Cucumbers make a cool, crisp salad to serve at lunch or dinner, especially when keto eaters crave a light complement to a heartier meat course. But we didn’t want cucumbers that got soggy from their own moisture; cucumber liquid can mute flavor and texture, and dilute the dressing. To ensure good crunch, we let the sliced cucumbers drain on paper towels and chill in the fridge while we made the dressing. For this, we combined olive oil and sesame oil with white wine vinegar that had been simmered for a few minutes to concentrate its flavor and keep it from tasting harsh. Inspired by Asian salads, we also added fish sauce, lime juice, and a Thai chile to the dressing.
When tossed with the cucumbers, this potent oil mixture retained its salty brightness. You should have about 8 ounces of cucumber after prepping. The texture of this salad depends upon thinly sliced cucumbers; be sure to slice them as thin as possible. This salad is best served within 1 hour of being dressed.
Jump to RecipeInstructions :
- Line rimmed baking sheet with paper towels and evenly spread cucumber slices on sheet. Refrigerate while preparing dressing.
- Bring vinegar to simmer in small saucepan and cook until reduced to 1 tablespoon, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and let cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes. Whisk in chile, olive oil, sesame oil, fish sauce, and lime juice until well combined. Add chilled cucumbers and mint and toss to combine. Let sit for 5 minutes, then toss to redistribute dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Cucumber Salad With Chile And Mint
Ingredients
- 2 small cucumbers 12 ounces, peeled, halved
- lengthwise seeded, and sliced thin
- 2½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 Thai chile stemmed, seeded, and minced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1½ teaspoons fish sauce
- ¾ teaspoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
Instructions
- Line rimmed baking sheet with paper towels and evenly spread cucumber slices on sheet. Refrigerate while preparing dressing.
- Bring vinegar to simmer in small saucepan and cook until reduced to 1 tablespoon, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and let cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes. Whisk in chile, olive oil, sesame oil, fish sauce, and lime juice until well combined. Add chilled cucumbers and mint and toss to combine. Let sit for 5 minutes, then toss to redistribute dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.