Recipes
Cucumber
Cucumber Info: unlike those in the grocery store, we don’t slather wax on ours!! The reason they do that is so that the moisture in the cucumber stays in the cucumber (they are 95% water). What that means is that ours will lose moisture and get wimpy unless you wrap them tightly in plastic and store them in the fridge. But you’ll also be able to eat the skin, since it’s wax-free! Add cucumbers to salads, sandwiches, use for dipping, or make any number of awesome cucumber salads.Titles on this page, in order. Scroll down to find the recipe you're interested in:
Cucumber Pasta Salad, Chilled Mideast Yogurt Soup, Cucumber Yogurt Dressing, Simple Cucumber-Tomato Salad, Thai Cucumber Salad, Cukes and Onion Salad, Salmon with Cucumber Relish, Chilled Cucumber-Mint Soup with Yogurt, Marinated Cucumber Salad with Dill, Marinated Cucumber Salad, Finnish Cucumber Salad
Cucumber pasta salad
8 oz rotini
2 c peeled cucumber slices
1 (15-oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 c quartered cherry tomatoes
3/4 Tbsp dried dill weed
1/2 c ranch-style dressing
1/3 c plain low-fat yogurt
Crumbled feta cheese
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water.
In salad bowl, toss cooled pasta with cucumbers, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, and dill weed.
In a small bowl, blend dressing and yogurt. Add to salad bowl; stir until well-coated. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Crumble feta on top; serve.
Chilled Mideast yogurt soup
4 c plain, unsweetened yogurt
2 c peeled, seeded and grated cucumber
3/4 c raisins
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c cold water
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 c finely chopped walnuts
2 tsp minced fresh dill
Beat yogurt until smooth. Stir in cucumber, raisins, garlic and cold water. Season with salt and pepper.
Cucumber yogurt dressing
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
2/3 c plain, unsweetened yogurt
2 Tbsp minced red onion
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil or vegetable oil
2 tsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp chopped fresh dill
Puree cucumber, yogurt, onion, oil, vinegar, salt and dill in blender until creamy andsmooth.
Chill 2 hours. Serve over salad greens, use as dip for raw vegetables, or use as condiment on sandwiches.
Simple cucumber-tomato salad
Makes 6 servings
3 medium cucumbers
4 ripe medium-sized tomatoes, cut in 1-inch chunks
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/4 c white vinegar
1/2 c granulated sugar
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Peel cucumber and quarter lengthwise. Remove seeds. Cut into chunks and place in serving bowl.
Add tomatoes and onion to bowl.
Whisk together vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper until sugar and salt dissolve. Pour over vegetables. Refrigerate 30 minutes, or toss with handful of ice cubes and serve.
Refrigerate 1 hour.
Sprinkle top with walnuts and dill; serve.
Thai cucumber salad
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 c white wine vinegar
4 small cucumbers, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced
2 Tbsp cilantro leaves
1/4 c chopped red pepper
Whisk sugar, salt and vinegar until sugar has dissolved. (If desired, heat in small saucepan to speed process; do not boil. Cool.)
Pour over cucumbers; marinate 30 minutes.
Garnish with red peppers and serve.
Cukes and onion salad
2 sweet onions, thinly sliced
4 cucumbers, sliced
1 c mayonnaise
2 Tbsp white vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
Separate onions into rings; combine with cucumber in large bowl.
Blend mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar. Pour over onions and cucumbers; mix well. Chill at least 1 hour. Serve.
Salmon with cucumber relish
Makes 6 servings
For relish:
1/2 c white wine vinegar
1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp minced, ginger root
1/2 tsp salt
2 medium cucumbers, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced
For fish:
1/4 c white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp sesame seed oil
1 Tbsp fresh minced ginger
2 Tbsp minced green onions
1 tsp salt
6 (1-inch-thick) salmon steaks
For relish: Combine vinegar, sugar, ginger and salt; stir until sugar dissolves. Add cucumbers; chill 30 minutes.
For fish: Combine vinegar, oil, ginger, onions and salt. Pour over salmon in glass dish; marinate 30 minutes.
Grill over medium heat about 10 minutes, or until cooked through. If desired, broil instead.
Serve relish on top or on the side of salmon.
Chilled Cucumber-Mint Soup with Yogurt or Sour Cream
Everything about this dish is summery and fresh—including the cook, who hasn’t had to hover over a steamy stovetop to achieve this surprisingly intense blend of flavors.
Serves 4 to 6
4 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped (about 4 cups)
1 to 2 cups water
2 cups plain yogurt (or 1 cup plain yogurt combined with 1 cup sour cream)
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed several fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
1 tablespoon honey
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
2 scallions, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
Combine the chopped cucumber, 1 cup water, yogurt, garlic, mint, dill, honey, and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender or food processor. Purée the ingredients, adding more of the water until the soup is a consistency you like. Season with more salt to taste.
Transfer the soup to a large bowl and chill for several hours. Garnish each serving with chopped scallions.
Marinated Cucumber Salad with Dill
This delicious salad from Denmark has no sauce, no oil, no dressing— yet each delicate slice of cucumber is bursting with tangy-sweet juiciness. You can use the slices as you would any sweet pickles—in an egg salad sandwich or layered on a veggie burger, and of course, this dish is great with hotdogs. For a unique twist, replace dill with the feathery leaves of fennel.
3 large cucumbers (about 2 pounds), peeled, very thinly sliced
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
2/3 cup white or apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dried dill
In a large bowl, use your hands to thoroughly but gently mix the cucumbers and salt.
Place a plate on top of the cucumbers, then place a 2- or 3-pound weight (such as a large can of vegetables) on the plate to weigh it down (this helps release the salt). Set the cucumbers aside to marinate at room temperature for several hours or in the refrigerator overnight.
Drain the cucumbers thoroughly in a colander and pat them dry on a clean dish towel. Rinse and dry the bowl, then return the cucumbers to the bowl.
Mix the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often, until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the cucumber slices. Sprinkle with the dill and mix to combine.
Chill for at least 3 hours. Drain and serve.
Marinated Cucumber Salad
2 medium cucumbers
1 tablespoon salt
½ cup sugar
¾ cup dry cider
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
Pinch of freshly ground pepper
Sprig of dill, to garnish
Slice the cucumbers thinly and place them in a colander, sprinkling salt between each layer. Set the colander over a bowl large enough to catch the water and let drain for one hour.
Thoroughly rinse the cucumber slices under cold running water to remove the excess salt. Then pat dry on absorbent paper towels.
Gently heat the sugar, cider and vinegar in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool. Put the cucumber slices in a bowl, pour the cider mixture over them and let marinate for two hours.
Drain the cucumber and sprinkle with the fresh chopped dill and pepper to taste. Mix well and transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with a sprig of dill. Chill until ready to serve.
Finnish Cucumber Salad
-Sue M.
5 small cucumbers or 2 large English cucumber - peeled and sliced
Salt
Chopped dill to taste
1 garlic clove – crushed
1 cup sour cream
Dash sugar
2 T. chopped tomato pulp
2 T. apple cider vinegar
¼ c. olive oil
pepper
Sprinkle some salt over the sliced cucumbers, leave for half an hour. Use a strainer to strain out the liquid. Remove the sliced cucumbers into a bowl.
Mix cream, dill, garlic, pepper and sugar.
Add the tomato pulp, vinegar and oil while mixing.
Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and chill well.