Crisp & Creamy Cucumber Salad

I love summer foods like cold salads. Tonight we tried out a new one with cucumbers, sour cream, and dill. 

Confession: I am kinda a sour cream snob. I only eat and buy two brands and refuse to eat anything else. I think sour cream tastes best when its made only with 1 ingredient, cream. Sometimes simple is best. And (grimacing slightly - I don't like to admit this part) my sour cream is always full fat. I don't like fat free foods or low fat foods. Half the time I find foods with less fat have added sugar in its place. I would rather have the full tasting flavor which makes me eat less of it because its so wonderfully rich. I feel fuller, and enjoy it more. Okay off my little soap box and back to this salad. 

Actually I have another confession. I don't absolutely love this recipe. I am not going to tell you, you have to make it because its going to change your life, or make your next bbq a huge hit. Although it might. I can see it pairing well hot dogs, hamburgers, and any other summer foods you can grill. While I avoid the common words that stream from most recipe introductions, as they convince and persuade you to try it, I am simply saying this salad is a good summer side dish. I wouldn't have thought about blogging something that I found average but my son absolutely fell in love with this dish. When he went back to the salad bowl, he was clearly disappointed that it was all gone. Then he asked me to make it again on a different night. All of that coming from a 5 year old means I have stumbled across something good. He is a great eater, but it is not often he asks for more salad. While it is a 3 out of 5 stars in my book, my kiddo would rate it 5 out of 5 for its surprising bright lemon flavor, easy & simple ingredients, and tangy sour cream. 

I hope you enjoy the salad just as much as my kiddo does! To create more interest next time I am going to add in some onion or tomato. I heart ripe summer tomatoes.

Crisp & Creamy Cucumber Salad

prep time: 35-40 minutes (only 5 minutes is hands-on time)

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart 

serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cucumber peeled, sliced lengthwise (into half circles), and then sliced into thin slices

1/4 cup sour cream

1 &1/2 tsp kosher salt (or more to taste)

1/8 tsp pepper (or more to taste)

1/2 tsp dried dill

1/4 tsp dried parsley

fresh lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon - aim for 3/4 Tbs

5 easy steps:

1. Cut up the cucumber and put it in a strainer in the sink.

2. Sprinkle the cucumber with 1 tsp of kosher salt. Let it sit there for 30 minutes to pull the excess water out. You can skip this step but it will make your salad watery instead of creamy. After 30 minutes rinse the cucumbers off, pat them dry. 
3. Then combine all the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and mix. 

4. Taste to adjust seasonings. 

5. Cover and refrigerate or eat immediately and enjoy. 

See super easy recipe. You might even have all these ingredients in your fridge and pantry right now. Until next time,

Stephanie