Paleo Thai Cucumber Salad

By damiles1

Have you ever been to a Thai restaurant and been served a side of sweet and sour cucumber salad? Well this is the recipe for that salad! It is a nice refreshing side dish to have or just a great healthy snack to keep around when you want something crunchy and flavorful. You can adjust the level of sweet and sour to match your taste, and add a little bit of red pepper flakes for some heat if you like. I usually leave out the red pepper flakes because I like it plain. Some additional options are to add chopped cilantro, green onion, diced bell peppers, lime juice and/or some chopped nuts for crunch.

Cucumbers have a lot of excess moisture, which will release into the salad and turn it very soggy if you do not salt and drain them first. I do the same thing when making zucchini noodles. It's a small but important step that you don't want to miss.

Ingredients

• 4 large cucumbers, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced into 1/2 inch strips or chopped
• 1 Tbsp. sea salt
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 Tbsp. raw honey
• Dash red pepper flakes (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Directions:
1. Prepare the cucumbers and onions. Place the cucumbers in a strainer in the sink and toss with the sea salt. Allow the cucumbers to sit for about 45 minutes to release some of their moisture. Rinse the cucumbers well and set aside.
2. Place a small saucepan over medium heat and add the apple cider vinegar, water, raw honey and optional red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.
3. Taste the sauce and add additional ingredients as needed. Add more vinegar to increase the sour flavor, more raw honey to increase the sweetness, and/or add more red pepper flakes to increase the heat. Remember that the flavors will intensify after marinating for a while.
4. Toss the cucumbers, onions and sauce in a large mixing bowl and cover. Place in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours or more before serving.