More often than not during the summer months, I have a cucumber rolling around in the crisper drawer. I buy a couple every week to use with our simple dinner salads and occasionally for quick pickles. More often than I like to admit, I wait until the last minute to use them and that's when salads like this cucumber salad happen. I love tossing whatever grains and herbs I have around and that makes quick work of a salad like this. I prefer to use burpless cucumbers (like Persian cucumbers) but really any type of cucumber will work.
I like keeping salads simple since the majority of version serve as a side for dinner. I also find it's easy to think of adding items once you have a solid base. A few options for this cucumber salad:
Legumes: Add a handful of cooked chickpeas, white beans, or lentils to the salad. The legumes pair well with the herbs and add a boost of protein.
Grains: Swap the farro for your favorite grain. I prefer the grains that have a bit chewy texture (like sorghum, oat groats, or spelt) but if you're short on time, try millet or quinoa.
Cheese: I love adding a sprinkle of crumbled feta or goat cheese to the salad.
I love the refreshing flavor of fresh, summer cucumbers in salads. It's the perfect ingredient for the hot days that last well in to August and provide ample crunch. As mentioned above, I like the English Cucumber for this particular salad but I'm not always picky. A few other cucumber recipes to try:
Spiced Chickpea Cucumber Salad
Cucumber Satay Crunch
Bread and Butter Pickles
Ummm delicious!! I love cucumbers cooked in any way.
I had never tried a form like this, thank you very much for the recipe.
gonna make this right now, but will use barley,,what a nice lunch it will be, thx