Cucumber Mint Quinoa Salad

Are you a gardener? What kind of cucumbers do you grow? I used to grow lemon cucumbers, but gave up because they got too big and seedy. These days I’m growing Persian cucumbers, which are beautifully thin skinned, with delicate seeds. I usually pick them when they are still on the small side, but even when they grow as big as regular cucumbers, they’re still not at all bitter.

The cucumbers are just now coming in, which means every day I have a small harvest that needs to used (or given away to lucky neighbors). This recipe is inspired by a quinoa cucumber salad I had while visiting my fellow gardener food bloggers Diane and Todd of White on Rice Couple. It’s wonderfully simple, just cooked red quinoa tossed with chopped fresh cucumbers and mint, and dressed with seasoned rice vinegar. You can also add a chopped avocado to the salad if you want it to be a little more substantial.

By the way, quinoa looks and acts like a grain, but it’s actually a seed, and therefore higher in protein and lower in starch than most grains.

Cucumber Mint Quinoa Salad Recipe

If you don't have seasoned rice vinegar, just add a little honey or sugar and some salt and pepper to regular rice vinegar until you get the balance of sweet and sour you like.

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa (we prefer red quinoa)
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 large cucumber, peeled if thick-skinned, unpeeled if thin-skinned (about 3/4 pound cucumber)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced mint
• 1 Tbsp thinly sliced green onion or chopped chives
• 3-4 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 avocado, peeled and chopped (optional)

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