Cucumber Salad with Chile, Mint, and Basil
By America's Test KitchenPublished on May 10, 2013
Time
40 minutes
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
4 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced very thin⅓ cup white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 tablespoon fish sauce or fish sauce substitute2 seeded and minced Thai chiles 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt ¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves ¼ cup chopped fresh basil ¼ cup coarsely chopped peanuts, toasted
Before You Begin
This salad is best served within one hour of being dressed.
Instructions
- Evenly spread cucumber slices on paper towel–lined baking sheet. Refrigerate while preparing dressing.
- 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 lime juice, fish sauce, chiles, oil, sugar, and salt.
- When ready to serve, add cucumbers, mint, and basil to dressing and toss to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes; retoss, sprinkle with peanuts, and serve.
Time
40 minutesYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
4 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced very thin
⅓ cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce or fish sauce substitute
2 seeded and minced Thai chiles
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup coarsely chopped peanuts, toasted
Ingredients
4 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced very thin
⅓ cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce or fish sauce substitute
2 seeded and minced Thai chiles
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup coarsely chopped peanuts, toasted
Ingredients
4 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced very thin
⅓ cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce or fish sauce substitute
2 seeded and minced Thai chiles
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup coarsely chopped peanuts, toasted
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
- Evenly spread cucumber slices on paper towel–lined baking sheet. Refrigerate while preparing dressing.
- 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 lime juice, fish sauce, chiles, oil, sugar, and salt.
- When ready to serve, add cucumbers, mint, and basil to dressing and toss to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes; retoss, sprinkle with peanuts, and serve.
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