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Cucumber salad w/ smashed garlic and ginger

Cucumber salad with smashed garlic and ginger

Prep: 20 min
Ready: 1 hr 15 min
4-6
condimentsgluten-freehealthyveganvegetablevegetarian

A fresh salad that pairs perfectly with rich, hearty dishes. This crisp cucumber salad brings brightness to any meal.

Ingredients

  • 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
  • 1½ inches fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
  • 1 tsp Maldon sea salt
  • 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
  • 4 small (or 8 mini) cucumbers (1¼ lbs), peeled
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 3 tbsp chopped cilantro

Dressing

  • 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 2 tsp toasted sesame oil

Instructions

  1. Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Add the sliced red onion, mix well and leave aside to marinate for about an hour.
  2. Place the ginger and salt in a mortar and pound well with a pestle. Add the garlic and continue pounding until well crushed and broken into pieces (stop before it becomes a paste).
  3. Use a spatula to scrape the mortar contents into the bowl with the onion and dressing. Stir together.
  4. Cut the cucumbers lengthways in half, then cut each half on an angle into ¼-inch-thick slices.
  5. Add the cucumber to the bowl, followed by the sesame seeds and cilantro. Stir well and leave to sit for 10 minutes.
  6. Before serving, stir the salad again, tip out some of the liquid that has accumulated at the bottom of the bowl and adjust the seasoning.