Cucumber Radish Salad

Published on by Annmarie Knipfer, Executive Chef

My garden won’t stop growing cucumbers, so I’m basically being forced to come up with new recipes each day so that my husband won’t get sick of eating them at every meal. This is a great summer salad, and extremely easy to make. It is the perfect side dish for barbecues- especially when you’re using a spicy BBQ sauce or rub. I have two versions here- the quick one with a ranch packet (because who doesn’t love those salt packs), and a homemade Green Goddess dressing that uses a food processor. I typically like to refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes, the more those cucumbers sit in the dressing, the more the flavors are pulled out to create a rich cucumbery sauce. I wouldn’t recommend making this the night before. The cucumbers can get too soft and have almost a pickled taste. With that being said, this salad the next day is great on top of a spicy BBQ pulled pork sandwich or hamburger!

Prep Time: 20 Minutes    Cool Time: 0-60 minutes     Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Salad:

2 Cucumbers, cut into 1/4 inch thick round slices.

10 radishes cut into 1/4 inch round slices

1/4 red onion, sliced thin

1 small handful basil, chopped (about 6 leaves)

1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper

Dressing:

QUICK VERSION:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup milk (can be any fat content)

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp Dry Ranch Mix (Hidden Valley is the most popular, however I think Kroger brand taste the same)

GREEN GODDESS DRESSING VERSION:

Same 3 wet ingredients as above (milk, mayo, white balsamic)

Substitute Dry Ranch Mix for:

1 tsp crushed garlic

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp pepper

 

Directions

  1. Quick Dressing Salad:  Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Combine all fresh salad ingredients in a bowl and toss with dressing. Cover and chill for 30 minutes to an hour. Serve cold or at room temperature.
  2. Green Goddess Dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients into a food processor. Process until smooth.Combine all fresh salad ingredients in a bowl and toss with dressing. Cover and chill for 30 minutes to an hour. Serve cold or at room temperature.