Samin Nosrat’s Vietnamese Cucumber Salad
Description
As someone who loves to cook, it’s a shame I’m not a better gardener. How nice would it be, I often think, to step outside with my kitchen shears to trim lettuce and herbs for our nightly salad, to pluck snap peas for snacking and cucumbers for pickling? I like to imagine my yard a sea of raised beds, to picture my days spent outside tending my mini farm, my nights in the kitchen cooking and preserving my daily harvests.
Ingreadient :
- 2 pounds (about 8) Persian or Japanese cucumbers, stripey peeled
- 1 large jalapeño, seeds and veins removed if desired, thinly sliced
- 3 scallions, finely sliced
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated or pounded with a pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
- 16 large mint leaves, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup toasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup neutral-tasting oil
- 4 to 5 tablespoons lime juice
- 4 teaspoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Pinch of salt
Direction :
- Using either a Japanese mandoline or a sharp knife, thinly slice the cucumbers into coins, discarding the ends. Place slices in a colander. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of kosher salt. Toss and let drain 10 minutes. Transfer cucumbers to a tea towel and blot dry.
- In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, jalapeno, scallions, garlic, cilantro, mint, and peanuts. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, 4 tablespoons lime juice, the vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, and a small pinch of salt. Dress the salad with the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and more lime juice as needed. Serve immediately.
