Credit: Giada: Sonja Flemming/CBS/Getty Images.
Key Points
Cucumber salads are trending, offering hydrating, flavorful options perfect for summer meals.
Giada De Laurentiis shares a 4-ingredient cucumber salad recipe featuring bold Italian flavors.
Cucumbers are versatile, refreshing and healthy, pairing well in salads, sandwiches or soups.
Cucumber salads seem to be taking social media by storm, with an abundance of delicious recipes popping up on a regular basis. The crisp veggie makes an excellent canvas, as it readily soaks up different flavors—from Spicy Cucumber Salad with Cilantro & Peanuts to salty-sweet Tropical Cucumber Salad.
Plus, cucumbers have a number of health benefits, including a high water content, which makes them a great option to add a little hydration to your meals on a summer day. Giada De Laurentiis seemed to have the same thought, taking to Instagram to share a simple cucumber salad recipe.
Related: Grated Carrot & Cucumber Salad
The Italian American chef posted a reel on Instagram showing her newest rendition of a cucumber salad that she whipped up using just four ingredients (not including salt and olive oil). She starts by thinly slicing the cucumber using a mandoline before adding it to a glass jar. De Laurentiis follows up by adding a spoonful of Calabrian chili paste and colatura, which is an Italian fish sauce that’s typically made with anchovies.
Giada then squeezes in some lemon juice and adds salt (while she chose a seasoned salt, regular salt will also do the trick) and olive oil before placing the lid back on and giving it a good shake to combine the ingredients: “You’ve got to shake it … vigorously to get all the Calabrian chili into everything to kind of blend together.”
Related: Giada De Laurentiis Just Told Us Her Favorite Vegetable and Her Go-To Way to Prepare It
The distinctive flavors of Calabrian chili and colatura make this recipe super appealing, plus you might get a little arm workout while shaking the jar. A flavorful and hydrating dish and some exercise seems like a win-win to us!
If you’re still craving some refreshing cucumber recipes, we have plenty of options that you can try out—and they’re not all salads. Whether they’re sandwiched between two slices of hearty bread like in our Cucumber Sandwich with Cotija & Lime or blended into a creamy soup like our Creamy Cucumber Dill Soup, the summer veggie makes a great addition to any meal.
Related: 17 Tomato-Cucumber Recipes You’ll Want to Make Forever
Read the original article on EatingWell
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