Cool and Crisp Cucumber Salsa
There is a bit of a running joke in the gardening community about zucchini. They are incredibly prolific, and no matter how much you eat and give away, there always seem to be more and more and MORE. Unless you are me. Then you can’t grow a zucchini to save your dang life.
Seriously. Zucchini are so easy-to-grow, so bountiful, that there is even a holiday to give them away to your neighbors. But I can count on one hand the number of zucchinis I’ve successfully grown over the years. What can I say, it’s a curse!
Now cucumber? Friends, I can grow you some cucumbers.
I’ve never grown a cucumber plant that produced less than 457 cucumbers. And over the years, I’ve gotten quite skilled at using up all that crisp, cool, cucumber-y deliciousness. This crisp, cool, and spicy Cucumber Salsa is one of my new favorite ways to do so!
How is this different than regular salsa?
In this salsa, tomatoes play second-fiddle to the cool and crisp cucumbers. I chose red and yellow tomatoes for a bit of a fun burst of color, and I think they are so pretty against the simple background of the pale green cucumber chunks.
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Tomatoes are a strong and acidic flavor and that makes standard salsa bold and a bit in-your-face. This salsa is mild and light, but still full of flavor. It is great paired with lighter fare, because the salsa won’t overpower other flavors. We had it on fish tacos! It was flavorful enough to make the taco delicious, but mild enough to let the whitefish flavor shine through. It’s equally as good piled high on a tortilla chip!
What is in this cucumber salsa?
To make this cucumber salsa recipe, you’ll need cucumbers (duh), red onion, and tomatoes for the bulk of the veggies. Mix those with some jalapeño, garlic, and cilantro, and you’re almost there!
To finish, you’ll mix some lime juice with cumin, red wine vinegar, and a little salt, and stir that into all the veggies. A little rest in the fridge and you’ve got salsa!
The key to any good salsa is an even chop. I’m a huge fan of the “roughly chop” school of culinary skills most of the time, but in the case of salsa, you want to get every piece of flavor in each bite. That requires an even chop. Take a little bit of time to cut your veggies well and you’ll be rewarded with a pretty salsa with a well-balanced flavor.
What else can I do with (too many!) cucumbers?
Some of my other favorite ways to use up a windfall of cukes:
- Pickles (duh)
- Cucumber and onion salad
- Cucumber limeade
- Cucumber and tomato salad
- Cucumber mojitos
- Cucumber water
- Cucumber and strawberry margs
- Tzatziki sauce.
Cucumber Salsa
Ingredients
- 2 cups seeded and diced cucumber about 2 medium (peeled, if desired)
- 1 cup diced red onion about 1 medium
- 1 cup diced seeded tomato, about 1 medium
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro about half of one bunch
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 medium jalapeño seeds and membrane removed, finely minced (see notes)
- ¼ cup lime juice about 2 medium limes worth
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Salt to taste
- Tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
- Combine cucumber, onion, tomato, cilantro, garlic, and jalapeño in a medium-sized bowl, set aside.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients.
- Pour dressing over veggies and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
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