Cucumber salad is one of the simplest and easiest salads to prepare. It is fresh, full of flavor and requires only the most basic ingredients. The simple summer salad consists of cucumbers, onions, and a basic creamy dressing while the dressing varies according to the recipe. Here is the list of the basic cucumber salad recipe.
The Primary Recipe Ingredients of A Cucumber Salad
The primary ingredients of cucumber salad recipe are:
- Cucumber: It’s advised to use English cucumber for its tiny, fragile shells and almost invisible seeds, but if using conventional cucumber, it’s advisable to peel off the seeds.
- Red onion: For a tasty bite
- White vinegar: It gives the salad a very delicious, tangy taste.
- Honey: To balance the tangy vinegar.
- Salt: It extracts moisture from the cucumbers, giving them a texture similar to pickles, and also brings out the flavors in this salad.
- Dill: You can decide to use fresh or dried dill. Cucumbers and dill make the perfect flavor combination.
- Freshly ground black pepper: Add a few twists to achieve a deeper, peppery flavor.
The Best Cucumber Salad Recipe
You can create your own unique versions of the simple and basic cucumber salad according to your taste. If you wish to experiment with different ingredients, here are a few suggestions:
- You can make use of sour cream or Greek yogurt.
- You can use mayonnaise (2-4 tablespoons) to thicken the dressing.
- You can make use of lemon juice instead of white vinegar
- Use sliced radishes for more crunch and color.
- Instead of red onion you can use white onion.
- You can also use halved grape tomatoes.
How To Make Cucumber Salad
- Firstly, slice the cucumber and red onion into tiny pieces about ¼ to 1/8-inch thick.
- Mix together the vinegar, honey and salt to ensure that the honey is thoroughly distributed and they are coated uniformly.
- Let the salad sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. You can also chill for a couple of hours before serving to let the cucumbers marinate.
- Then garnish with fresh herbs and black pepper.
7 Benefits of Eating Cucumber Salad
The salad’s main ingredient which is cucumber provides a number of health advantages which are:
- Packed With Nutrients: Cucumbers is filled with water and other nutrients, including fibre, vitamins A, K and C, potassium and calcium which are all good for the body.
- Contains Antioxidants: Cucumbers have a unique set of antioxidants which includes flavonoids, lignans and triterpenes that helps protect the body cells from damage and lower risk of chronic illness.
- It Encourages Hydration: Cucumber is a nutritious food with a high water content of 96%. It also improves the health of your skin and eases dehydration.
- Helps in Losing Excess Weight: Cucumbers are low in calories making them an excellent low-calorie topping for a variety of foods. Eating cucumbers may lead to many potential health benefits which includes weight loss.
- It May Help Lower Bloog Sugar: Although further study is needed, test-tube and animal studies suggest that cucumber may help lower blood sugar and avoid diabetes-related problems.
- It Encourages Regularities: Cucumbers have high fiber and water content, which can help prevent constipation and improve regularity.
- It is Simple to Add to Diet: Cucumbers can be consumed either fresh or pickled. They may be eaten as a low-calorie snack or used in a variety of recipes to enhance taste.
What to Serve with Cucumber Salad
This cucumber salad recipe works well with poultry and meat, especially off the grill. Try serving it with kebob skewers, burgers, or grilled steak or chicken.
