This refreshing cucumber salad is so cooling, light & delicious. It’s perfect for meal prepping, a side to a starchy carbohydrate such as a baked potato or beans, or mixed in with rice as a stir fry. I love it in the summertime, but this cucumber salad can be enjoyed all year long. It’s a staple in my meal prepping kitchen!
Vegan & Keto
I eat a vegan diet, but am not keto – I love carbs and think they are so beneficial! If you are experimenting with a keto diet though, then this salad will be a game changer in your routine. Look, cauliflower rice doesn’t measure up to real rice – but this isn’t a miserable alternative like some cauliflower rices I’ve tried! The key is really perfecting the texture (but also managing your expectations):
- DON’T: boil them. I have tried this, and the cauliflower came out pretty icky & soggy. Steaming them or cooking them in water will have the same watery effect, so I wouldn’t recommend any of those methods.
- DO: sauté them with a touch of avocado or coconut oil. You can use a spray oil, but the only way to get it really soft and nice is sautéing them (covered) with minced garlic, onions, and oil for no more than 5 min on a low – medium heat.
Ideal for Weight Loss
This recipe is a staple if you’re trying to lose weight – by adding in a little rice, your taste buds are tricked into thinking you’re eating a big rice bowl when it’s really mostly cauliflower rice! The salad itself has a tiny bit of quinoa, so you can feel free to forgo the rice – I just like the texture it brings.
The Perfect Side
I definitely consider this salad more of a base or side dish than eating it alone – maybe as the base in a veggie bowl, paired with plant-based protein, or mixed with a healthy fat (it’s delicious mixed with a tahini dressing.) You can absolutely eat it alone, but the more flavors and textures going on the better.
Eat Your Water
Most of us likely don’t drink enough water during the day, so incorporating water dense foods into our diets makes a huge difference in our overall health and ability to function properly. Being properly hydrated also means a brighter complexion, an aid in weight loss as it helps us to feel full, fewer muscle cramps, a regulated digestive tract, and reduced stress. This recipe is a great example of “eating your water” – cucumbers are the star of this salad and one of the most hydrating foods on the planet.
Refreshing Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 cucumber thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup frozen cauliflower rice
- 1/2 cup edamame
- 1/2 cup snow peas
- 2 tbsp tamari
- 2 tbsp red quinoa
Instructions
- heat a pan on low-medium heat + add avocado oil spray. once hot, add the frozen cauli rice and cover pan with a lid. continually bring up the lid to break up the frozen chunks. this process should be complete in 5 min or so. if you’re prepping a larger batch, cook the cauliflower in sections so that the pan isn’t too crowded
- reheat pan with more avocado oil spray and add edamame. once cooked throughout, add into the bowl with the cauli rice
- reheat the pan again with avocado oil spray and tamari. add the sugar snap peas and cover with a lid. keep checking up on them and stirring - I keep them cooking awhile because I like mine a little charred. once done, toss into the bowl
- cook the quinoa according to package. save the rest in an air-tight container in the fridge
- finish by chopping the cucumber. mix all ingredients together & serve with tamari, rice, watermelon tuna, pan-fried tofu, soba noodles, etc.
