Yes, this post is about a WONDERFULL cucumber salad, but first, I want to take a little detour into fun fact land. I'm proud to say this, so don't @ me: hotdogs are my favorite food. "Hotdogs, really?"...Yes. Hotdogs. What can I say? Something about the way a hotdog's perfectly umami flavor hits the pallet with a delightful little snap as your teeth break through the slightly resistant casing and into its distinctly man-made shape makes me go wild. Hotdogs are definitely not the healthiest option, but I've grown comfortable with the fact that I'm a multidimensional lady and I have a taste for certain foods that make me say, "it's all about balance! *shrug emoji*."
Proof: Quentin made me hotdogs for our first Valentine's Day spent together
While I often opt for protein options that are a little more nutrient dense, there are certain times when I simply must have myself a delicious stick of processed meat. "When are we getting to the cucumber salad, Erica," you say? We're almost there, I promise.
But before we get to the cucumber salad stuff, I want to take a quick moment to document the reasons that enjoying a hotdog every once in a while is important to me:
- Balance, balance, balance. I love the veg-forward way that I eat most of the time, but I don't want to feel deprived. Enjoying a hotdog on occasion keeps me feeling warm and fuzzy on the days when the oblong item on my plate is a zucchini and not a stick of meat.
- Hotdogs are a totally nostalgic food for me. Biting into one takes me straight back to hours spent outside in the (I must admit) very idyllic suburbs of NYC during the hottest months of the year. I love these memories and I love hotdogs for bringing me right on back. Food should nurture the soul and the body, IMO.
One of the first things I ate when I arrived for study abroad in Denmark in college was this bacon-wrapped hotdog. Health!
As mentioned above, there are certain times when I simply must have a hotdog. One of those times is the good ol' Fourth of July BBQ. And what does any well-rounded cookout need (other than hotdogs, of course)? You guessed it: SIDES! And we've arrived at our destination, thanks for sticking with me-- THIS deliciously cucumber salad. It's the perfect dish to bring to or serve at your next outdoor gathering. And while the grilled goods may be the star of the show, this dish acts as an amazing foil to all of the heavier options at your standard 'Q. They're veg-forward, can be made vegan, and are undeniably delicious. If you give them a try at your next get together, drop a comment below and let me know your thoughts!
Classic Picnic Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 2 medium cucumbers
- 1 medium red onion
- 3 tbsp dill
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp honey (can replace with coconut sugar or maple syrup for vegan option)
Instructions
- Prep the veggies. Thinly slice the cucumbers and onions and mince the dill.
- Add cucumbers to a bowl with salt. Stir to combine, then allow cucumbers to sweat in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Before cucumbers are done sweating in the fridge, add honey and vinegar to a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, stirring to incorporate. About 3-5 minutes.
- Remove cucumbers from refrigerator and drain excess water.
- Add onions to cucumbers and pour sauce over them, stirring to incorporate.
- Add the dill and stir to incorporate. Allow the salad to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Remove, serve, and enjoy!
[…] to say scrum-didily-umptious again please…). I often eat it on salads, or as the main with a yummy side but today, I used it as the in some yumm-o tacos(ok, same thing, no more yumm-o) . The meat ends up […]