Now and then we like to throw together a quick salad for dinner or lunch; mostly on those days when my task list is long and time is short, and we’re hungry for some tasty, crunchy greens with a bright, interesting dressing.
This Quick Cucumber, Mint, and Onion Salad is one that we’ve been reaching for over and over again lately as we amble through a warmer than average fall season here in North Texas. With decent knife skills this one literally requires five minutes or less of hands-on prep time, is bright and colorful, and the mint adds a nifty flavor profile that’s a little out of the ordinary.
You can use any onion you have on hand; the salad is prettier with a red onion thinly sliced in (the last time I made it my only red onion had gone off, so a sweet white onion went in the salad in the pictures). Don’t have any Persian cucumbers at your market today? English cucumbers work great as well, and are pretty much available year round.
And play around with the vinegar; the recipe calls for unseasoned rice vinegar, though we’ve made it with a champagne vinegar we happened to have on hand and it was delicious as well.
6-7 Persian cucumbers, sliced thin OR
2 English hothouse cucumbers, sliced thin
1/2 small to medium (red) onion, thinly sliced into strips
1 and 1/2 tsp good salt, more to taste
1/4 unseasoned rice vinegar, though see note above
1/2 to 1 bunch of fresh mint leaves, torn if very large
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional
1 tsp sugar of choice
Prep the cucumbers and onion, then combine gently in a mid-size bowl and toss gently with the salt. Let it rest for 20-30 minutes until the cucumbers begin to release some liquid; gently express as much liquid as you can from the cucumber and onion mixture, then transfer to a clean bowl.
Now toss the vegetables with the vinegar, pepper, and sugar if using, then the mint leaves; adjust for salt and pepper.
Enjoy.
Leave a Reply