Cucumber and Red Pepper Salad

The sun is shining and a light breeze is blowing through my Chicago apartment office.  So I have decided a gorgeous day like today requires a refreshing and easy salad.  Cucumbers are in full season right now and my local farmer’s market is jammed full of all different shapes and sizes of the juicy green bundles of happy.  So what would be the best salad recipe to highlight the crisp texture of a cucumber, you ask?  A Cucumber Salad of course!  I make this delightful side dish as often as I can, and every time the flavor is just as explosive as the time before.

While I was gathering the ingredients to make my Cucumber Salad, I noticed a half of a red pepper on the middle shelf of my fridge.  I could tell it was desperately begging me to use it before withering away to nothing.  So, I decided to pump up the volume of my salad by adding the brilliant red pepper to contrast against the green of the cucumber.  Tossed with the rice wine vinegar, finely chopped onion and a little sugar for sweetness and you’ve got a summer Cucumber and Red Pepper Salad.

Cucumber and Red Pepper Salad
5 cups fresh cucumber, deseeded and chopped
1 cup red pepper, julienned
½ cup rice wine vinegar
½ cup finely diced sweet yellow onion
1 teaspoon white sugar
salt to taste

In a large bowl, toss all the ingredients together and chill to allow the flavors to harmonize before serving.  Served 4 – 6 people

Authors Note:  Yep, this salad is that easy.  I like to remove some of the peel from the cucumber to expose the flesh before chopping.  This creates a great contrast and texture when the salad is combined.  To deseed the cucumbers, simply cut lengthwise and run a spoon down the center to remove all the seeds.

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