Ina Garten Has a Clever Trick for Making the Best Cucumber Salad Ever

If there’s anybody who can take a easy, traditional salad and provides it a tiny twist to make it really feel elegant, it’s Ina Garten. We’ve already discovered she makes a memorable potato salad and a crave-worthy chicken salad, so I used to be desirous to strive her creamy cucumber salad. Initially revealed in her 2008 cookbook Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, the recipe can also be shared on Meals Community’s web site, the place it will get many rave opinions.

There have been a number of issues that caught my eye as I learn by this recipe. First was the dressing, which makes use of a mixture of whole-milk yogurt (that will get strained for at the very least 4 hours), bitter cream, and many contemporary dill. Subsequent was the truth that Ina requires salting and draining the sliced cucumbers and onion for no less than 4 hours. Lastly, the quantity of salt jumped out to me: You utilize almost 2 1/2 tablespoons of kosher salt in addition to 2 1/2 teaspoons of freshly floor black pepper. Right here’s the way it went once I made Ina’s cucumber salad for myself.

To start, combine thinly sliced cucumbers, sliced pink onion, and salt in a big bowl. The recipe requires Sizzling Home cucumbers, that are the identical as English cucumbers — you recognize, the extra-long ones wrapped in plastic. Switch the greens to a colander, place the colander inside a big bowl, cowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at the very least 4 hours and as much as in a single day. Discard the liquid.

In the meantime, line a advantageous mesh strainer with paper towels, place over a bowl, and add yogurt to the strainer. Cowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at the very least 4 hours and as much as in a single day. Discard the liquid.

Roll the cucumbers in paper towels or a clear kitchen towel to press out any remaining liquid. Place the cucumbers, yogurt, bitter cream, vinegar, contemporary dill, salt, and black pepper in a big bowl and blend nicely to mix. Refrigerate for a couple of hours. Season with extra salt and pepper, and serve chilled.

The issue with most creamy cucumber salads is that even when they style nice, the dressing tends to be skinny, dribbly, and run proper off the cucumbers. This additionally means the creamy dressing runs into every little thing else in your plate.

However Ina’s creamy cucumber salad is not like some other model I’ve ever tasted. The dressing is thick, wealthy, and impossibly creamy, with out feeling heavy. Better of all, it coats the cucumber slices with out dribbling off. Regardless of the mix of plain yogurt, bitter cream, and vinegar, the extent of tang is gentle, which leaves room for the cucumbers and contemporary dill to shine with out being overpowered.

The primary time I learn by the recipe, salting the cucumbers and straining the yogurt for at the very least 4 hours felt just a little fussy. However now I do know it’s value it. Straining the yogurt removes a lot of the liquid (on this case a couple of full cup!) that might in any other case make the dressing skinny and runny. When tackled the day earlier than, all that’s left to do earlier than serving is combine the salad elements collectively within the bowl and chill for a short while.

I’ll say I’m shocked Ina didn’t name for peeling the cucumbers. In reality, I learn the recipe at the very least 5 occasions as a result of I used to be positive I’d missed the directions. I went with it as a result of Ina virtually at all times is aware of finest, however for a salad that in any other case completely impressed me, I didn’t just like the robust texture of the cucumber pores and skin. I additionally discovered the recipe to be too heavy-handed with the black pepper. Neither turned me off from this salad, although, and each are easy fixes for the following time I make it.

Have you ever tried Ina Garten’s Creamy Cucumber Salad recipe? Tell us within the feedback!