Gurkensalat
Cucumber and dill salad
Gurkensalat: thinly sliced German cucumber salad in a dill and vinegar dressing
Gurkensalat is on German tables from Bavaria to Berlin all summer, served alongside potato pancakes, egg dishes or the Sunday roast, and it is just as common at a garden barbecue. Cucumber is sliced almost paper-thin, salted briefly, then dressed with a little vinegar, sugar, onion and lots of fresh dill, so it is cool, sharp and soft-crunchy. Some households stir in soured cream; this vinaigrette version is vegan. It is very light, with about 1 g of protein a portion, so it is purely a side. The most common mistake is skipping the salting: unsalted slices weep water into the bowl and dilute the dressing within minutes. Chef's tip: squeeze the salted slices gently in your hands before dressing; they bend like ribbons and take up the dill dressing much better.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 cucumbersabout 600 g
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ small onionvery finely chopped
- ½ oz fresh dillchopped
For the dressing
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 pinch white pepper
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What you'll need
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Method
0/4 doneStep 2: Toss the slices with 1 tsp salt in a colander and leave for 10 minutes, until they have released a pool of water.
10 minStep 3: Whisk 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, 2 tbsp sunflower oil and 1 pinch white pepper together until the sugar dissolves, then stir in ½ small onion and ½ oz fresh dill.
Step 4: Squeeze the cucumber gently by the handful, then toss with the dressing. Taste (it rarely needs more salt) and serve within an hour while still crisp.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 70 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gurkensalat take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of cucumbers?
- Courgette, same weight (in salads, use young ones).
- What can I use instead of small onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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