Cucumber Summer Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
Tasty and Antioxidant-rich yet Light and Refreshing
Jun 5, 2009
In Canada, open-field home-grown cucumbers do not appear in vegetables stands (and supermarkets) untilmid-summer. However, the long wait for local produce is more than worthwhile. The flavour of fresh home grown produce is outstanding. This recipe makes use of summer's best offerings. Salads, used primarily as an appetizer - consumed at the beginning of a meal - can also be used to "clean" the palate at the end of a meal. This simple, yet nutrient-dense and invigorating salad can be employed as a meal starter or a final course.
Cucumber Summer Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
Serves 10
- 4 large cucumbers about 8 inches long, peeled, seeded, cut into cubes
- 4 large romaine lettuce (outer leaves) washed, patted dried and cut into chiffonade
- 5 medium fresh navel oranges, about 2-3 inches in diameter, peeled, sections removed
- 1 cup roasted (no salt added) pecan halves
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Method
- Wash cucumbers, remove and discard seeds. Cut into cubes. Set aside.
- Wash and pat dry romaine lettuce leaves. Roll the leaves (2 to a roll) in a bundle. Holding the bundle with your fingers curled for safety, cut off the rounded tips. Slice across the roll about 1/8 inch intervals to produce the thin strips called chiffonade. This will form the nest or bed of your salad.
- Wash and dry oranges. Remove the peel and white pith. Remove sections. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator. This will be used for garnish.
- Combine 2 cups buttermilk and 2 tablespoons sugar. Mix well to ensure that sugar is completely dissolved.
- Combine cucumbers, pecan halves and buttermilk dressing. Refrigerate until needed.
- When ready to serve, make a bed of lettuce chiffonade in pre-chilled serving containers. Scoop cucumber/pecan salad, garnish with a pecan half on top and orange slices on the side.
- Serve immediately.
Nutritional Content Per Serving Portion
- Calories: 144
- Carbohydrates: 18 grams
- Dietary Fiber: 4 grams
- Protein: 4 grams
- Vitamin A: 337 International Units (IUs)
- Betacarotene: 489 micrograms
- Lutein & Zeaxanthin: 369 micrograms
- Vitamin C: 48 milligrams
- Vitamin E: 0.32 milligrams
- Vitamin K: 21 micrograms
- Vitamin B1/Thiamin: 0.21 milligrams
- Vitamin B2/Riboflavin: 0.16 milligrams
- Vitamin B3/Niacin: 0.53 milligrams
- Vitamin B6: 0.16 milligrams
- Vitamin B12: 0.18 micrograms
- Folate: 20 micrograms
- Pantothenic Acid: 0.70 micrograms
- Calcium: 103 milligrams
- Iron: 0.9 milligrams
- Magnesium: 40 milligrams
- Phosphorus: 114 milligrams
- Potassium: 411 milligrams
- Sodium: 56 milligrams
- Zinc: 1 milligram
- Copper: 0.32 milligrams
- Manganese: 0.58 milligrams
- Selenium: 0.60 milligrams
- Total Fat: 9 milligrams
- Saturated Fat: 1.1 milligrams
- Monounsaturated Fat: 4.21 milligrams
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.2 milligrams
- Antioxidant Value/Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC Value): 3,040 micromoles
Note: This recipe was developed and analyzed for nutritional and antioxidant content by Suite 101 contributing witer - Alicia Richardson. For the lowest possible pesticide residue, use organically grown produce. Conventionally grown lettuce has been shown to contain significant pesticide residue.
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