crunchy cucumber salad

this salad is simple to assemble and you can use almost any thinly sliced vegetable you like. i have been on a radish kick lately, and cucumber classically pairs with yogurt and lemon so it wasn’t a far stretch. one technique you may notice in the recipe that’s a bit unusual is that i washed the onion after slicing it. in a salad like this that blends a lot of subtle, complementary flavors, i didn’t want the onion flavor to be too sharp. so i rinsed it briefly under cold water to remove some of its pungency and make it a bit more palatable. then i simply patted it dry with a paper towel and added it to the salad.

1 c. cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 c. radish, thinly sliced
1/4 c. onion, thinly sliced, rinsed under cold water and dried
1/4 c. fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
about 1/2 t. sriracha or other chile sauce
about 3/4 c. plain yogurt

in a bowl, combine the cucumber, radish, onion, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper. mix well, and add the sriracha to taste. this is where your fabulous pink tint will come from.

add the yogurt by the spoonful, mixing well between each addition. it is up to you how much or little you add, depending on how thick you want the sauce. check the salad for seasoning, and let sit in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes before serving, so the flavors can blend. note: some of the liquid from the vegetables will ooze out as the salad sits, so be sure to toss it well before serving and drain before serving if you don’t like it thin. this is the perfect accompaniment to my recipe for dhal. serves 2 and is best eaten the same day it is prepared!

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