thai cucumber salad

Sweet, savory, spicy and totally fresh! This salad is a summer time favorite of mine. As soon as cucumbers come into season I'm all over this one! If you grow your own or know somebody who does then you've GOT to give it a try... it will be virtually free!!

Thai Cucumber Salad





Total Recipe cost: $2.07
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Cost per serving: $0.26
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 0 min. Total: 10 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
2 large	cucumbers	$1.36
1/4 cup	chopped green onion	$0.29
2 Tbsp	sugar (or honey)	$0.10
1/3 cup	rice vinegar	$0.25
1/2 tsp	sesame oil	$0.02
1/2 tsp	red pepper flakes	$0.05
1/2 tsp	salt	nada
TOTAL		$2.07

STEP 1: Wash the cucumbers well (they are usually coated in an oily vegetable wax to preserve freshness). Using a vegetable peeler, remove sections of the peel lengthwise, leaving stripes of peel the same width as the peeled sections. This will give the cucumbers a nice decorative look after they are sliced. Slice the partially peeled cucumbers into 1/2 inch rounds, then cut each round in half to give you "half moon" slices. Place the slices in a medium bowl.

STEP 2: Wash and finely slice your green onions. Combine the onions with the cucumber.

STEP 3: In a separate bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, red pepper flakes and sesame oil. Mix with a fork until the sugar and salt are dissolved.

STEP 4: Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and onions. Mix well and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Before serving, give the salad a good stir to redistribute the juices and dressing. SO FRESH!

NOTE: If you grow fresh herbs, the addition of a little chopped mint or cilantro goes really well with this salad. Also, if you happen to have some peanuts on hand (unsalted only), chop up a 1/4 cup and add it in for a nice crunch!