I have seen this salad on the internet and decided it was time to make. I must admit I was drawn to it by the vibrant colors.
I switched mine up a bit to comply with plant based way of eating. Instead of feta cheese I used tofu. Unfortunately, my local market did not have the firm variety which would have looked nicer cut up in little squares.
My salad dressing was just a simple mixture of white vinegar, garlic powder, dried dill and black pepper.
The best part of this salad was using every part of the beet roots. I cooked the stems and leaves for about 5 minutes until tender, added red pepper flakes and a little bit of lemon juice. Delicious!
Ingredients
1 bunch cooked beetroots
1 seedless cucumber
Firm tofu
Fresh dill
Beets are a natural source of tryptophan and betaine which promote feelings of well being. Not only can beets add a pop of color to your plate but they are loaded with vitamins and minerals yet low in calories. Several studies have found the value of beets in lowering systolic blood pressure. This is due to the high levels of nitrates. The effect is only temporary, however, unless you eat beets on a regular basis.Many people think beet greens and stems are poisonous. This is not true. Every part of the beetroot is edible. They can be eaten raw or cooked. They can be mixed in salads, cooked as a side dish or blended in smoothies.
Well today was a balmy 60 degrees in NE Ohio and upper 70’s predicted for the weekend. I’m starting to get excited about lighter more warm weather types of foods. I never really thought about a cucumber salad until my daughter-in-law made one recently using gourmet cucumbers. Boy was it delicious!
I’ve seen English seedless cucumbers in the grocery store. You know – the long thin ones wrapped in plastic. So I decided to try them for the first time. I, of course, had to ask someone why they are wrapped in plastic. The knowledgeable Heinen’s produce guy told me it’s to protect them from getting bruised seeing that the skin is so thin and fragile. It is not necessary to peel an English cucumber for this reason which means added nutrients and anti-oxidants.
Having had regular cucumbers and now the seedless variety I would definitely say seedless is the way to go for an all cucumber salad. Regular cucumbers are less expensive but have a tough waxy skin, large seeds which can be difficult to eat and not a whole lot of flavor. I think they are a nice addition to a leafy salad but not an exclusively cucumber salad. English cucumbers are more expensive but have edible skin, no seeds to deal with and a sweet flavor.
Because cucumbers are low in calories (about 45 calories in one cucumber) they are an excellent choice if you are trying to manage your weight. They are composed of 95% water so are great little hydration stations too. They also are high in soluble fiber. As soluble fiber dissolves it produces a gel that binds with cholesterol and sugar. For this reason this type of fiber helps to improve cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
A cucumber is a vegetable right? Wrong. Don’t feel bad if you are like me and thought is was. Apparently anything that contains the seeds of the plant is a fruit. So cucumbers, tomatoes and avocados are technically all fruits.
Ingredients / Directions
English cucumber washed and unpeeled. Use a potato peeler to make long ribbon slices.
Dried, unsweetened cranberries
Cashews
Dried edamame (immature soybeans)
Note: You are the author of your cucumber salad. Use whatever additions you want or have on hand at home. I think other good add-ins are thinly sliced red onions, radish, cherry tomatoes, fresh dill or cilantro.
Balsamic Date Vinaigrette: 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp. date syrup and 1 tbsp. water
Balsamic Date Vinaigrette Salad Dressing. I mean honestly you can’t get any easier then this! You can make a larger batch and keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Need extra tang? Add dijon mustard and black pepper – although personally I think less is more.Look at these beauties!
