness to the flavor mix, and the purplish onion color complements the green cucumbers. Onions are an excellent source of the antioxidant vitamin C and a good source of vitamin B-6.
3) Red Bell Pepper
The pepper give this dish sweetness and additional crunch. Did you know a red pepper has more vitamin C than an orange? It does, and the addition helps make this cucumber salad a vitamin C powerhouse!
Add peppers and onion to the cucumber bowl. Set aside.
4) Rice Vinegar
Rice vinegar is slightly milder than other vinegars and adds tangy flavor with few calories. You can find rice vinegar at your local grocery store or Asian market.
In a small bowl, slowly whisk oil into vinegar. Add pepper and whisk until evenly mixed. Pour vinegar mixture over cucumbers and stir to combine.
5) Dill
This herb works well with vinegar and is commonly used when brining dill pickles. Just a touch gives the dish a distinctly delicious freshness. Plus, it ups the antioxidants with vitamins A and C.
Sprinkle salad with dill. Refrigerate and serve cold.
Nutrition Info:
Servings: 8 (1 cup per person)
Calories: 70
Fat: 4 grams
Saturated Fat: 0 gram
Protein: 2 grams
Carbohydrate: 7 grams
Sodium: 440 milligrams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Fiber: 2 grams
0 comments