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Hungarian cucumber salad

Course Salad
Cuisine Hungarian
Keyword cucumber, garlic, vinegar
Prep Time 15 minutes
Resting Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 2 English cucumbers
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp salt - mostly to prepare cucumbers
  • 1.5 cups water
  • 3 tbsp white vinegar - 5%
  • 2 tsp powdered (icing) sugar
  • 1 pinch red paprika powder
  • 1 pinch ground black pepper
  • sour cream for serving - optional

Instructions

  • Wash and peel the cucumbers, discard the ends, and slice into very thin slices with a mandolin.
  • Place the cucumbers into a bowl, add the salt, and mix. Cover and put it aside for about 30 min.
  • In the meantime mix the water, minced garlic and the vinegar in a small bowl. Add the sugar gradually. The brine is not going to be sweet, it is just reducing the acidic flavour of the vinegar. Add more vinegar and sugar if you like. Add a pinch of red paprika and ground pepper.
  • After 30 minutes the salted cucumber will give off liquid. Remove the sliced cucumbers one handful at a time and gently squeeze out any extra liquid (you may wear gloves, or squeeze with a large spoon). Discard the liquid.
  • Add the vinegar mix to the cucumbers, stir, cover, and put it into the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle the top with some red paprika and ground black pepper, and serve the cucumbers and some juice in small salad bowls on the side with a main dish. Enjoy!

Notes

  • The salad could be served right away, but the best is to serve it chilled. 
  • You can add some green or red onions cut into small pieces, some thinly sliced tomatoes as well.
  • Try the chilled juice! It is extremely refreshing on a hot summer day.
  • You can put some sour cream on the table when serving, for those who like adding some to their salad.
  • The salad is served usually along with a main dish, like chicken paprikash, but it is just delicious by itself too, you will see. There is a high chance, that it is going to "disappear" from the salad bowls, if it is served earlier than the main course. 
  • Field or slicer cucumbers are in season in Ontario and Quebec late summer - they are an awesome option for this salad. They tend to have bigger seeds, and thicker skin.