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Traditional cucumber salad originates in Poland under the name Mizeria, and is said to be one of the most popular dishes there! Of course if this information is wrong do let me know! This particular salad consists of just a few ingredients and it's gluten free!
Why you'll love this salad:
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Super customizable
- Perfect side to any meal
I really only know anything about this salad because of my mother. She made this a lot during the weekends, which typically uses onions, however, I have opted to use a cabbage slaw mix for convenience and less chance of cutting myself.
🍲Ingredients
📝Notes
There aren't many good vegan sour creams out there, but I recommend Tofutti or Forager, unless you like other brands!
You are welcome to go with the traditional onions and forego the coleslaw mix.
🔪Assembling
- Using a knife or a mandolin, slice the cucumbers into super thin slices (⅛ inch (3mm) or less) Think like the size of pickle slices. Place the slices into a large enough bowl and dump the salt all over them
- Massage the salt into the cucumber until most of it has dissolved.
- Let your cucumbers sit for around 30 minutes to allow the salt to pull the water from them. This will make your cucumbers super soft. That is what you want
- There should be a good amount of liquid on the bottom of the dish if you did it properly.
- Wash the cucumbers under cold water and rinse away most of the salt. Your cucumbers will still be salty, but not as bad if you leave it as is! Trust me you don't wanna forget to rinse them, ha.
- Once your cucumbers have been rinsed and drained well, add in the coleslaw mix, sour cream, sugar, vinegar, and pepper.
- Mix together everything!
💡Tips & Information
- Consume within 5 days, really before that but not 6, because that's just pushing it. Are you my husband? Because he would.
- An ingredient that I did not use, but should have used, and I don't know why I did not use, is DILL! By all means, add dill. Fresh, dried, fake?, whatever.
- If you're wanting something faster, you can skip the salt process by peeling your cucumbers and just slicing and using them without skin. There is no law against such actions. Also, you have more control over the salt content by removing the skins.
- Get even more creative! You can add bell peppers, celery or any other crunchy veggie you wish!
- Feel free to leave the sour cream out entirely! I often leave it out myself or I'll add it to individual servings. Sometimes I find that my salad lasts a little longer without it.
- Do not freeze.
- This salad goes well with : burgers or sandwiches, rice (without the sour cream added), or as a side to any get togethers and of course, if you're like me, you can eat it just by itself, no one said dinner couldn't be a full bowl of cucumber salad.
❓FAQ
Traditional cucumber salad contains cucumbers and onions, usually white onions, however, you can use red onions to give some color! You also do not have to use onions, you can use cabbage slaw, bell peppers, celery, or any other crunchy veggie that would pair well in this salad!
It can be! Cucumbers are inherently healthy, they contain tons of nutrients and of course water content so you're getting the best of both worlds! The only ingredient that may keep this from being 100% healthy is sour cream/yogurt.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Cucumber Salad
Equipment
- bowl
- tongs
- gloves (optional)
Ingredients
- 5 or so cucumbers
- 2 Tablespoons salt
- 2-4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons vegan sour cream - optional
- 2 teaspoons sugar - optional
- 1 bag coleslaw mix - see notes
Instructions
- Wash and slice your cucumbers thin, like pickle slices. If you are removing the skin, you can skip steps 2-65 or so cucumbers
- Once sliced, add the cucumber slices to a bowl and then add the salt.5 or so cucumbers,2 Tablespoons salt
- Using gloved hands or bare hands, massage the salt into all of the cucumber slices as best as you can. This is going to remove the water content and make the cucumbers more soft/floppy.5 or so cucumbers,2 Tablespoons salt
- Once well massaged, cover and set aside for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, your cucumbers should be soft, bendy and translucent. And there should be a pool of very salty water in the bottom of the bowl.5 or so cucumbers,2 Tablespoons salt
- Drain the cucumbers in a strainer and run cold water over them to wash off the excess salt. Allow to drain well again for a few minutes, or you can speed up the process by squeezing the excess water out.5 or so cucumbers,2-4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Place the cucumbers into your now rinsed out bowl.5 or so cucumbers
- Add in vinegar, sugar, coleslaw mix, salt and pepper and mix everything together very well. Then add in sour cream and mix well again.2-4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar,2 Tablespoons vegan sour cream,2 teaspoons sugar,1 bag coleslaw mix
- Eat immediately or within 5 days.
Notes
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Skip the Salt Process - I get it! I only use the salt process so I can use the skins, if you'd like to skip this, just take the skins off of the cucumbers, slice and add them to a bowl and add everything else, mix and you're good to go! Just make sure to add a little salt when mixing it up.
- Floppier cucumbers - During the salt process, let them sit for 45 minutes rather than 30.
- Can't have sour cream - You don't need it. Just use a little more vinegar. Truth be told, sometimes I don't have sour cream and will totally omit it.
- Refrigerate - Up to 5 days.
- Do not freeze
Nutrition
Check out my other delicious salads!
Asher
Would recommend! This was so good!