This vegan cucumber salad is simply dressed with dill, chives, and a mustard vinaigrette for an easy, light summer side dish.
Since it’s crazy hot just about everywhere in the northern hemisphere at the moment, I’m taking a short break from posting something baked here. By short I mean every other recipe I have ready to go right now is either 1. baked, or 2. ice cream. Balance. It’s what I’ve been into lately but I know you guys love weeknight meals and mains, so I’ll get my act together with those too. It is tomato season after all and at least tomatoes like the heat.
This vegan cucumber salad is a staple for me during the summer, and I wasn’t totally sold on sharing it, but I really think it’s something that everyone could make and love. It’s a flavour packed light side with dill and chives and a simple mustard vinaigrette. If you want to up the protein and make it into more of a meal, try adding lentils or go nuts and do that plus serve it on socca – one of my warm weather favourites.
I used the food processor to slice the cucumbers here and it’s certainly the fastest option, but you can also use a mandolin or slice by hand. If you’re eating the salad within a few hours of making it, ultra-thin slices are great. If you want to keep it in the fridge for a day or two, bigger chunks are better.
It might seem strange to specify that this recipe is vegan, but I grew up eating and making German cucumber salad, which is usually made with sour cream and dill. I’ve had to move away from the cream aspect, of course, but I’m keeping the dill! So although this isn’t traditional, it’s a modern recipe using olive oil and really, it’s better. You don’t need to worry about spoiled milk if you bring a vegan cucumber salad to a picnic, right?
I was going to write that I got every ingredient for the actual salad (all three, wow) from my mom’s side garden but I just remembered that she chopped all her dill down before I came to visit. I know, horrible. So I got the dill from a local market farmer instead – but if you grow any herbs, dill and chives are right up there with the easiest. They’re just about impossible to kill and they’ll probably come back next year no matter what you do to them. They are the dandelions of the herb world (it’s literally called dill weed), can grow in fairly poor soil, and you can use them in this awesome potato salad too.
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Vegan Cucumber Salad with Dill & Chives
This vegan cucumber salad is simply dressed with dill, chives, and a mustard vinaigrette for an easy, light summer side dish.
Ingredients
- 3 medium / 2 english cucumbers
- 1/4 cup / small handful chives, chopped
- 1/4 cup / small handful fresh dill, chopped
Maple Mustard Vinaigrette
- 60 ml / 1/4 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
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Slice the cucumbers very thinly with a mandolin or food processor and add to a bowl with the chives and dill. Mix the vinaigrette in a small container, add to the salad, and mix to combine. Best served at room temperature, and the salad will keep in the refrigerator up to a day.
Notes
• If you want to make the salad ahead of time, cut the cucumbers into larger pieces and store in the refrigerator for up to one day.
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