This is a great cucumber avocado salad that can be easily adapted for either diet or taste. It’s dressed with a creamy mayonnaise or yogurt and lime juice blend, but just change the creamy dressing to an Asian dressing if you don’t use mayonnaise or greek yogurt. It makes a wonderful, cool accompaniment to summertime grilled proteins.
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Tips on the Best Ingredients
Whenever you make a recipe with very few ingredients, it is important to take care to find the best ingredients possible. Allow the flavor to really shine.
Here are my favorite tips on the ingredients used in this recipe:
- Cucumbers: While any variety of cucumber will work in this salad recipe, a seedless cucumber (like the long English cucumbers) are preferred if they are available to you. They tend to have thinner skin and fewer seeds, giving you the most cucumber “flesh”. If you use cucumbers with thicker skins, make sure and peel them.
- Avocados: Avocados are tricky because in the grocery store they tend to be either hard as a rock or mushy and overripe. They should have a little give to them when you squeeze them very slightly. If they are hard, let them sit on the counter for a couple of days until you feel that semi-soft “give” when squeezed. If they soften up but you aren’t ready to use them yet, put them in the refrigerator to prevent ripening any further. **note: once cubed, toss the avocado chunks with lemon or lime juice to prevent browning and add a fresh summery kick.
- The base of the dressing: mayonnaise, sour cream, Miracle Whip, or greek yogurt are all fine as the base. You could also use a combination of them. This is a creamy dressing. The sour cream or greek yogurt will give the dressing a “tang”. The Miracle Whip is sweeter. My preference is mayonnaise, but they all work.
- Acid and Spice: Don’t leave out the acid from the lime juice. Acid tends to bring out flavors like nothing else can. If you prefer lemon, that works also. Spice is always optional. I like spicy foods so I add a little hot sauce. We always tend to have a variety of hot sauces in the pantry or refrigerator. Go with your favorite!
Salt & Vinegar Dried Cucumber Chips
As the cucumbers become more abundant try drying some of them in a dehydrator for a delicious, crispy low carb snack. Check out this recipe for Salt and Vinegar Cucumber Chips.
Cucumber Avocado Salad
Equipment
- large bowl
- Knife
- Mixing spoon
Ingredients
- 1 lb cucumber (seedless if possible) peeled and coarsely chopped
- 2-3 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 ripe avocado pitted and diced
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise or greek yogurt
- ½ Large Lime Freshly squeezed
- your favorite hot sauce to taste
- Salt & pepper
- fresh cilantro chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Gently mix together the chopped cucumber, scallions and avocado in a medium size bowl.
- Make the dressing by combining the mayonnaise, lime juice and hot sauce in a small bowl.
- Dress the salad by gently folding in the dressing with a spatula when ready to serve. Top with cilantro if using. Can be refrigerated (covered) overnight.
Thursday 30th of July 2015
I'm going to make this tomorrow night. Sounds delicious. .
Annie Riley
Friday 19th of June 2015
This looks so good. Can't wait to try it. See you at the market tomorrow morning. Thanks again for all your work. Annie
dorothy stainbrook
Friday 19th of June 2015
Thanks Annie, it's really easy too!