Strawberry & Cucumber Salad with Mint

Strawberry & Cucumber Salad with Mint is light and refreshing.

So quick to make, it’s perfect for hot summer days.

Lovely as a side with fish, meat or barbecued foods.

Or try it as a main meal salad topped with feta or goat’s cheese.

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Strawberry and cucumber may not be an obvious combination, but it really does work.

I think that the fresh flavours of the sweetish strawberries and the slightly bitter cucumber complement each other wonderfully. And then there’s the pleasurable textural contrast of soft fruit plus crunchy veg (although cucumbers are, botanically speaking, also fruits).

Add to that lots of flavoursome mint, a subtle dressing, and you have a delightful salad that just says ‘Summer’ to me.

STRAWBERRY & CUCUMBER SALAD WITH MINT

I initially created this lovely salad when I received some perfect-looking strawberries and super-crunchy mini cucumbers in my Moorland Veg Box.

Although some weeks ago now, it really felt like Summer was on the way. So, after a hot day getting a few jobs done in the garden, a refreshing salad to accompany that night’s dinner was called for.

The result was Strawberry & Cucumber Salad with Mint.

Now that the sunny weather is back, and the British strawberry season is about to get into full swing, it seems the perfect time to share the recipe.

Mind you, this fab little salad barely needs a recipe.

Just cut the berries and cucumbers into bite sized pieces. It’s fine to use regular cukes if you don’t have the mini ones. These both then go into a serving bowl and are sprinkled with red onion and chopped fresh mint.

If you’re not ready to eat just yet, the bowl can go in the fridge for up to an hour. But I wouldn’t leave it longer than that. You want to eat this salad at its freshest.

Just before serving, everything is tossed with a simple dressing.

THE DRESSING

Personally, I don’t like a lot of dressing on this salad. It’s the lovely natural flavours of the strawberries and cucumbers I want to taste.

My preference is for a sweetish olive oil vinaigrette with both Balsamic and red wine vinegar. If you have a fruit vinegar, such as raspberry, that would be lovely instead of the red wine vinegar.

Also in the dressing are pink peppercorns, lightly crushed with the back of a spoon. I think they work well here as their flavour is slightly fruity as well as peppery. But you can substitute black pepper to taste if you don’t have them.

The easiest way to make the dressing is to just put everything in a screw-topped jar and give it a good shake.

SERVING

Once you’ve tossed the dressing through the salad, you’ll want to serve it straight away.

The first time I made Strawberry & Cucumber Salad with Mint we ate it with pan-fried salmon and potatoes. But its freshness would also be good with steaks or barbecued food.

If you want to turn it into a main meal salad, then top the salad with chunks of goat’s or ewe’s milk cheese or crumbled feta.

I hope you try this salad and love it as much as I do.

Leave a comment to let me and others know what you thought. And don’t forget to rate the recipe!

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Strawberry & Cucumber Salad with Mint

Strawberry & Cucumber Salad with Mint is a light, refreshing salad for Summer. Eat alongside fish, meat, barbecued foods, or top with feta or goats cheese for a main meal salad.

Course Side Dish, Salad, Lunch, Light Meal

Cuisine World

Keyword quick, summer

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 2 or more

Author Moorlands Eater

Ingredients

• 250 g strawberries
• 250 g cucumber
• 1 small red onion
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint

Dressing

• 1 tsp pink peppercorns or freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar or fruit vinegar
• 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar or other sweetener optional
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. Make the dressing

   Lightly crush the pink peppercorns with the back of a spoon.

   Put the peppercorns (or black pepper), olive oil, both vinegars, sweetener if using, and a little salt in a screw-topped jar. Put the lid on and shake vigorously. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.

   Set aside when the dressing is to your taste.

2. Cut the strawberries and cucumber into bite-sized pieces and put in a serving bowl.

   Sprinkle with the chopped onion and most of the mint.

   At this point, the salad can be stored in the fridge for up to an hour if necessary.

3. Shake the dressing again, pour over the salad and toss everything together gently.

   Sprinkle with the reserved mint and serve straight away.

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