In 2006, Akon said to us, “Smack that.” We can’t be 100% sure, but do we think he could have been talking about cucumbers?
Either way, this Smacked Cucumber Salad has a chokehold on us and we literally cannot stop eating it, so thought it’d be quite rude if we didn’t share it with you too.
Originally a staple Iranian side dish, this salad is fresh, vibrant and let’s all of our favourite spring veggies really shine.
You’ll need:
- 5 cucumbers
- 1 cup of peas (fresh or frozen)
- 2 radishes
- ½ of a fennel bulb
- 1 cup of greek yoghurt
- Handful of mint leaves
- Optional: goat’s cheese
And have some Olive Oil, Lemon Juice and S&P handy for the dressing.
Let’s smack!
- Chop the ends off your cucumber and then, using the flat side of a large knife (careful, please), give them a few, big smashes until they split and break.
- Scrape away the seedy bits* and then break up your cucumbers into little bite-sized chunks, about 3-4cm in size. Add a sprinkle of salt, and let rest for 20 mins.
- Blanch your peas (a good guide here) and then refresh them with cold water. We don’t want steamy peas in this salad, please!
- Chop up your other veg into fine slices, and finely slice your mint. Pop a few leaves to the side for presentation.
- Mix together your smacked cukes, veg and herbs with s good drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice and salt & pepper to taste.
- Now, we build! Take your greek yoghurt and spread a thin layer across your serving plate. Top with your salad mix, goat’s cheese if you want it and a few mint leaves for some extra decoration.
Enjoy, but be warned. Once you smack, you’ll never go back.
Make it? We wanna see it. Share it and tag us at @eat___dailyfood <3
*Note: if you don’t want to waste the seedy bits – store yours in the fridge and use as a special ingredient in a refreshing spring drink or cocktail. Yum!
