7 ways to take cucumber salad from summer side to star

By Ali Slagle

What’s a good side for barbecue ribs? Hot dogs? Cajun shrimp boil? Bulgogi? Tonkatsu? Tandoori chicken?

The answer — for these or any summer main — is a cucumber sala

That’s because cucumbers are a cooling counterpart for hot food and hot weather. Their juicy crunch cuts through char, spice and richness, and mixing them into a salad doesn’t take much time or even any cooking. But there are just a few tricks to ensure they’re utterly refreshing.

Here are seven ways to take your cucumber salads to new heights.

Concentrate their flavor

Cucumbers’ high water content — about 95% — makes them hydrating. But it has a downside: It can turn dressings or sauces into puddles. Sprinkling cucumbers in a colander with a big pinch of salt draws out their liquid, leaving them crunchier, sweeter and more concentrated in flavor.

Keep some peel

Peeling cucumbers in alternating strips keeps them from getting mushy, while the exposed area can soak up seasonings. It’s a win-win.

Smash them

Smashing cucumbers with the side of a knife or a rolling pin is a classic technique throughout Asia. It’s not only fun, but it also makes for a better end product, as the craggy surfaces better soak up more dressing than smooth, slick and slippery slices.

Pair them with other fruits …

Even though they aren’t always treated like one, cucumbers are a fruit, so pair them with brighter, tangier and sweeter fruits. Cucumbers’ subtle savoriness and not-so-subtle crunch accentuate plush summer plums, cherries, peaches, melons and more.

… Especially the other summer staple that’s really a fruit: tomato

Tomatoes and cucumbers, a summertime power couple, have been cooling us off forever in dishes including Greek salad, Persian shirazi or Indian kachumber. Their strength is in their complementary attributes: Tomatoes’ acidity brightens the cucumbers, while the cucumbers tone down tomatoes’ sharper edges.

Contrast with creaminess

For a salad that’s soft and luxurious rather than all crunch, add something creamy. That might be a dressing rich with buttermilk, yogurt, sour cream or coconut milk; a milky cheese like burrata or ricotta; or slivers of silken tofu or avocado.

Toss everything with herbs

Soft-stemmed herbs like cilantro, parsley and dill are exactly what laid-back cucumbers need — bursts of summer-fresh flavor — so add them by the fistful.