For weeks I had been imagining the fabulous red, white and blue dessert I was going to bake for my July 4th article. Vegan baking can be challenging and I’m always up for the challenge, especially something festive for a holiday. And then the summer heatwave hit SoCal with a vengeance. Shorts and tank tops were taken out of storage and long dormant air conditioners were turned on full blast. My upstairs hallway registered 80 degrees Tuesday afternoon! The last thing I wanted to do was turn on my oven and superheat my home (and add to an already maxed-out power grid.) I could only think of keeping cool as a cucumber and so this bright and refreshing salad became my recipe de la semaine for what’s promised to be a hot Fourth of July next week. You’re welcome, for keeping you, too, out of a hot kitchen!
Cucumbers are not what we usually think of as our summer BBQ side dishes. Coleslaw, and potato and macaroni salads are the usual suspects that we’ve come to expect. After you try this zesty take on cucumber salad that should change. It’s so simple yet so delicious. Thin slices of macerated red onion and a good heap of fresh chopped cilantro share the bowl with English cucumbers that have been half peeled and sliced for a pretty presentation. Swathed in a lemony vegan mayo/sour cream dressing, perked up with Tajin, you can serve this with just about any entree. Best made ahead the morning you plan on serving, you’ll be freed up to fuss over other things last minute.
If you’re still wondering about that imagined dessert that didn’t get baked, it will be in an article sometime soon, so keep following my vegan food journey each week.
Chef’s Tips:
- Be a fussy shopper when it comes to buying cucumbers. Make sure that there are no soft spots. They should be firm with a rich green glow to the skin. I prefer English cucumbers for this salad though the smaller Persian variety works as well. If you choose traditional hothouse cucumbers you will need to peel the entire skin, as it isn’t edible.
- Macerating or soaking onions in ice water serves two benefits. First, it will take the hot bite out of the onion, which is a good idea when serving company. Second, it will crisp up the onions. Make sure to thoroughly dry in a kitchen towel before adding to the salad.
- This new variety of vegan mayo from the Not Company is as close to egg laden mayo as I have tasted. I purchased it at Pavilions.
- Vegan sour cream is a great addition to mayo-based dressings as it cuts the fat. I used almost a one-to-one ratio. Plain vegan yogurt will work as well, but will make the dressing a bit thinner. Don’t use vegan yogurts with a strong almond or coconut taste. Cashew-based is best if opting for yogurt.
- Tajin has a bright citrus flavor. If you want an additional kick without overwhelming the delicate taste of the cucumbers add a few shakes of dried Aleppo pepper, as well. It’s noted in the recipe.
- For you cilantro haters, replace with fresh chopped Italian parsley, dill or thyme or a combination.
- I am not an expert on portion size. We tend to take big helpings and seconds in my house. I have guessed that this serves 8 as a side. Sometimes people take a ladle full, sometimes a teaspoon full. You’ll need to gauge how much you’ll need based on your family and/or guests. This recipe is easily doubled for a larger crowd or even cut in half for dinner for 2 or 3.
- The Lemon Tajin dressing is quite versatile and will work on the usual bbq salads, ie coleslaw, potato salad and macaroni salad if you choose that. It also makes a great sandwich spread.
Cool As a Cucumber Salad for July 4
Serves 6-8 as a side dish
1 cup very thinly sliced, on the longitude, red onion (see photo)
2 extra large English cucumbers
1 cup packed cilantro leaves, washed and dried and coarsely chopped
Lemon Tajin Dressing (recipe follows)
Macerate (soak) the onions slices in a small bowl of ice water for 20 minutes while prepping the cucumbers and cilantro. This will soften the sharp bite of the onion and crisp them up. Drain and dry when ready to toss in the salad.
Half peel the cucumbers. Slice about 1/4 inch thick. (See photo) I got 30 slices per cucumber. You should have about 6 cups of cucumber slices in total. To be safe buy 3 cucumbers.
Toss the cucumbers, onions and half the cilantro in a large mixing bowl. Add enough dressing to taste. Please note that the cucumbers absorb some dressing while the salad sits in the fridge. Add in the rest of the cilantro and toss well.
Taste for seasoning, cilantro and dressing amount and adjust.
Refrigerate in a covered container until ready to serve. Remember to toss before transferring to your serving bowl.
I recommend serving the day it is made. It will keep in the fridge for a few days but cucumbers tend to break down quickly once tossed in dressing so keep that in mind.
Refrigerate leftovers.
Lemon Tajin Dressing
Makes about 3/4 cup
2 T apple cider vinegar
1.5 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 tsp fine sea salt or 1 tsp kosher salt
4 T vegan mayonaise
3 T vegan sour cream
1 tsp Tajin
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried Aleppo pepper (optional)
In a small mixing bowl, dissolve the salt in the vinegar and lemon juice
Whisk in the mayo and sour cream until smooth and no lumps
Whisk in the Tajin, black pepper and Aleppo pepper (if using) until fully incorporated.
Taste for seasoning and acid and adjust. If too bright and tart you can add in a bit more mayo and/or sour cream.
