A bright, cool & crisp Ginger Cucumber Salad. Fresh & simple eats for laid back summer days.
I love cucumbers. They’re easily my favorite vegetable. I love them plain, with a a sprinkle of salt or in endless variations as the star ingredient in salads.
I just realized I have NO cucumber recipes on this blog yet. Gasp! How on earth could that be? I guess the simple, everyday things we make get taken for granted.
Cucumbers are one of the cheapest veggies when they’re in season and I certainly get them in while the gettin’ is good.
This cucumber salad. Beyond simple to make. So crisp, so refreshing, such a lovely bite to eat on a summer day.
You’ll notice that I seed the cucumbers. This always seems to be cause for conversation. Here’s how I decide when the seeds are going to stay and when they’ve got to go. If I’m slicing cucumbers as a snack, or there going into a garden salad or any salad where they’ll be eaten within a few hours, the seeds usually stay. If they’re getting mixed with any creams (think sour cream, Greek yogurt), going into a dip or will be sitting for more than a few hours, the seeds go. There’s a whole lot of watery mess waiting to seep from those seeds.
I often half this recipe and eat it for a quick lunch. Seeds certainly stay in that scenario.
Ginger can be tricky to grate. I love the flavor of it but I don’t like big bites and strings of it in my salads. I’ve found the simplest method for mincing ginger is to put it thru my garlic press. If you plan ahead, you could also freeze the ginger and grate it on a microplane.
When serving this salad, I realized how plain in appearance it really is. Most of my other cucumber salads are served with tomatoes, cheeses, peppers, herbs and other bright fruits and veggies. Don’t be fooled by this salads simplicity, though. While it’s appearance may lack in brightness, the taste most certainly does not.
Summer eating is best when it’s light, fresh, flavorful & laid back. This Ginger Cucumber Salad certainly fits the bill!
Hope everyone is enjoying this gorgeous summer weather! Thanks for stopping by!
-Amanda-
Japanese Ginger Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cucumbers
- 3 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced or grated
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Peel, seed and dice cucumbers. (To seed cucumbers - cut in half lengthwise and use spoon to scoop out seeds)
- Slice cucumbers into a mixing bowl.
- Toss with white wine vinegar, sugar, ginger & salt. Salad is best after chilled for a few hours but can be eaten immediately.
- Enjoy 🙂
- *Note* If you'd like, you can use an extra 1/4 teaspoon salt, mix with cucumbers and allow to drain for about half an hour in a colander over a bowl. Occasionally toss cucumbers around and press with a spatula or spoon to force out excess liquid.
Dawn @ Girl Heart Food
July 6, 2016 at 7:23 amSometimes the simplest things are often the best! Really lets the star ingredient shine. Cucumber is not my #1 favourite veggie, but I do really enjoy it and I think I would LOVE it in this salad with the ginger. Great tip about the seeds, too 🙂 Such a guilt free lunch!! I’d even eat this as an afternoon snack!
Amanda
July 7, 2016 at 9:51 amYes, sometimes simple is best! Especially with fresh, local produce – we only get to enjoy those flavors for a few short months every year. Hope you’re having a fab week 🙂
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen
July 7, 2016 at 4:13 pmMe and my daughter are BIG fans of cucumber and this Ginger cucumber salad looks and sounds awesome. I will sure give it a good. Love how simple yet super intriguing this salad is! So much yes to this bright, cool & crisp salad! Wish you a fun weekend with your family.
Amanda
July 9, 2016 at 10:38 pmThanks so much Anu! Hope you and your family have a wonderful weekend as well 🙂
Thao @ In Good Flavor
July 9, 2016 at 4:43 pmI love fresh, crisp cucumbers. Simplicity is best…this simple and easy cucumber salad is a perfect summer side! I love the pairing with ginger! I had a simple poor man’s dinner last week that cost me just about $1 to make, but it really hit the spot, and I wouldn’t have traded it in for a $30 restaurant meal.
Amanda
July 9, 2016 at 11:25 pmThanks Thao! I love cucumbers and eat endless variations of simple cucumber salads all summer. I totally hear you on some of the best dinners being made at home & on the cheap. I often leave restaurants very disappointed – so many places are way overrated & overpriced. Miss chit-chatting with you – hope everything is wonderful…xoxo
Kushi
July 9, 2016 at 7:52 pmWe love cucumber and I just can’t wait to try this salad out. Thank you for sharing such a delicious recipe!
Amanda
July 9, 2016 at 11:26 pmThanks so much Kushi – hope you love it 🙂
Jessica @ Citrus Blossom Bliss
July 12, 2016 at 4:13 pmCucumber salad is so underrated – I’m a big fan and I love making a really vinegar-y kind to bring to potlucks and BBQs during the summer. What kind of cucumber do you use? I find that English cucumbers are usually a lot less seedy. I’m also wondering if cucumbers that are allowed to grow too large have extra large seeds inside of them. I know this is true about zucchini and that’s why they have to be picked before they’re too big. Rant over, lol. This simple recipe with ginger added in sounds really easy and refreshing!!!
Amanda
July 19, 2016 at 9:52 amHi Jessica! Poor cucumbers are just underrated all together 🙁 I love really vinegary cucumber salads – that’s my usual go to. English cucumbers are a lot less seedy, but I usually grab what’s freshest & cheapest at my local farm stands, which is usually the big old basic cucumbers. I often use kirbies for salads – I get them for 5 for a quarter when the getting is good! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Alaina @ A Not So Quiet Kitchen
July 15, 2016 at 3:37 amYum! Cucumbers are some of my favorites as well! This salad sounds so good!! I used to get so frustrated trying to mince ginger until I started just keeping it in the freezer! Great tip!
Amanda
July 19, 2016 at 10:28 amThanks so much Alaina! I love all things cucumbers – one of my favorite summertime foods 🙂 Freezing ginger really is a game changer – it’s horrible to mince any other way. Thanks for stopping by!
Janet Taylor
March 25, 2017 at 9:37 amMade this last night, but had to run out. Looking forward to having some when I got home. Told hubby what and where it was in the fridge. Came home to find he had eaten it all!! Guess I have to make it again…and hide it!
Amanda
March 26, 2017 at 10:28 pmHehehehe…glad your hubby enjoyed it!
Good thing it’s a quick recipe to make 🙂
Thanks so much for stopping by Janet!
Julie
July 8, 2018 at 10:47 amI’m assuming that when you say to peel, seed, and dice the cucumbers then say to slice the cucumbers in the next line of the recipe that one of the instructions is wrong? Otherwise the cucumbers will be in reeeeally tiny pieces…