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Sweet-Sour Cucumber Salad

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Submitted by DEBS2

Sweet-sour cucumber salad with paper-thin slices wilted in salt, then tossed in a simple vinegar and sugar dressing. Three ingredients, no cooking, and a crisp-tender texture that pairs with anything.

YIELD

1 servings

PREP

30 min

COOK

0 min

READY

60 min

This is the kind of cucumber salad that shows up at every German, Hungarian, and Scandinavian table, and for good reason. Three ingredients, zero cooking, and the result is crisp, tangy, and refreshing enough to cut through the richest main dish.

The salting step is what separates this from a basic cucumber toss. Sprinkling salt over the thin slices and letting them sit draws out excess water, so the cucumbers turn flexible and slightly translucent without going limp. After rinsing the salt off thoroughly, they absorb the sweet-sour dressing much better than raw slices would.

Slice the cucumbers as thin as you can manage. A mandoline or the fine side of a box grater (or a Mouli, as the recipe suggests) gives you those paper-thin rounds that really soak up the dressing.

Chef Tips

  • Rinse the salt off completely. If you skip this step or rush it, the salad will be inedibly salty.
  • Let the dressed cucumbers chill for at least an hour before serving. The flavor improves as they sit.
  • Squeeze handfuls of the salted cucumbers gently before dressing them. Less water means a more concentrated sweet-sour flavor.

Variations

  • Add thinly sliced red onion and fresh dill for a Scandinavian-style version.
  • Stir in a spoonful of sour cream for a creamy Hungarian take (tejfölös uborkasaláta).
  • Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and a dash of rice vinegar for an Asian twist.

Ingredients

3 3
EACH CUCUMBERS
79
CUP ML SALT
79
CUP ML WHITE VINEGAR

Directions

Peel the cucumbers and then thinly slice them on a grater or a Mouli.

Layer these in a colander and sprinkle salt on each layer.

Let these sit at least ½ hour so they wilt.

Thoroughly wash off the salt.

Meanwhile, mix white vinegar in about equal proportions with sugar.

Toss the cucumbers with this and chill.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 780g (27.5 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 86 10% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 37738mg 1572%
Total Carbohydrate 4g 4%
Dietary Fiber 4g 17%
Sugars g
Protein 7g
Vitamin A 9% Vitamin C 32%
Calcium 11% Iron 9%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Low Fat, Low in Saturated Fat, Low Cholesterol, Cholesterol-Free, Trans-fat Free, Good source of fiber
 

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