Cucumber Salad with Mango and Peanuts

Where, oh where, did this recipe come from? I do not know, but I have a beautiful piece of swordfish that is waiting for the grill. It's promising to be a hot day and I can think of no other more tasty way to complement that fish than to sit it beside a cool, spicy, citrusy cucumber salad ... I can hardly wait!

BUT ... wait I must. This salad takes a bit of  'prep and leave it' work. The cukes must be thinly sliced and then tossed with pickling salt (non-iodized salt, for those not in the know) to pull some of the moisture out and make them more crunchy. So, I have done the 'slice and toss' and then left them in a colander that sits on a plate (to catch the juices). They are weighted down with a big old plastic zip-lock bag that I filled with COLD water. They will be under the weight of water ( I loved that book!)  for a few hours this morning, then I'll rinse them well and spin them out in a salad spinner before I throw them in the fridge for later.

THEN, I think I'll go to the lake for a bit of a sunbath and swim! Later on, Silent Bob can take care of the grill action and I'll do the final prep on the salad.!

Spicy Cucumber Salad with Mango and Peanuts - printer friendly

Spicy Cucumber Salad with Mango and Peanuts

Prepping the Cucumbers:
In a colander, toss with 1 tbsp. pickling salt (non-iodized salt):

     6 baby cucumbers, cut length-wise and then thinly sliced

 Weight the cucumbers with a zip-lock bag filled with cold water and allow the cucumbers to drain for at least one hour.

Later, rinse and drain the cucumbers and spin them dry in a salad spinner or pat dry with paper towels.

Place in a covered container and refrigerate until later.

Making the Salad:

In a large bowl, combine:

     4 c. prepared cucumbers
     1 small yellow or orange sweet bell pepper, trimmed and seed, sliced thinly
     1 medium mango, peeled and chopped into ½ inch cubes
     ½ c. purple onion, finely chopped
     1 tbsp. jalapeño pepper, finely minced
     2/3 c. roasted peanuts, chopped
     2 ½ tbsp. fresh lime juice
     ½ c. cilantro leaves, chopped

Toss the ingredients and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle additional cilantro and peanuts on top of the salad and serve immediately.


Yummy finished product ... was wonderfully crunchy, sweet, salty, spicy hot. Perfect foil to the fish! It could be improved upon, though! A teaspoon of sugar and diced fresh pineapple would be worthy additions. Make it using the current recipe and see what you think...