Summer time is when out come the salads. Whether it is potato salad, macaroni/pasta salad, vegetable salad, it is one of the most popular dishes offered when temperatures rise and when BBQ's are in full-swing (Who waits for summer? I dont! LOL!)
One of the most popular salads out there is the cucumber salad. This has so many variations out there but it is definitely one of those that "I grew up on that" foods. Every family has their traditional way of making their cucumber salad. Some use sour cream with dill. Others will use yogurt. Then, there is the traditional oil and vinegar with just a few spices. Well, it was my turn to make a batch of cucumber salad but I wanted something different.
Using some of your more common ingredients from Asian cuisine, I created a vinaigrette that showcased flavors that would bring a nice cucumber salad to life! This was quickly made and came together so fast. The fragrant flavors of ginger, garlic, carrots, and dried mint came out gently but beautifully balanced.
PLEASE NOTE: You will need a high powered blender as we will be pureeing this. This recipe will take care of at least 6-8 people. I wrote this recipe in a way that will allow the recipe to be cut in half.
Ingredients:
Ginger-Carrot Vinaigrette
1/2 C Olive or Sesame Oil
1/4 C Rice Vinegar*
1/4 C Red Wine Vinegar
2 English cucumbers, sliced
1/4 C Carrots*
1 Shallot*, medium-sized, sliced
1 TB Mint, dried
1 TB Garlic 1 TB Ginger 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp White Pepper
*THE NIGHT BEFORE:
You will need to par-boil your carrots. That is to make sure we dont burn out the blender's motor when it comes time to puree everything. Once done, store this in a container and refrigerate overnight.
You will need to marinate your shallots in your rice vinegar. Store this in a container and refrigerate overnight. The shallots will go from a purple to a bright pink color. That is ok.
The next day - In a mixing bowl, fill this up on your sliced cucumbers and shallots. Break the shallots apart with your cleaned fingers. Dont worry if they feel a little sticky. This is because of soaking in rice vinegar overnight.
The remainder of your ingredients will go into your blender. Puree this until you achieve a smooth consistency. This is your vinaigrette. In your bowl, start with approximately 75% of the dressing and toss to coat. Taste-test this to see if you have enough dressing. If you feel as though it could use some more, add the rest of the dressing.
Store refrigerated. This should last about 5-7 days.
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