Embracing summer with Turkish-style cucumber salad

Cucumber is one of the best summer vegetables. It has few calories and lots of nutrients. It's mostly composed of water, making it excellent for hydrating the body. Other additions, such as onions and garlic, complement the whole. These vegetables are known for their antiviral properties and for boosting immunity.

Eating cucumbers has many health benefits. They help regulate blood pressure, lower blood sugar and bad cholesterol levels, act as a diuretic, and cleanse the body of toxins. In addition, they relieve heartburn, alkalize the body, hydrate, and improve intestinal peristalsis. They also protect cells from aging, improve memory and learning ability, and support metabolism.

Making Turkish-style cucumber salad is easy and doesn't require much time. The base is vegetables, so it's a healthy recipe for a snack or a tasty addition to meats, especially those from the grill. Its characteristic taste comes from the combination of fresh cucumbers, aromatic mint and dill, and a delicate sauce based on yogurt.

Ingredients:

                      
• 8 small pickling cucumbers or 4 greenhouse cucumbers,
• 1 medium red onion,
• a bunch of dill,
• a handful of mint leaves,
• 200 grams of Greek yogurt,
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice,
• 2 tablespoons of heavy cream,
• 1 tablespoon of oil,
• 2 cloves of garlic,
• ½ teaspoon of salt,
• ½ teaspoon of sugar,
• pinch of pepper.

Preparation:

1. Peel the cucumbers and slice them thinly.
2. Cut the onion into half moons, then finely chop the mint and dill. Combine everything in a large bowl.
3. Mix the cream with the yogurt in a smaller bowl, add a bit of oil, lemon juice, pressed garlic (you can also finely chop it), sugar, salt, and pepper.
4. Mix thoroughly with the ready-made sauce over the vegetables in the large bowl.

Serve the cucumber salad immediately. It works well as a side dish to a traditional meal with cutlets and potatoes, grilled chicken, or pita bread. Enjoy!