Cucumber-Avocado Salad
Updated July 18, 2021
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
2 scallions, trimmed then sliced crosswise ¼-inch-thick
Ice
1 pound cucumbers (such as 6 Persian or mini seedless, or 1 English)
Kosher salt
2 very ripe avocados
2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice, or unseasoned rice vinegar, plus more as needed
Red-pepper flakes or hot sauce, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
13 grams carbs; 182 calories; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 15 grams fat; 8 grams fiber; 537 milligrams sodium; 3 grams protein; 3 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Transfer the scallions to a small bowl of ice water to crisp.
- Step 2
Peel the cucumbers in alternating strips and trim ends. If desired, halve lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut cucumbers into bite-size pieces (thin slices, ½-inch cubes, or smashed into irregular shapes), then transfer to a colander set in the sink. Toss with 1 teaspoon salt and set aside to drain, at least 5 minutes or up to 15.
- Step 3
When you’re ready to eat, halve the avocados and remove the pits. Using a spoon, remove the flesh from the skins, then cut the flesh into ½-inch cubes. Transfer to a large bowl, add the lemon juice and season with salt. Stir to combine.
- Step 4
Shake the cucumbers in the colander to get rid of any excess moisture, then transfer to the bowl with the avocado. Drain and shake the scallions in the colander. Add the scallions to the bowl.
- Step 5
Stir the salad ingredients vigorously just until the avocado breaks down a bit. The cucumbers should be glossed with avocado but the majority of the avocado pieces should still remain cubed. Season to taste with salt, lemon and red-pepper flakes or hot sauce.
Private Notes
Comments
What does alternating strips mean?
Alternating stripes means you take your peeler, start at the head or the foot of the cucumber, peel from top to bottom in one straight line, then go back to the top, and instead of peeling a new peel right next to the old one you move a bit away, and again peel from top to bottom in one straight line Repeat until you've gone all around the cucumber once. Your final product will have alternating peeled and unpeeled stripes, a bit like a cucumber version of seersucker, but with thicker stripes.
I added a handful of mint, which I would do again. Delicious and perfect for a hot summer night!
This recipe is fantastic!! I’ve made it for parties, quiet dinners at home with hubby over 10 times. Everyone loves it! And it really only takes 10-15 min to make it.
I might try this again with some modifications, like adding avocado cubes or slices toward the end and tossing lightly rather than stirring vigorously to coat everything with avocado— I love avocado, but its rapid oxidation made the whole dish look like it was mixed with “yuck” (to be polite). Serve small portions immediately and don’t even think about leftovers. Nobody wanted to touch it the next day, including me…!
Loved this, but I think it would be best eaten the day of. For two people you may want to half. I agree that lots of goodies could be added like others have suggested. I will rinse my cukes next time as I think they were a bit too salty and I love salt.