Chef notes
This salad is the perfect combination of so many delicious things — refreshing herbs, bright acidity and creamy cottage cheese. It's perfect for a light meal or midday snack, and the cucumber salad also works well in a pita or in a bowl.
Technique tip: Cut the cucumbers as small as possible, so you get the perfect amount of everything in every bite. It's important to serve this recipe immediately after you make it, so make sure you're ready to eat before you start — if it sits too long in the fridge, it will pickle!
Swap option: If you don't want to serve it on toast, you can swap for crackers or just eat the cucumber and cottage cheese out of a bowl.
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Ingredients
- 4 Persian cucumbers, cut into confetti-size pieces
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
- 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, grated with a Microplane
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2 slices fresh sourdough bread
- garlic powder, to taste
- 1 cup whole-milk cottage cheese
Preparation
1.Place the cucumbers in a large bowl.
2.Whisk together the dill, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the vinegar, grated garlic and salt in a small bowl, then pour over the cucumbers. Stir well to combine.
3.Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pan-fry the bread until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove the toast from the pan and season with salt and garlic powder.
4.Spoon 1/2 cup of the cottage cheese over each piece of toast. Top with the cucumber salad.
