Ingredients

1 continental cucumber, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 handful coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 handful roasted unsalted nuts

Dressing ingredients

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Sweet chilli sauce, to taste

If you identify with the phrase “cool as a cucumber", this is the salad for you. It’s a crowd-pleasing favourite of ours that balances crunchy vegetables with a sweet dressing and dynamic flavours. Cucumber is the star ingredient here, bringing its stacked list of health benefits and refreshing juiciness to mix. The continental variety is used due to its extra-long length, tender flesh and sweet flavour.

To take the salad up a notch, South-East Asian inspired flavours like sweet chilli sauce and fresh coriander leaves are added. In Vietnamese cuisine, ingredients like chilli, garlic and fresh herbs are used interchangeably with cooling vegetables such as cucumber due to their complimentary flavour pairings.

Finish the salad with a sprinkling of roasted nuts, either straight from the packet or lightly pan-fried. This is guaranteed to make the meal irresistible when your guests dig in.

Rating

Preparation

Combine the cucumber, onion, garlic and coriander together in a bowl or arrange on a serving platter.
Sprinkle over the roasted nuts.
Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over the salad.
Season to taste and serve.