Vegan Pickled Cucumber Salad

This chilled Vegan Pickled Cucumber Salad refreshes you with its sharp & sour taste. This salad features fresh cucumbers (Persian/English), onions that give a sharp crunch, herbs, & brine. This light, cool salad will be a perfect vegan side dish with any summer meal. This Vegan Pickled Cucumber Salad has no effort & very little prep. It gets ready quickly without any cooking/baking. The little addition of garlic, sweetness, & dill will take our pickled cucumbers to the next level.

STATISTICAL OVERVIEW:

• Diet: Vegan, low-calorie, gluten-free
• Course: Salad/side dish
• Cuisine: Inspired by Eastern European/International
• Size/serving: 1 cup (approximately 150 g)
• Total servings: Six servings
• Time for preparation: Fifteen mins
• Cooking time: None
• Working time(total): 15 minutes
• Mode of difficulty: Very Easy
• Basic mode of cooking: No-cooking/requires refrigeration only

TOOLS:

• Bowl for mixing
• A bowl/jar (with lid)
• Board for cutting
• A peeler for vegetables
• A slicer(mandoline)/sharp knife
• Spoon/whisk
• Measuring spoons

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tbsp of dill, fresh
• Salt, 1/2 tsp
• 3 Cucumbers, normal-sized
• A tablespoon of oil(olives)
• 1/4th cup of vinegar(white/rice)
• A bit of chilli flakes(red)
• 2 tsp of sugar
• Minced garlic, 1 clove
• One thinly sliced onion(red)

INGREDIENT NOTES:

DILL:

• We use fresh dill to have a classic herb flavour. You may use dried dill, parsley, or cilantro, or you can skip the herb altogether.

CUCUMBERS:

• This is the key item of our recipe, a crunchy veggie full of water. Carrots, daikon, or zucchini may also work well.

OIL:

• It is the optional item & you may skip it. On the other hand, adding the oil will complete the taste of the pickles. You may go for any vegan oil in its place, like oil of sesame, avocado, etc.

VINEGAR:

• It speeds up the process of pickling as it contains acids. You may swap the vinegar with lemon juice.

CHILLI FLAKES:

• Adding a little bit of chilli flakes will spice up the pickle. You can skip it as well or replace it with cayenne/cracked pepper.

SUGAR:

• We are consuming the maple/agave syrup to cut down the acidity of the vinegar. Stevia/erythritol may also work as a sugar-free alternative.

GARLIC:

• The classical aroma of garlic will complete the overall aroma of the pickle. You can skip it or go for powdered garlic as well.

ONION:

• You will get a sharp & crunchy flavor with red onions. green onions/shallots will also work the same way. You may also leave it if you don’t like onions.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Wash the cucumbers thoroughly & leave them for a few minutes to dry them.
2. Slice the cucumber into circles using a mandoline/knife.
3. First, peel the cucumbers if you want; otherwise, leaving the peel would be fine.
4. Transfer these slices to a colander.
5. Sprinkle the salt over them properly.
6. Leave them for approximately ten(10) minutes & most of the moisture will be drawn out.
7. Use a towel(kitchen) to dry the cucumber slices properly.
8. Now, include sweetener, vinegar, garlic, salt, & chilli flakes in a bowl.
9. Include oil of olives too.
10. After that, include the fresh dill, cucumbers, & onions to the brine you have just prepared.
11. Mix all of them well so that the cucumber & onions are properly covered in brine.
12. Cover the pickle with a lid(sealed) & give a minimum of half an hour.
13. Your is ready to serve after 0.5 hours.

TIPS:

• If you don’t want to peel the cucumbers, go for Persian/English cucumbers as they have a thin peel that you don’t need to peel off.
• The pickle will be more delicious if it is refrigerated for the full night. It must be marinated for no shorter than thirty minutes to develop some flavors before serving.
• If we are not experts at even slicing using the knife, then go for a mandoline slicer. It will have you each slice of the same thickness. So, each slice will absorb the same amount of brine.

STORAGE DETAILS:

REFRIGERATING:

• The pickle is already packed in the container(sealed). You can consume it safely within four (4) days, but we suggest finishing it up in two days.

NOTE: The cucumbers will not favor freezing & then defrosting

FAQs:

Will regular cucumbers work for this pickle?

• They will work, but have thick peel. So, better peel the regular cucumbers & remove their seeds first.

Is this salad better prepare earlier?

• Yes, this salad will taste best as it requires some refrigeration.

NUTRITIONAL FACTS/SERVING:

Calories: 45 kilocalories
Carbs(total): Five grams
Fiber: 1 g
Net carbohydrates: Four grams
Protein: Less than 1 g
Fats: Three grams