Should I peel a cucumber before putting it in a salad?

It completely comes down to preference as to whether you want to peel the cucumbers or not. Different types have different thickness of skin. English or Persian cucumbers tend to have thinner skins while regular market cucumbers have a thicker peel. I always prefer to keep the skin on for a little crunch!

How do you cut cucumbers for salad?

The most common way to cut cucumbers for salad is to dice them or slice them into rounds, but if you're looking for a change up using a mandolin to slice them into thin ribbons as pictured makes for the prettiest salad!

Cucumber Strawberry Salad | by Lauren Cermak

Description

Looking for a quick and easy summer salad recipe? Add this Cucumber Strawberry Salad to your rotation! This light, fresh and flavorful salad is made with cucumbers, strawberries, rhubarb, feta cheese, pecans, pickled red onion, dried cherries, basil, mint, and topped with the best strawberry balsamic dressing. It is perfect for summer dinner parties, holidays, lunches, or light dinners!

Ingredients

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SALAD:

1 large cucumber, sliced into ribbons
1 cup strawberries, sliced
1/2 a rhubarb stalk, sliced into matchsticks
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup feta cheese or vegan feta
1/4 cup pickled red onion
1/4 cup dried cherries
A few basil leaves, chopped
A few mint leaves, chopped

STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC DRESSING:

1 cup fresh strawberries
5 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon maple syrup

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Instructions

Prep. Slice the cucumbers into fine ribbons using a mandolin. Slice the strawberries. Slice the rhubarb into matchstick pieces. Roughly chop the basil and mint leaves.
Assemble. Add the cucumbers to a plate and sprinkle with sea salt. Top with the sliced strawberries, rhubarb, pecans, feta, pickled onion, dried cherries, basil, and mint.
Make the strawberry balsamic dressing. Add the strawberries, white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and maple syrup to a blender. Blend until fully combined. Serve on the side.

Notes

To store. If you have leftovers, store the dressing and salad in separate air-tight containers. It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Swap out the toppings. If you aren’t into certain ingredients here, make this salad your own with your favorite toppings!
Make it even faster. To make this salad even faster, use a store bought dressing.

Prep Time: 5

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 plate
Calories: 359
Sugar: 10.1 g
Sodium: 757.4 mg
Fat: 32.8 g
Carbohydrates: 15.5 g
Fiber: 3.4 g
Protein: 4.9 g