Cucumber Salad is an absolute classic and the combination of dill and cucumber is truly one of the most refreshing and complimentary flavour combinations out there! In this cucumber salad recipe, the flavours of dill and cucumber truly shine when combined with our creamy and salty Ontario made feta from Best Baa dairy, crunchy organic almonds from Mike & Mike's and a tangy chardonnay vinaigrette.
There are two different versions of cucumber salad that you may be used to seeing. There's the light version with a vinegar based dressing and there is also a creamy version with a dressing made of sour cream or Greek yogurt in combination with garlic, herbs and vinegar.
This cucumber salad recipe is the lighter vinegar based version and has the perfect balance of flavours and textures with bright acidity. This salad is ready to eat in under 10 minutes from prep to plate and is the perfect side to get you in the mood for summer weather!
Try adding some of our Scout Canning Ontario Rainbow Trout to this salad to make it a meal!
Cucumber Skin: Yay or Nay?
For this recipe, we left the skin on our English cucumbers as this variety of cucumber has a nice, thin skin that provides a little extra texture and colour to the salad! English cucumbers are also called "seedless" cucumbers because they don't have the large seeds you may find in other cucumber varieties.
For example, a garden or field cucumber has a thick and sometimes bitter skin and large seeds, so if you are using this variety of cucumber in this recipe, you might want to peel and de-seed them before using.
Meet Our Farmers & Producers
Great Lakes Greenhouses
The gorgeous English cucumbers used used in this recipe are locally sourced from Great Lakes Greenhouses. Great Lakes is a certified organic greenhouse in Leamington, ON.
In an effort to reduce their carbon footprint, they generate all of their energy on-site and the excess heat that is produced is captured and used to heat the greenhouse.
Best Baa Dairy
The feta cheese used in this cucumber salad recipe is from Best Baa Dairy, one of our many amazing Ontario cheese producers! Located in Fergus, ON, Best Baa is owned and operated by Peter and Nicole Bzikot.
Best Baa uses non-homogenized ewe's milk as the basis for most of their cheeses, all of which is sourced from within 100km of their facility! They source milk from farmers who pasture feed their flocks in the warmer months and supply them with alfalfa hay in winter.
Their diets are not supplemented with corn or soya products. Their packaging is recyclable and BPA free.
If you haven't tried their feta cheese at The Market yet - it is a MUST try!
Niagara Vinegar
Niagara Vinegar is based in St. Catharines and is part of Hernder Estate Wines and use a very straight forward fermentation process to create their vinegars!
Their chardonnay white wine vinegar is used in the chimichurri in this recipe!
Vancouver Island Sea Salt
Our incredible flaky sea salt from Vancouver Island Salt Co. is a must-try local alternative to the popular Malden brand! It is sustainably produced and hand harvested in small batches in Vancouver Island.
Vancouver Island Sea Salt is completely natural with over 30 trace minerals intact, meaning that none of the additives or chemicals that are commonly found in mass-produced sea salts — a difference you can taste!
Ingredients
- 1 x Great Lakes Greenhouses English cucumber, thinly sliced (you can use a mandolin to get nice and thin, consistent slices if you have one on hand!)
- 1/2 cup crumbled Best Baa Feta
- 1-2 heaping tbsp chopped fresh Mike & Mike's organic dill
- 3 tbsp Mike & Mike's roasted almonds, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup Olive oil
- 1/4 cup Niagara Vinegar chardonnay wine vinegar
- Juice & zest of 1 Mike & Mike's organic lemons
- Sprinkle of Vancouver Island sea salt
Method
First, start by thinly slicing your English cucumber. This can be done with a mandolin if you have one on hand or with a chef's knife. Try to keep your slices consistent in width and nice and thin so that you can see light through the slices and they bend easily. Transfer them to a large salad bowl.
Next, roughly chop your roasted almonds and crumble your feta cheese and add them to the bowl with the cucumbers. Remove the dill frons from the large stem and finely chop the dill and add it to the bowl.
In a small bowl, zest your lemon and set the zest aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together your lemon juice, olive oil, chardonnay vinegar and some sea salt and whisk until emulsified.
Pour a quarter cup of the dressing over the cucumber, almond, feta and dill mixture and using your hands, gently mix until everything is coated in dressing.
Sprinkle with some lemon zest and flaky sea salt and voila, you have a fresh, bright, delicious and insanely easy cucumber salad to enjoy!
Did You Try This Recipe?
If so, we'd love to see your finished product! Share a photo of your Easy Dill, Cucumber & Feta Salad With Chardonnay Vinaigrette on Instagram and tag us at @themarketat100kmfood!
