Cucumber Mint Salad with Feta

Crisp, almost sweet, mini Persian cucumbers make a cool, refreshing cucumber mint salad with feta cheese. Toss with fresh herbs, like mint or dill and a light, lemony vinaigrette. It's perfect for hot summer days. If you think you don’t like cucumbers, try this salad. It just might change your mind.

Cucumber Mint Salad with Feta

I was not a cucumber lover until I discovered Persian cucumbers. I was instantly transformed into a cucumber lover in one bite. Thin-skinned, no wax, crisp, sweet flesh, almost seedless. English cucumbers are also an excellent choice for this cucumber mint salad.

Botanically speaking, cucumbers, like tomatoes, are really a fruit. Cucumbers are loaded with phytonutrients (plant-nutrients) which provide valuable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer benefits. They are hydrating on a hot summer day making this the perfect summer salad. And it's super simple to make.

Cucumber Mint Salad Ingredients

I prefer Persian cucumbers for this refreshing salad, but you can use English cucumbers (also called hothouse or seedless). They are long, thin and wrapped in a plastic cover to protect the skin. Skip the regular or field cucumbers with the heavy waxy skins.

• Persian cucumbers (or English)
• Red onion
• Fresh mint (dill is good too)
• Crumbled feta cheese (or goat cheese, skip for vegan and dairy-free)
• Lemon
• Olive or avocado oil
• Sea salt and pepper

How to Make Cucumber Mint Salad with Feta

Slice the Cucumbers

Start by slicing cucumbers into quarters lengthwise. Next, slice out the seedy centers, then cut the quarters into small pieces on a diagonal. Another way to cut them is to halve the cucumbers, scoop the seeds out with a spoon, and chop into half moons (see below). It depends on how many seeds the cucumbers have.

Chop the Onion and Herbs

Add chopped red onion, chopped fresh mint (dill is good too), and crumbled feta cheese. Get a good Greek feta or use goat feta if cow’s milk cheeses don’t agree with you. Many people digest goat milk more easily due to the smaller fat particles.

Red onion tip: if red onions are too strong for you, after chopping put them in a bowl of ice water for about 10 minutes, then drain and dry before adding to the salad. It tempers the strength of red onions.

Make the Vinaigrette

For the vinaigrette, choose avocado or olive oil. Skip "vegetable" oil which is industrially produced and totally toxic, usually made from GMO soy. If you have any, toss it.

How to Buy and Store Cucumbers

Cucumbers can be sensitive to heat. When buying at the grocery store, choose from the refrigerated case. They should be firm with smooth, deep green skin, not wrinkled, limp, or wilted. At home, store in the refrigerator and enjoy within a few days.