Smashed Cucumber Mint Salad

Smashed cucumber mint salad is a delicious and healthy recipe full of Mediterranean flavors. The cucumbers taste fresh with a splash of vinegar and the bright flavor of mint.

The cucumber mint salad can be enjoyed on its own, as a side dish, or in a salad or grain bowl. (We love it paired with cooked farro, bulgur, or quinoa!)

Want a fresh, delicious salad for summer? Look no further than this Mediterranean-inspired smashed cucumber salad with fresh mint.

The cucumber and mint gets paired with thinly sliced red onions and white wine vinegar to create a salad that can be used in so many ways. Grain bowls, grain and greens bowls, wraps, or as a temptingly delicious side dish to something like these Air Fryer Greek Chicken Thighs or Puff Pastry Tomato Ricotta Tart.

Ingredients:

• English cucumber - I highly recommend getting an English (also called hothouse, European, or seedless) cucumber. You can find these at the grocery store, and they are long, thin, and typically come wrapped in plastic.
• Salt - The salt helps to add a touch of brininess and also helps draw the water out of the cucumber.
• White wine vinegar - This is the touch of acid that is needed in this cucumber salad!
• Red onion - The red onion adds a nice contrast to the fresh cucumber.
• Fresh mint - The fresh mint in this salad adds a new flavor and a fresh herb that makes this salad unique.
• Black pepper - A touch of seasoning brings this salad together with freshly cracked black pepper over the top.

What tools are needed:

In this smashed cucumber recipe, I used a meat tenderizer to smash the cucumber. This one has a flat side (which I used) and a spiked side.

However, if you don't have a mallet like this, you can use anything else similar you have. Giant ricer? Use that. Rolling pin? Yes. Sheet pan? That might work. Citrus juicer? Sure.

What if I don't want to smash my cucumbers?

Smashing the cucumbers is most of the fun! Of course, if you prefer not to smash, you can just chop your cucumber into 1-2 inch pieces and skip the smashing.

What are English cucumbers?

English cucumbers (also called hothouse, European, or seedless cucumbers) are long, and if you buy them at the grocery store, they usually have plastic wrap over them. They are typically long and seedless and slightly sweeter than regular cucumbers. They also don't need the skin removed at all. They are still crisp and refreshing and work perfectly in this Mediterranean-inspired smashed cucumber salad.

Do you need to peel the cucumber?

No, in this recipe the peel can stay on the cucumber! No need to peel an English cucumber.

Do you need to remove the cucumber seeds?

No, if you are using an English cucumber as recommended, you do not need to do anything.

Recipe tips:

• As stated, if you don't have something to smash the cucumbers with (or prefer not to), you can just cut them into chunks.
• For a bit of heat, add a dash of red pepper flakes before serving.
• Not a fan of onion? You can always leave it out. Or you can mellow it out in some cold water after slicing, as suggested.
• I highly recommend letting the cucumber sit with the vinegar for 10 minutes or longer before serving. This will allow the salad to really develop the flavors.
• You can always add some crumbled feta on top of this salad if desired.

How to make:

First, take your cucumber and place on a cutting board. You can cut it into two pieces if you like.

Take out your instrument of choice (I love a meat tenderizer), and SMASH the cucumber into large chunks. Then, take a knife and chop roughly into pieces if needed.

Place cucumber in a bowl and add salt. (Also slice your red onions and add to a bowl with cold water if you want to tone down the onion flavor).

After 10 minutes, take your cucumber and drain any excess water. Return to bowl. Add your red onion, mint, and white wine vinegar and stir to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes. Plate and enjoy. Season with black pepper and top with extra mint leaves, if desired.