If you’re looking for a fresh, flavourful, and nutritious addition to your weekly meal plan, look no further than cucumber salad. This salad is not only nourishing, but also refreshing and perfect for the upcoming summer months. Considering cucumbers are made up of over 95% water, it’s also a helpful way to boost your hydration on warmer days. Finally, both cucumbers and red onions are affordable and accessible vegetables, making this a budget-friendly dish year round.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is essential for maintaining healthy blood clotting and bone strength. This important nutrient is found in dark leafy greens such as kale and spinach, and other vegetables such as cucumbers. The recommended intake is vitamin K is 120 mcg/day for men, and 90 mcg/day for women. Vitamin K (along with vitamins A, D, and E) is a fat soluble vitamin, meaning it is better absorbed when paired with a fat source. Both the feta and olive oil in this recipe are healthy fat sources to aid in the absorption of fat soluble vitamins.
Quick and Easy
Having simple, easy recipes is a game-changer for effective meal planning. It saves time, reduces stress, and makes planning meals an easy part of every week. With minimal ingredients and quick prep, this recipe streamlines grocery shopping and cuts down on food waste. Since cucumber salad comes together in 15 minutes or less, it makes the perfect side dish to pair with any meal. Make it ahead to pack with lunches, or add it to a wrap with grilled chicken to make a quick but yummy meal.
Simple Cucumber Salad
Yields: 3-4 servings
Total time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: 1/3 – Easy
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber
- ¼ cup red onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup feta, crumbled
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried dill (1 tbsp fresh dill)
- ½ tsp red chili flakes (optional).
- Salt and pepper to taste1 cucumber
Steps
- Thinly slice the cucumber and chop the red onion. Add to a medium sized bowl and mix.
- In a small, separate bowl, combine the olive oil, feta, garlic, and dried dill. At this point, you could also add the red chili flakes, if using. Mix well, until the dill is evenly distributed through the feta mixture.
- Add the feta to the cucumber and red onion and mix, until all cucumber slices are evenly coated. You can add 1-2 tsp of extra olive oil, if the feta mixture is too dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Enjoy!
- Vitamin K. The Nutrition Source. (2024, November 7). https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/vitamin-k/
