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Cucumber Salad with Olives, Oregano, and Almonds

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on July 2, 2012

Time

40 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Cucumber Salad with Olives, Oregano, and Almonds

Ingredients

4 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced very thin⅓ cup white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 1 ½ teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon pepper ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped coarse1 shallot, sliced very thin½ cup chopped fresh parsley 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano 3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted and chopped coarse

Before You Begin

This salad is best served within one hour of being dressed.

Instructions

  1. Evenly spread cucumber slices on paper towel–lined baking sheet. Refrigerate while preparing dressing.
  2. Bring vinegar to simmer in saucepan over medium-low heat; cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer vinegar to bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Whisk in lemon juice, oil, sugar, salt, and pepper.
  3. When ready to serve, add cucumbers, olives, shallot, parsley, and oregano to dressing and toss to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes; retoss, sprinkle with almonds, and serve.

Cucumber Salad with Olives, Oregano, and Almonds

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Time

40 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

4 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced very thin
⅓ cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
½ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped coarse
1 shallot, sliced very thin
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted and chopped coarse

Ingredients

4 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced very thin
⅓ cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
½ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped coarse
1 shallot, sliced very thin
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted and chopped coarse

Ingredients

4 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced very thin
⅓ cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
½ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped coarse
1 shallot, sliced very thin
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted and chopped coarse

Why This Recipe Works

We started our Cucumber Salad recipe by selecting American cucumbers, which are crunchier than their English cousins. Draining the thinly sliced cucumbers on paper towels helped to wick away some of their moisture, and using some of the remaining liquid in the dressing gave it more fresh cucumber flavor. Our Cucumber Salad recipe’s dressing used a base of vinegar, which we simmered to preserve its character and mellow its sharp bite.

Before You Begin

This salad is best served within one hour of being dressed.

Instructions

  1. Evenly spread cucumber slices on paper towel–lined baking sheet. Refrigerate while preparing dressing.
  2. Bring vinegar to simmer in saucepan over medium-low heat; cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer vinegar to bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Whisk in lemon juice, oil, sugar, salt, and pepper.
  3. When ready to serve, add cucumbers, olives, shallot, parsley, and oregano to dressing and toss to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes; retoss, sprinkle with almonds, and serve.

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