Cucumber Salad with Smashed Garlic and Ginger

Very refreshing cucumber salad with a light Asian vinaigrette dressing flavoured with rice wine vinegar and sesame oil.

It’s quick to prepare but should be started 1 hour before serving to allow the red onions to marinate in the dressing. I don’t normally peel my cucumbers and I saw no need to do so this time as the English cucumbers I used had thin, unblemished skin. I followed the author’s direction to pound the ginger, garlic and some salt in a mortar until crushed but not yet a paste. I think I should have taken it a bit further as some of the larger pieces of ginger were a little overwhelming.

Still, it was a great flavour combination and, I thought, a really delicious take on a cucumber salad.