Cucumber And Pomegranate Salad: A Refreshing Recipe
When temperatures rise, it is advisable to eat seasonal vegetables rich in water like zucchini and cucumber. Cucumber and pomegranate salad is an easy and original recipe to accommodate the latter ingredient. Here are the steps to follow to prepare a colorful and refreshing salad in no time.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed to prepare a cucumber and pomegranate salad for 4 people:
2 cucumbers.
½ pomegranate.
1 ball of mozzarella.
½ lemon.
1 garlic clove.
1 small bunch of mint.
2 tablespoons of olive oil.
salt and pepper.
Note: This refreshing salad is inspired by a Middle Eastern recipe that traditionally uses feta. Here, I offer you another version with mozzarella for those who do not like sheep's and goat's milk cheeses.
Cut the ingredients
The preparation of cucumber and pomegranate salad is very simple and quick.
1- Wash and peel the cucumber.
2- Cut the cucumber into sticks, removing the seeds if necessary, then cut the sticks into cubes about 1 cm on each side.
3- Drain the mozzarella ball and cut this cheese into cubes the same size as the cucumber.
4- To more easily retrieve the pomegranate seeds inside this rather hard fruit, the trick is to break the shell with your hands. Be careful to collect only the seeds because the white skins surrounding them are not edible!
Note: since pomegranates are in season in the fall, you may have difficulty finding this fruit in the summer. If fresh fruit is unavailable, you can use frozen pomegranate seeds.
Preparation of the mint vinaigrette
To season this cucumber and pomegranate salad with a rather mild flavor, I suggest you prepare a dressing made of mint, lemon juice, and olive oil.
1- Remove the leaves from the mint sprigs.
2- Wash and dry the mint leaves before placing them in a blender.
3- Add the peeled and germ-free garlic clove, a pinch of salt, and one or two turns of the pepper mill.
4- Finely chop the mint and garlic, then add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
5- Quickly blend all the ingredients together to emulsify the mint dressing and set aside.
Assembly of the cucumber pomegranate salad
Once you have prepared all the ingredients, all that remains is to assemble them to create a delicious cucumber and pomegranate salad.
1- Pour the cucumber and mozzarella cubes into a salad bowl.
2- Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.
3- Season with mint vinaigrette.
4- Gently mix the salad and chill until ready to serve.
