The weather finally decided to shift into summer, and it’s been hot–which is when many people turn to salads.
I love cucumber salads because they’re so refreshing. This salad is easy to throw together and perfect to share at a picnic or enjoy as part of a light lunch.
There are endless variations of cucumber salads. I chose to add radishes because they are one of my favorite summer vegetables. I feel that they don’t get used enough, so I try to make use of them frequently. (For example, my blood orange and radish salad.)
Cucumber Radish Salad
- 1 large cucumber
- 1 small bunch of radishes
- 2-3 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon mirin
- sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Wash the radishes and cucumbers. Trim off the ends. Thinly slice the radishes. (You should have about 2 cups.) Halve the cucumber lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Then thinly slice into half-moons. (This should also be about 2 cups.)
- In a large bowl, toss with the vinegar and mirin. Add a few generous pinches of salt and a liberal sprinkling of black pepper. Stir well.
- Salad can be served immediately or chilled about half an hour, then served.
Serves 4
Mirin is a sweet rice cooking wine. If you can’t find it, whisk some sugar with the vinegar before adding it. Or you could whisk in a liquid sweetener like agave syrup. (I’m not so sure about honey since it has a distinctive taste, but maybe?)
Apple cider vinegar or sherry vinegar would be good substitutes if brown rice vinegar cannot be located.
I half peeled the cucumbers because I like the way it looks for a salad like this. You could leave all the peel on, or take it all off. It really comes down to personal preference.
I kept this recipe pretty basic. There are numerous ways to fancy it up. A little chopped onion would add extra bite. The flavor profile could be changed with some freshly chopped herbs like dill, basil, or mint. Or you could add some soy sauce for an Asian inspired dish. The salad could be made creamy with some sour cream or mayo. I’m sure you can think up more. Give it a try.
This recipe was also featured in Full Plate Thursday.
Wow, looks very tasty and easy :) Love both radishes AND cucumber. YUM!
I’ve never been a huge fan of radishes, but this makes me want to give them another try as this salad looks very tasty!
@Jill: Yum indeed!
@Christine: Hope you give them another chance.
Kalinda, this salad looks absolutely gorgeous! The colors are amazing! I love using mirin. I always have a huge bottle on hand. This is such an easy one to put together and such an awesome summer salad! And I love the ideas to spice it up a bit, especially the soy sauce for an Asian theme!
Yeah, mirin is great for adding sweetness to dishes, Asian and not-Asian alike.
I have to admit that I am not a fan of radishes, but that picture makes we want to eat them! Thanks for participating in the salad challenge.
This actually looks like something I’d like. I usually hate radishes, but having them in a brine might actually make them tolerable. Thanks for the post.
Found you over at Full Plate Thursday…I’m a new follower! This looks great! I would love to have you link up to my 2-in-1 Thursday hop.
Wendy
Around My Family Table
Well, I hope this recipe wins some radish converts. ;)
Hi Kalinda,
Wow this is a great looking summer salad. We would really enjoy this salad! Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday, have a great week end and come back soon!
Miz Helen