Cucumber and Dill Salad

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Image of basket of cucumbersWe turned our back on the cucumber patch for a few days and this is what happened. Help! What to do with so many over-sized cucumbers? 

In the past I’ve pickled them, stir-fried them, sampled Korean side dishes and created  other Asian-inspired salads.

This week I tried an uncooked cucumber soup which was very refreshing: just peeled and de-seeded cucumbers, salted and drained, whizzed until velvety smooth with some Greek yoghurt, crushed garlic, salt and pepper and loads of herbs like tarragon, parsley and chervil. I served it chilled with more finely diced cucumber, tomato, spring onion and mint to spoon on top. It really hit the spot in the heatwave.

Image of cucumber soup

Today’s salad owes more to eastern Europe and is particularly good with grilled and baked fish (especially oily fish) or lamb kebabs. Or heck, fish kebabs. It’s a simple recipe but that’s good, I think. I like food that’s not messed about with too much, where the ingredients shine through. You can add chopped fresh dill if you have it but please don’t omit the dill seeds.

It hasn’t made much of a dent in our cucumber mountain though. I rather fancy the cucumber sorbet suggested by my friend Steph Clubb but I’d love to know what you’d do with a glut.

Cucumber and Dill Salad

Image of cucumber and dill salad

Ingredients:

2 or 3 short, fat cucumbers (or one regular one), peeled, quartered, de-seeded and cut on an angle into 1cm slices, or simply diced if you’d like them less chunky

6 to 8 red spring onions or 1/2 a small red onion, peeled and finely sliced

1/2 tbsp salt

2 or 3 tbspn Greek yoghurt

Juice of 1/2  lemon

Grind of salt and black pepper (plenty of pepper)

Large pinch of sugar

2 tspn dill seeds

1 tbsp chopped fresh dill (optional)

Method:

Put the peeled and sliced cucumbers and onions in a sieve, sprinkle with 1/2 tbsp salt, and leave to drain over the sink for at least half an hour. Then fold them into a clean tea towel and dry thoroughly.

In a bowl, mix the remaining ingredients, seasoning to taste. Once the cucumbers and onion are as dry as you can make them, stir them into the yoghurt.

Serve within half an hour of making, otherwise the cucumbers will leach more liquid and water down the dressing.

17 thoughts on “Cucumber and Dill Salad”

  1. Well, I was born in the Eastern Europe you speak of and had more than my fill of such cucumber deliciousness . . . . tho’ the less healthy sour cream, was the usual choice! To me dill, in the form of the herb, is a definite must and makes the dish . . . As for the glut, keep on pickling using any of the numerous recipes . . . .you’ll be pleased as autumn rolls around . . .

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  2. Your soup sounds wonderful! It’s great to see a crop doing so well, but there is work, too, in using it all, and stress to keep it from going to waste. Good luck! I eat cucumbers raw with salt, or sliced into sour cream, diced in potato or pasta salad, or pickled. Not very creative solutions for your overflow, I’m afraid.

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    • All delicious ideas, Cindy, and thank you. I don’t like to see food go to waste, especially when Him Outdoors has gone to the trouble to grow it, but when all else fails the hens are willing receptacles! Lx

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  3. We don’t do cucumber gluts, not having a veg. patch. Our veg box has maybe one small cucumber a fortnight, so no chance to try many of these recipes 🙁

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