Equipment
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 600 g english cucumber, thinly sliced into half-moons
- 5 g kosher salt
Yogurt Dressing
- 150 g greek yogurt, plain, full fat
- 1 garlic, finely minced or grated
- 10 g fresh dill, finely chopped
- 5 g fresh mint, finely chopped
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 g lemon zest, finely grated
- 15 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Wash the cucumbers and slice them thinly. You can leave the skin on for English cucumbers, as it provides a beautiful color and crisp texture.
Place the sliced cucumbers in a colander set over a bowl or the sink. Toss evenly with the kosher salt and let sit for 15 minutes to draw out the excess moisture.
Using your hands, gently squeeze the cucumbers to release the pulled water. Transfer them to a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and thoroughly pat them dry.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the full-fat Greek yogurt, minced garlic, chopped dill, chopped mint, lemon juice, lemon zest, extra virgin olive oil, and black pepper. Whisk vigorously until the dressing is completely smooth and emulsified.
Add the dried cucumber slices to the yogurt dressing. Gently fold everything together using a spatula or spoon until all the cucumber pieces are evenly coated.
Transfer the salad to a serving dish. Chill in the refrigerator at 4°C/40°F until ready to serve. This brief resting period allows the raw garlic to mellow and the herb oils to infuse the yogurt.
Chef's Notes
- Salting the cucumbers, a technique known as sweating, is absolutely non-negotiable for a creamy salad. It concentrates the cucumber flavor and guarantees your yogurt dressing won't turn into a watery soup after ten minutes.
- Using full-fat Greek yogurt is essential. The higher fat content provides a rich, clingy texture that coats the vegetables perfectly, whereas low-fat or regular yogurt will immediately split and become runny.
- To temper the harsh, pungent bite of raw garlic, you can let the minced garlic sit in the measured lemon juice for five minutes before mixing it into the yogurt. The acid gently cooks the allicin compounds.
- English or Continental cucumbers are highly preferred here because of their thin skins and imperceptible seeds, requiring no peeling or seeding. If using standard field cucumbers, you must peel them and scoop out the watery seed channels before slicing.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — May release water over time; drain excess liquid and stir before serving.
