Marinated Cucumber Salad
Are you looking for new ways to use all of those summer time cucumbers? This simple salad will make great use of your bounty while pairing well with smoked meats. Don’t skip the first step of salting and rinsing the cucumbers. This will remove liquid from the cucumbers and avoid a watered-down dressing. Your finished dish will yield perfectly coated cucumber for a refreshing summer salad.
Marinated Cucumber Salad
Servings: 6
3 large cucumbers (about 2 lbs.), peeled and thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons kosher salt, plus ¼ teaspoon for dressing
1/3 cup sliced almonds
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup green onions, sliced
1. In a medium bowl, toss cucumbers with 2 Tablespoons salt and let stand 15 minutes. Rinse, drain, spread on a dish towel and pat dry. Set aside.
2. In a dry skillet on medium heat, cook almonds until toasted, 4-5 minutes. Immediately transfer to a plate to cool.
3. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper until emulsified.
4. In a medium bowl, toss cucumbers, onions and dressing until well combined. Chill until ready to serve.
5. Just before serving, toss toasted almonds into salad.
Do Ahead: This salad can be made up to 4 hours ahead, but should be served the day it is made.
Almonds can be toasted, cooled and stored at room temperature in an airtight container up to 1 week ahead.
