Name: Cucumber Salad with Jalapeno, Cilantro, and Pepitas
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 4 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced very thin; 1/3 cup white wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon lime juice; 2 teaspoons grated lime zest; 1 seeded and minced jalapeno chile; 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 cup chopped cilantro; 3 tablespoons pepitas, toasted and chopped coarse

Why This Recipe Works

We started our Cucumber Salad recipe by selecting American cucumbers, which are crunchier than their English cousins. Draining the thinly sliced cucumbers on paper towels helped to wick away some of their moisture, and using some of the remaining liquid in the dressing gave it more fresh cucumber flavor. Our Cucumber Salad recipe’s dressing used a base of vinegar, which we simmered to preserve its character and mellow its sharp bite.

Before You Begin

This salad is best served within one hour of being dressed.

Instructions

Evenly spread cucumber slices on paper towel–lined baking sheet. Refrigerate while preparing dressing.

Bring vinegar to simmer in saucepan over medium-low heat; cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer vinegar to bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Whisk in lime juice, jalapeño, lime zest, oil, sugar, and salt.

When ready to serve, add cucumbers and cilantro to dressing and toss to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes; retoss, sprinkle with pepitas, and serve.