Celia's Cucumber Salad
This is the bright, fresh, and beautifully simple cucumber salad that my daughter started making for a snack. I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I wanted to give it a permanent home here. Make the basic recipe or go nuts with the suggested additions.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1/2 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Celia says this is "14 cracks" :)
Instructions
- Trim the ends from the cucumber and cut the remainder into 1/2-inch pieces.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the minced shallot, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Add the chopped cucumber and stir to coat. Serve right away.
Notes
- Theoretically you could use any type of cucumber, but I like to use an English cucumber in this recipe. They have thin skin that isn't waxy and diminutive seeds that aren't bitter. A typical one weighs about 350 grams (12-ish ounces), but you don't need to sweat that detail in this recipe. Smaller Persian cucumbers have similar characteristics, so you could use an approximately equal weight of those if that's what you've got. If your cucumber variety has very thick skin and/or large, bitter seeds, consider removing them before using.
- This is a great place for your good extra-virgin olive oil. With so few ingredients, quality makes a difference.
- Advance prep and storage: Since this dish is so quick to put together, I wouldn't go out of your way to make it in advance. That said, cucumbers are sturdy, and it holds well, so you could easily make it a few hours in advance of serving. Leftovers will keep well in a sealed container in the fridge for two to three days.
Suggested additions
Want to add extra flavors or turn this cucumber salad into a meal? Here are some of my favorite ingredients to add. If you're adding something that increases the total volume of the dish by a lot, I'd recommend doubling the dressing.- One small clove garlic, minced or grated on a rasp
- A few torn or julienned basil leaves
- A teaspoon of minced mint leaves or fresh dill
- 1/2 Hass avocado, diced
- 1 small ripe tomato, diced, or 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1-2 ounces crumbled feta
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5recipe | Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 296mg | Potassium: 330mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 196IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg
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