Cucumber Salad Four Ways

By the Gracious Vegan

Plant a cucumber seedling in your garden, and by mid-summer you might have a lot of cucumbers on your hands. These simple salads are great ways to use your cucumbers. With four variations, the last two of which have an Asian vibe, you can mix and match your salads with a variety of meals. These recipes go well with seedless cucumbers as well and take almost no time to make.

Serves 4-6

Option 1

Place all ingredients in a bowl; toss to combine.

• 2 cucumbers (garden variety or 1 large seedless), thinly sliced (peeling optional)

• 1 cup thinly sliced sweet white onion or mild red onion

• 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, or distilled white vinegar

• 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

The salad is ready to eat or can be refrigerated an hour or two before serving. Serve with a slotted spoon. After more than 4-5 hours the salad starts to wilt a bit but is still good for a day or so.

Option 2 – add this to Option 1

• 2 Tablespoons fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried dill

Option 3 – add these to Option 1

• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup (optional)

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil or 2 teaspoons roasted sesame paste

• 1 – 2 teaspoons roasted sesame seeds

• Pinch of red pepper flakes or 1/2 – 1 teaspoon chili paste 

Option 4 – add these to Option 1

• 1-2 cloves garlic, well minced

• 1-2 teaspoons roasted sesame seeds 

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil or 2 teaspoons roasted sesame paste

• Optional to add red pepper flakes or a chili sauce or paste

Timing: 10-15 minutes

Gluten-free