Description
This Lemon Herb Smashed Cucumber Salad is a mix of marinated onions, cucumbers and avocado dressed in a delicious lemon herb mix. Easy to put together and a fun and refreshing way to get in your veggies.
Ingredients
- 1/2 med red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced
- 3 tbsp fresh dill, minced
- 1, 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 large English cucumber
- 1 large avocado, cubed
- 1/2 tsp dry thyme
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Kosher salt
To serve: cooked grains of choice like rice, quinoa, farro, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Add the thinly sliced onions to a mixing bowl with the garlic, lemon zest and juice, maple syrup, oil, vinegar, mustard, parsley, dill and a generous pinch of salt. With clean hands, massage the ingredients together to soften the onions. Cover and place in the fridge while you prep the remaining ingredients.
- Place the rinsed chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry, discarding any chickpea skins that rub off on their own.
- Transfer the chickpeas to a parchment lined baking tray then top with the oil and a pinch of salt. Toss to coat then spread them out into a single layer on the tray. Place in the oven on the bottom rack to bake for 20 minutes then remove from the oven to cool for 10 minutes. Add the garlic powder and thyme, then toss together with a spoon and bake again for 10 minutes to crisp up.
- Meanwhile, place your halved cucumbers cut side down on a flat cutting board then with the flat side of your knife, smack down along the length of the cucumber until it splits. Slice the cucumbers diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces.
- Transfer the cut cucumbers to a strainer propped on top of a bowl. Top the cucumbers with a generous sprinkle of salt and allow to sit and drain for 15-20 minutes. Give the cucumbers a gentle squeeze to release more water if desired, then transfer them to a mixing bowl with the marinated onions and avocado. Toss to evenly mix the salad.
- Portion and serve the cucumber salad over your favorite grains then top with the crispy chickpeas. Add additional fresh herbs as desired and enjoy.
Notes
For less of that sharp astringent onion taste, soak your onions. Place the sliced onions in a cold water bath for 10 minutes while you are prepping the rest of your ingredients. Drain them well then use in the recipe as instructed. This will make the onion taste milder.
Sprinkle your cucumber with salt and/or sugar to draw out more water. While you can skip this step, drawing out that extra water will help keep the cucumber crisp and also prevent your salad from getting overly soggy.
If you want crispy chickpeas, do the following. Make sure to dry your chickpeas well with a kitchen towel before placing on the baking sheet. After the initial roast, allow the chickpeas to cool for 10 minutes then toss with your spices and allow to roast again to crisp up. It also helps to allow the chickpeas to cool completely. All these steps help to reduce the amount of moisture that the chickpeas hold, which leads to a crispier chickpea.
Customize this to your liking. Not a fan of chickpeas? Make this with roasted lentils or tofu. Don’t like avocado? Try this with grilled or roasted zucchini. Change up the herbs or seasonings based on your preference. This is just a simple framework that is easy to customize with what you have on hand.
Save time. There are areas of this recipe that you can adapt to fit your time commitment. You can skip draining your cucumbers if you don’t mind the extra moisture they bring to the dish. Feel free to skip roasting the chickpeas and just add them straight to the mix if you don’t feel like turning on the oven (also works with edamame as an alternative). As always, do you.
