The salad recipe is from https://platedcravings.com/german-cucumber-salad-recipe/ and it makes a lovely potluck dish. I made both the vegetarian and vegan version for my Oktoberfest party, and the vegan version was eaten up. (Not that there was a lot of the vegetarian version left either.) I believe people felt it was healthier and they wanted to save the unhealthy for the German potato salad with bacon!
INGREDIENTS
- Salad
- 2 English cucumbers, or 4 medium cucumbers
- 2 scallions (Optional)
- Sour Cream Dressing (Option 1 – Vegetarian)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp chopped dill, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 tsp salt
- black pepper, to taste
- Oil and Vinegar Dressing (Option 2 – Vegan)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (You can use any light oil here. Olive oil would change the flavor profile to something more Greek.)
- 1/4 cup white vinegar (apple vinegar or wine vinegar works)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp chopped dill, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 tsp salt
- black pepper, to taste
- Garnish (Optional)
- Fresh dill
- 1 scallion
INSTRUCTIONS
- Peel the cucumbers if desired and thinly slice them with a mandoline slicer or a thin food processor blade. The thinner the better! Put slices in a large salad bowl.
- If using scallions, thinly slice them on the diagonal with a knife.
- Chop dill
- Make the dressing:
- Option 1: In a medium bowl whisk together the sour cream, vinegar, sugar, and dill. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Option 2: In a medium bowl whisk together the 1/2 cup canola oil, 1/4 cup vinegar, sugar and dill. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour dressing over cucumber slices and toss until combined. Cover and let chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Serve with a slotted spoon.
- If you want to garnish your salad, you can garnish with fresh dill if you have it, or you can garnish with sliced greens of a scallion.
Notes:
The salad does become a bit watery after sitting in the fridge, so you can drain it in a colander before severing or move it into another serving bowl, leaving behind a lot of the water. You can also salt the cucumbers just after slicing (put them in a colander) and wait about 5 minutes to 10 minutes and then squeeze out the moisture and then mix in the dressing.
If using regular cucumbers, peel them.
