Cucumber salad with fresh dill

I’m still on a quest to find salads I enjoy. Ironic, don’t you think, considering that I’ve practiced a vegetarian or vegan diet my whole life? A lot of people think that if you don’t eat meat, you must love salad. Let me be the first (or hundredth?) to tell you that that is pretty much a myth.

But let’s get back to the topic at hand, and let me tell you one ingredient that is guaranteed to make me swoon over a salad: fresh dill. It adds such a unique flavor that never overpowers, and it’s plentiful in the summer making it nearly always available to toss into whatever salad you’re making. Sure, I love other things in salad, too, but I will never grow tired of the tangy, faintly lemony taste that accompanies this bright green herb.

This is a super easy salad to throw together, and all you need to do is wait for it to chill.

Cucumber Salad
Based upon Adrienne’s Cucumber Salad found at Allrecipes.com

4 cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup white vegan sugar
1 tablespoon dried dill, or to taste, OR 3 tablespoons fresh dill, minced

If the cucumber skin seems too tough or thick, peel your cucumbers before slicing them.

Cut up your onion. If your onion is wider than it is tall, you can cut it in half, and then proceed to cut thin slices that look like half moons.

Combine the vinegar, water and vegan sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir or whisk it occasionally as it is cooking, and then once it begins boiling take it off the heat.

A word of warning – do not smell or hover directly over the pan. The vinegar fumes will be too strong and may irritate your eyes, nose and/or throat. It’s not a long-lasting irritation, but it’s not enjoyable either. And yes – I did it.

Pour the sugar/vinegar mixture over the cucumbers and onions.

Add the dried or freshly chopped dill to the bowl of cucumbers and onions and mix everything together.

Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow everything to marinate together, then serve. You can also make this a day or two in advance, and it will keep well.

I really thought this turned out great – and you’d never know that it didn’t have salt in it. I’ll also add this quick tip – if you’re making a regular lettuce salad and you need something tangy, just toss in a couple of spoonfuls of this, and you’ll be pretty impressed with the flavors it adds.

--------------------------------------------------------------
The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of food bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by The Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own and they are responsible for the content of their blogs and their recipes. All readers are free to make ingredient substitutions to satisfy their dietary preferences, including not using wine (or substituting cooking wine) when a recipe calls for it. To contact us about a blogger, click here.