“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”
― Henry James
I am so thankful for a relaxing Independence Day weekend. Mike and I basked in the glow of family, friends, laughter, and sunshine. We spent many hours on the water and were sad to see the weekend come to an end.
Even though I had the best of intentions, I ended up overdoing it on chips, picnic food, and beverages. The heat and sodium really impacts my body so the past couple of days I have been making sure that I am staying hydrated with plenty of water, fruit, and vegetables.
Did you know that cucumbers contain properties that help bring down water retention? Not only are cucumbers comprised of over 90% water but they are also great for our skin and joints because they contain the vitamins A, B, and C and the minerals potassium, magnesium, and silica. Cucumbers aid in digestion and are such a crisp and nourishing addition to salads. Yesterday, while gathering groceries, I added six large cucumbers to my shopping cart (sadly the cucumbers that I planted a long way off from harvesting). This morning I woke up craving cucumbers, so for breakfast I had a salad with cucumbers, romaine, red leaf lettuce, tomato, green bell pepper, avocado, and topped with a plant-based Creamy Cucumber and Dill Dressing that I whipped up. It was fresh and delicious and really hit the spot after an indulgent weekend. Cucumber and dill make the perfect combination and this recipe will be fantastic with summer’s abundance of crisp cucumbers in the supermarket, the farmers market, and if you are lucky ~ in your garden.
CREAMY CUCUMBER & DILL DRESSING
- 1 large cucumber with seeds removed (2 cups. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds)
- 1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk (If you consume dairy you could swap this out for plain Greek yogurt)
- 1/2 cup of raw nuts of choice (I used a mix that included cashews, almonds, macadamia, and walnuts) The nuts help give the dressing body and thickness without using the chemicals and additives found in store-bought dressings.
- 1/4 cup lemon or lime juice (I would recommend lemon but I used lime since that is what I had on hand)
- 3 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar (any vinegar would work but rice vinegar tends to be more mild)
- 1 Tablespoon onion
- 1 clove garlic (1/2 if is is a large clove)
- 1/4 cup fresh dill (dried would work and I would suggest adding a bit at a time and taste test)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional ~ sprig of fresh mint and chives (I add to everything in the summer since I have both in my garden. Mint works well with cucumber)
Blend well and chill in a jar or cruet. I recommend serving the dressing cold.
This recipe makes 2 cups so if you do not eat salads often, you might want to make half of the recipe.
This dressing will keep for up to a week or longer (because of the vinegar and citrus) in the refrigerator.
It tends to thicken while stored so you might want to thin it out with a bit of water or more vinegar or citrus juice.
I did not add any oil to the dressing. When I dressed my salad this morning I measured out 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil so I could get exactly the serving of oil that I desired.
If you are interested in other homemade plant-based dressings, here are some that I featured in previous posts:
In this post, I use homemade hummus and my twist on tabouli for salad dressing: Israeli Feast
These salad dressing recipes and recipes from other posts can be found at my Produce with Amy Pinterest board.
I hope you enjoy the Creamy Cucumber and Dill Dressing as much as I do. It would make a great dip for vegetables and it is similar to Greek tzatziki sauce and would be terrific on a sandwich or wrap.
It is a perfect taste of summer and a great way for us to fill our plate with this season’s freshest produce. July is here for us to savor and appreciate and choosing healthy foods will give us the energy and stamina we need to stay active and productive. Have a great week!
Produce with Amy 