Description
Michael Symon’s cucumber salad delivers a crisp, tangy Mediterranean-style side dish perfect for summer gatherings. Fresh cucumbers mingle with herbs and vinegar, creating a refreshing companion to grilled meats and fish you’ll want to make again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 tbsps (45 ml) chopped fresh dill
- ½ cup (120 ml) sour cream
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) white wine vinegar
- 1 English cucumber, sliced into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preparation: Uniformly dice onions for consistent texture and even cooking.
- Butter Base: Melt butter in a pot over medium heat, creating a golden, aromatic foundation.
- Onion Sauté: Gently cook onions until translucent and softened, avoiding browning, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Pea Integration: Fold peas into the buttery onion mixture, ensuring complete coating with the flavorful base.
- Liquid Enhancement: Stream in vegetable or chicken stock, stirring to distribute liquid evenly throughout the ingredients.
- Simmering Stage: Reduce heat and cover, allowing frozen peas to simmer for 2 minutes or fresh peas for 5-7 minutes, preserving their vibrant emerald color and tender consistency.
- Herbal Infusion: Remove from heat and fold in roughly chopped fresh mint leaves, introducing a bright, aromatic dimension.
- Texture Refinement: Utilize an immersion blender or standard blender to transform the mixture into a silky, smooth puree.
- Seasoning Finale: Delicately season with salt and pepper, adjusting incrementally to harmonize with personal taste preferences.
- Serving Presentation: Offer immediately while warm or chilled, garnishing with a delicate crème fraîche swirl for enhanced richness and visual elegance.
Notes
- Slice Uniformly: Cut cucumbers and onions into consistent, thin slices to ensure even seasoning and texture throughout the salad.
- Drain Excess Moisture: After slicing cucumbers, let them sit with salt for 10 minutes to release water, preventing a watery, diluted dressing.
- Balance Acid and Sweetness: Adjust vinegar and sugar ratio to create a perfectly balanced dressing that complements the crisp cucumber’s natural flavor.
- Chill Before Serving: Refrigerate the salad for 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld and enhance the overall taste profile.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 20mg