Quick Pickled Cucumber Salad Recipe

This recipe resides in that small but happy space between side dish, condiment, and healthy meal. It's good enough to eat on its own, but it's also the type of punchy, assertive salad that can be served over a piece of grilled salmon, chicken, (or even steak) and you can even tuck it into your favorite a wrap or sandwich. It's also a great choice for weekly meal planning, too. You can try doubling (or tripling depending on how many you cook for) on the recipe and you'll have a delicious and healthy go-to in your fridge for those busier nights when you'd otherwise reach for the phone and call up your friendly pizza delivery guy. It'll keep in your fridge for about five days, so make enough to last all week and you won't be sorry.

Nutrition: 60 calories, 3.5 g fat (0.5 g saturated), 480 mg sodium

Serves 4

You'll Need

1 large English cucumber, sliced into thin rounds
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1⁄4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red chili flakes

How to Make It

1. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss.
2. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before eating.
3. This will keep covered in your fridge for up to 5 days.

Eat This Tip

Pickling 101

You can pickle all sorts of things, not just cucumbers. Enter radish, carrots, jalapeños, beets or even squash. Just thinly slice the items of your choice and place them in a sterilized jar, or even a mixing bowl as long as it can be tightly covered. Pour these items over the picked items to be:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar (or honey for a healthy alternative)
• 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns, crushed
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 chile pepper (optional)

Now cover, tightly and let it sit overnight. Then, ta-da! The veggies of your choice are now pickled. You can use these as a go-to addition to all sorts of things, such as salads, sandwiches, cheese plates, hors d'oeuvres, or even as a healthy snack to munch on by itself.

This recipe (and hundreds more!) came from one of our Cook This, Not That! books. For more easy cooking ideas, you can also buy the book!