Persian Cucumber, Red Onion, Dill Salad, Dijon Maple Syrup Vinaigrette
A fresh, crisp Persian Cucumber salad seemed appealing to me as a simple ‘clean food’ side on the table of rich foods for Thanksgiving Dinner.
And I use the expression, rich foods, not necessarily due to having an abundant table of cream and cheese laden dishes but if you are anything like me, things like stuffing, gravy, and huge pieces of golden browned turkey skin tend to be among the real highlights in the annual meal of overindulgence. I also eat the turkey wing whose greasy crispiness as you well know can in no way be compared to a crisp Persian Cucumber Salad.
Fortunately, my daughter Sooky’s partner, Tony, also likes the turkey wing which conveniently now provides that I will not eat both greasy, crispy, turkey wings.
I became accustomed to the Persian cucumber through my friend Marcelle from Lebanon who is also a part of our Ladies International Group. This is the only type of cucumber she will use. Persian cucumbers have a more delicate flavor but what I really like is how uniform they are in shape and size displaying a prettier, brighter colored salad, especially when specked with some chopped feathers of dill leaves.
The Dijon Maple Syrup Vinaigrette provides a lovely balance combined with apple cider vinegar between the tart, sweet and sour, in all quite a pleasant combination.
The nice thing about this Persian Cucumber, Red Onion, Dill Salad, Dijon Maple Syrup Vinaigrette is that you can serve it in just about any season, well, anytime you see these sweet little cucumbers at the market. As for this time of the year, it sure can add a pop of fresh color to festive holiday tables along with serving as a simple, fresh, crisp side.
Here’s hoping that your Thanksgiving provided for a meaningful day filled with gratitude for many blessings and all that this particular celebration inspires us to recognize and bring forth.
Persian Cucumber, Red Onion, Dill Salad, Dijon Maple Syrup Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 6 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- couple good pinches coarse kosher salt, plus more to taste
- few grinds fresh black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill, plus a small sprig for garnish
- For the Dijon Maple Syrup Vinaigrette:
- 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
- 1/4 cup Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
Instructions
- Place sliced cucumbers in a wide bottomed dish, sprinkle with salt, stir.
- Mix in the red onion.
- Whisk together the Dijon, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup to a smooth emulsion, pour over the cucumbers and onion, stir to evenly coat, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature around a half hour or longer stirring occasionally so cucumbers absorb the flavor of the dressing.
- Grind in the black pepper, fold in the chopped dill, check seasoning, adding more salt to taste. Refrigerate salad, stir through, garnish with dill.
8 Comments