Asian Cucumber Salad
Serves: 6
Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: <10 minutes
Marinate: 2-3 hours or overnight

This extremely easy Japanese-inspired salad makes for a quick picnic or potluck addition.

1½ cucumbers
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp veggie oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs and 1½ tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbs and 1½ tsp soy sauce

Cut the cucumber(s) lengthwise, scoop out seeds with a spoon, and slice cucumber(s) in bite-sized pieces. Transfer to a salad bowl. In a small bowl, mix together salt, oil, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce. Pour over cucumber(s) and gently toss. Refrigerate for several hours before serving, tossing every so often.

Notes:
One good size English cucumber can be substituted for the 1½ regular cucumbers.
Canola oil works well, as it’s lack of flavor doesn’t interfere with the other seasonings.
You can use any mild vinegar. I usually use a brown rice vinegar instead of the rice wine vinegar.
Use low sodium soy sauce to help reduce the salt content of the dish.
The cucumbers may get soggy if this recipe is made too far in advance. One way to combat this is to remove the marinade after the initial 2-3 hour exposure. The cucumbers will retain the flavor, but won’t become soggy as quickly.