I must admit, I’m pretty proud of my little garden. I have cucumbers galore but can’t quiet figure out what to do with all of them. Of course we’re big cucumber fans, so we’ve been eating them like crazy. I’ve also made some into pickles, given some away, and I’ve been making lots and lots of cucumber salads.
Before I share 3 of my favourites, don’t forget that cucumbers are more than just a great crunchy vegetable. They are a great electrolyte, good source of fiber, (in the skin) which means they help you stay regular, and they are a good source of vitamin K , potassium, and antioxidants, such as vitamin C.
All salads serve 2 people as a side
Cucumber Tomato Salad
This salad is a summer staple at our house. It goes well with everything
Ingredients:
- 1 med cucumber, quartered and diced (I grow the smaller Lebanese variety)
- 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped red onion *
- small bunch of fresh chopped parsley
- Dressing: Olive oil, sea salt, lemon
Put all salad ingredients in a small bowl, drizzle with olive oil (about 1 tbsp) , squeeze lemon juice (juice of ¼ lemon), sprinkle with sea salt (about ½ tsp). Mix, taste and adjust dressing. Enjoy!
Mint Cucumber Yogurt Salad
This one had become one of my recent favorites. Especially since I discovered that Organic Sheep’s Milk Yogurt is amazing and doesn’t upset my stomach! This one’s a bit of a spin of the original Lebanese salad I learnt from my mother in law.
Ingredients:
- 1 med cucumber, quartered and diced (I grow the smaller Lebanese variety)
- ¼ cup of fresh chopped mint leaves
- 1 bunch of chopped garlic chives or 1 garlic clove minced
- ½ cup Sheep’s Milk Yogurt (I use Best Baa Farm brand)
- ½ tsp of sea salt
Put all salad ingredients in a small bowl, top with yogurt, sprinkle with sea salt. Mix, taste and adjust dressing. Enjoy!
Cucumber and Apple Slaw
This salad turned out great! Sweet and tangy, which makes it a great pairing for bbq’d sausages or bunless burgers.
Ingredients:
- 1 med cucumber, or 2 small, cored and cut into matchstick pieces, or grated with a vegetable peeler
- ½ apple, cut into matchstick pieces
- 1/8 piece red onion, thinly sliced*
- Dressing: Balsamic Vinegar (1tsp), Apple Cider (1 tsp), Olive Oil (about 1 tbsp), Salt (1/2tsp)
Put all salad ingredients in a small bowl, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with balsamic, apple cider and sprinkle with sea salt. Mix, taste and adjust dressing. Enjoy!
*If you don’t like the pungent taste or your breath after eating onions, soak chopped onions in water with a tsp of sea salt and let sit for 5-10 min before adding to salad. Some even find they digest onions better after soaking them in salt.
Enjoy with your favourite clean protein!
Enjoy!
Daniela Nahas