Cucumber and Onion Salad
Inspired by techniques from Bon Appétit.
Thin-sliced cucumber and red onion are salted and pressed to force out their water before being tossed with rice vinegar and a little sugar, a quick-pickle trick that keeps the vegetables crunchy instead of watery. A scattering of fresh mint at the end makes it taste as cool as it looks.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Slice the vegetables. Thinly slice the cucumbers and red onion, keeping the pieces as even as possible so they cure at the same rate.
- 2
Salt and drain. Toss the cucumber and onion with the fine salt in a bowl. Let stand until the cucumbers just begin to release liquid, about 15-20 min. Press down on the vegetables to force out more liquid, taking care not to break them apart, then lift them into a clean bowl, shaking off the liquid and leaving it behind.
- 3
Dress. Toss the drained cucumber and onion with the rice vinegar and sugar. Season with more salt and the black pepper, tasting as you go.
- 4
Finish. Top with the torn mint leaves and serve right away, while the vegetables are still crisp.
Storage
Best eaten the day it is made, while still crisp. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container and eat within 1-2 days, as the vegetables will keep softening in the dressing.
EU nutrition claims
- Source of protein: 3.2 g protein per 100 kcal, about 13% of energy (needs ≥ 12%)
- Low energy: 20 kcal per 100 g (limit ≤ 40 kcal)
- Low fat: 0.1 g fat per 100 g (limit ≤ 3 g)
- Low saturated fat: 0 g saturated fat per 100 g, 0% of energy (limits ≤ 1.5 g and ≤ 10%)
- Low sugars: 2.5 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)
- Low salt: 0.29 g salt per 100 g (limit ≤ 0.3 g)
- Source of fibre: 2.8 g fibre per 100 kcal (needs ≥ 1.5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 128 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
1 g per serving
2 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 4 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- mandoline or sharp knife
- two mixing bowls
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 25 kcal |
| Protein | 0.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 5.8 g |
| of which sugars | 3.2 g |
| of which free sugars | 1 g |
| Fat | 0.1 g |
| of which saturates | 0 g |
| Fibre | 0.7 g |
| Salt | 0.37 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
3.2 g High Protein needs ≥ 5 g (20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
