Cucumber Salad Thanksgiving Side Dish

Thanksgiving can be a time of heavy dishes and overeating. To keep our food from being too overwhelming, we try to serve some lighter side dishes as well as the traditional mashed potatoes and gravy. I like cool, tangy salads to refresh my palate. This cucumber salad has a tangy taste and is served chilled. As an added bonus, it can be made up to a day in advance and refrigerated until it is time to serve. The dressing for this salad can be amped up by adding cayenne pepper or any herbs you like. I love to use a tarragon flavored vinegar and only use salt and pepper. This gives it a simplicity and ease that is very desirable when you are struggling to prepare ten different side dishes for your Thanksgiving feast! It is very easy to double or triple this recipe as needed for larger crowds. One of the other things I like about this recipe is that it is very cost effective. For a few dollars spent on your cucumbers and onion you come out with a delicious dish that anyone would love. This can also be prepared at any time as a refreshing change to a green salad. Fpr those who have concerns regarding the possibility of stomach issues from the cucumbers, you can purchase seedless or burp less cucumbers for a few dollars more.

Chilled Cucumber Salad

2 medium cucumbers

1 medium red onion

salt and pepper

1/2 cup vinegar (apple cider, tarragon or red wine vinegars all work well but you can use a plain white vinegar if you choose)

1 - 2 Tablespoons sugar

Prepare your cucumbers by cutting off the ends and using a fork to stripe the skins. You can completely peel them if you wish but the striped peel is very attractive. Thinly slice the cucumbers, use a mandolin for the easiest slicing. The thinner your slices, the better. You want them almost paper thin. Lightly salt the cucumbers, place them in a bowl and set aside. Prepare the red onion. Remove the skin and ends and thinly slice. You want the slices very thin so use a mandolin again. Separate the slices and add to the cucumbers.

Whisk together the vinegar, sugar and pepper. Taste the dressing and add more sugar or pepper as desired. Drain any excess liquid off of the cucumbers and onions and place in a serving bowl. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. The longer the cucumbers are in the dressing, the more flavor they will gather. Use a slotted spoon to serve to keep too much liquid off of the plates.