Crisp lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, bean sprouts, and tofu tossed in a rich peanut-coconut milk dressing with red curry paste. A crunchy, creamy Thai salad topped with potato chips for fun.
Cool and refreshing, this is just perfect when it is too hot to cook, and cucumbers are running wild.
A unique and delicious salsa made with english cucumbers and fresh papaya or mango.
Garlic half-sour dill pickles: classic New York deli-style fermented cucumbers with garlic, dill, and pickling spice. Just 2 weeks to crisp, lightly sour pickles at home.
A Korean stir-fry where salt-pressed cucumbers and julienned beef come together with sesame oil, toasted seeds, and chili heat. If you've never cooked cucumbers before, this will change your mind.
Vietnamese-style soup with cucumber cups stuffed with seasoned ground pork, ginger, garlic, and fish sauce, simmered in chicken broth with carrot matchsticks and quail eggs.
Vegan stuffed avocados loaded with crunchy cucumber, radishes, scallions, and soy sauce, topped with sesame meal, nutritional yeast, and sprouts. A fresh, no-cook lunch in 15 minutes.
Grilled halibut steaks basted with seasoned butter and served with a chilled cucumber-sour cream sauce. Light, fresh, and ready in 30 minutes.
Vegetarian saffron rice timbales stuffed with spicy black beans and topped with fresh avocado-tomato salsa. A stunning three-component plant-based main dish.
Quick no-cook pita pockets stuffed with cubed Spam, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, and tomatoes tossed in Italian dressing. Ready in just 10 minutes for an easy lunch.
A no-mayo potato salad tossed in a basil-white wine vinaigrette and studded with fresh blueberries, cucumber, and carrots. Light, colorful, and cookout-ready in 20 minutes.
A light and tasty potato salad. The cucumber and bell peppers add the crunchiness and refreshing taste, a great side dish at a hot summer day.
Diabetic-friendly free green salad mixes romaine, iceberg, spinach, and endive with radishes, cucumber, and celery for a low-carb, low-calorie bowl that fits any meal plan.
A delicious summer standard at our place. Easy to make with a mix of Southern European and Middle Eastern flavours. I use my Cucumber Raita (posted separately) to dress the lamb salad or you can use the quick yoghurt dressing provided here.
Gazpacho salad takes all the fresh vegetables from the classic cold soup and serves them chopped over lettuce with a tangy herb dressing. No cooking, no blender, just crisp tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers chilled until the flavors meld.
Greek potato salad with a creamy yogurt-feta dressing, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, oregano, and rosemary. A lighter Mediterranean twist on potato salad with no mayonnaise.
Barbequed swordfish with a spicy tomato glaze and a Mediterranean black olive, cucumber, and plum tomato salad. A composed summer plate finished with a Dijon-chive vinaigrette for restaurant-level dinner party plating.
Lon Tao Jiao: a Thai coconut milk and fermented bean sauce dip served with raw cucumber, cabbage, and green beans. A salty-sweet-sour Thai vegetable platter.
Greek beef pita with red wine-marinated flank steak seared in butter, stuffed into warm pita with yogurt, cucumber, lettuce, and tomatoes. Build-your-own style.
Lemony lentil salad with feta, crisp cucumber, red bell pepper, and a generous handful of fresh dill. A no-cook, protein-packed vegetarian lunch that gets better the longer it sits.
Classic cucumber sour cream salad with dill seed, chives, white vinegar, and a kick of Tabasco. Salt-drained slices stay crisp and cool under a tangy, creamy dressing.
Lone dao jiow, a Thai coconut dipping sauce with bean sauce, shallots, palm sugar, and tamarind served with fresh cucumbers, cabbage, and green beans. Salty, sour, and sweet.
Szechuan noodle salad with fettuccine in a spicy peanut sauce made with ginger, garlic, chili paste, and sesame oil, surrounded by julienned vegetables and ham.
Grilled swordfish sandwiches marinated in lemon and oregano, topped with a cool cucumber-yogurt sauce and peppery watercress on a crusty roll. A Greek-inspired summer dinner in 30 minutes.
Seared Scallops with Cucumber-Pepper Relish recipe
Easy to make, and goes great with tzaziki, some onions, and pita.
Mixed greens tossed with fresh herbs, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and toasted nuts get topped with crispy Parmesan wafers baked until golden for an elegant salad that looks restaurant-worthy.
Grilled lamb burgers with bulgur wheat, fresh mint, allspice, and red wine. Mediterranean-style patties served in pita bread with cucumber and yogurt.
Cucumber noodles tossed with a fresh tomato salsa: ribbons of seedless cucumber salted briefly, then dressed with roma tomatoes, scallions, garlic, pickled jalapeno, and white wine vinegar. Raw, light, gluten-free.
Refrigerator pickles in a cold dill-and-garlic brine, ready in three days. The no-canning, no-fermenting method that lets you keep adding cucumbers as you eat from the jar.
Chinese sliced pork rolls with cucumber sticks wrapped in thin-cut simmered pork, drizzled with a garlic chili sauce of dark soy, sesame oil, and chili oil. A cold appetizer with crunch and heat.
Pecan breaded oysters sauteed golden and served on the half shell with a vanilla bean, cucumber, and tomato cream sauce. A refined seafood appetizer with Southern elegance.
Couscous salad with chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, and fresh parsley tossed in a lemon-garlic vinaigrette with Dijon and ground coriander.
Refrigerator pickles with sliced cucumbers, Vidalia onion, and red bell pepper in a sweet vinegar brine with celery seed. No canning, no cooking, just mix and chill.
Potato cucumber salad with fresh mango, toasted spice blend, orange juice, ginger, lemon, and mint. A vibrant, low-fat summer salad with Moroccan-inspired warming spices and no mayo.
Spiced Chinese cucumber salad with sesame oil, hot soybean paste, soy sauce, and lemon. A crunchy, spicy-tangy cold side dish that takes just minutes to prepare.
Marinated vegetable salad with cauliflower, cucumber, and tomato in a white wine and lemon vinaigrette. A make-ahead side dish that marinates overnight and serves in lettuce cups.
Steak salad stuffed pita pockets with broiled round steak, crisp romaine, cucumber, and tomato tossed in a lemon-dijon dressing. A protein-packed whole wheat lunch ready in under 30 minutes.
Creamy cucumber dressing with grated cucumber, onion, mayonnaise, Worcestershire, and lemon juice. A thick, cool salad dressing with fresh crunch in every bite.
Quick fresh-pack dill pickles canned in pint jars with mustard seed, dill heads, and a hot vinegar brine. The classic American summer canning project, no fermenting required.
These are best if they sit for a month or so after canning, to give them time to work
The best burger you well ever taste just everybody should try it.
Dilled cucumber salad with shredded cucumber, green onions, and fresh dill in thickened yogurt. A cool, creamy low-fat side dish similar to tzatziki.
A classic and scrumptious fried rice made with delicious tofu and sliced cucumbers.
Curry and mango chutney marinated chicken wings baked until crisp and finished under the broiler, served with a cool cucumber yogurt dipping sauce. Bold Indian-spiced party wings.
Juicy ground sirloin burgers seasoned with smoked paprika and garlic, topped with melted Manchego and roasted red pepper paste. Served alongside crispy chorizo hash browns.
Israeli salad with diced cucumber, tomatoes, radishes, green pepper, carrots, and lettuce in a fresh lemon juice dressing. A crisp, vegetarian chopped salad ready in 10 minutes.
Lexington Avenue seafood salad with shrimp, crab, peas, cucumber, and celery in a horseradish-spiked Thousand Island yogurt dressing. A lighter deli-counter-style seafood salad.