My daughter and I have similar palettes and share a love of food. We have since she was about 3 years old. I’m not kidding! She even got me to expand MY food horizons before she hit double digits. Thanks to her, for example, I love mushrooms. So, when I was visiting her at her first apartment in college recently, we decided to have a girls’ night in to cook up a storm and create recipes together. This spicy cucumber tomato and water chestnut salad was one of our five concoctions in a 5-course feast!
This recipe was inspired by a spicy cucumber tomato salad we shared years ago at a sushi restaurant (and still crave). We started out trying to recreate it, but then we added cilantro and water chestnuts. The end result? We think we nailed it … and enhanced it!
We used English cucumbers because they have fewer seeds and a thinner skin than regular cucumbers, but you can use regular ones if you prefer and/or your garden is brimming with them (if so, lucky you!) 🙂
Not being in my own kitchen, and in a college apartment instead, presented some challenges, but we made it work! And on the grocery shopping trip, of course, mom loaded up the cart with some extras to stock her “baby’s” frig and cupboards.
What else was on the menu that night, in addition to this Spicy Cucumber Tomato and Water Chestnut Salad?
Our first course, after we unloaded groceries and cleaned up the college kitchen, was a Sweet Hot Mama Cocktail to sip on as we sliced, diced, mixed and listened to music. The second course was a pan of stuffed organic mini peppers. We nibbled on those as we made this lovely salad to accompany our grilled shrimp marinated in piri piri sauce with a mango mint relish. We were so full (and ready to plop down and watch a movie) after dinner that we decided to make our dessert in the morning … for breakfast. There’s nothing like a slice of homemade gluten-free, dairy-free key lime pie for breakfast! All the recipes will be coming to the blog soon. 🙂
This spicy cucumber, tomato and water chestnut salad is dairy-free, gluten-free, low carb and paleo-, whole30- and keto-diet friendly! How’s THAT for healthy!?
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Servings |
|
- 2 large English cucumbers, cubed
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half (or more, if they're larger than normal)
- 1 serrano chile, diced
- 1 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro (plus some for garnishing)
- 1 can chopped water chestnuts
- 3 Tbsp rice vinegar (plain, not sweetened or spiced)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp white sugar (or coconut sugar if eating Paleo; stevia or other sub if keto; omit if whole30)
- 1 1/4 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- microgreens for the top (optional)
- Wash all of the produce and dry it.
- Cut the ends off of the cucumbers, then slice and quarter.
- Cut the grape tomatoes in half.
- Cut the serrano chile in half; remove all the seeds and flesh inside; then dice into small pieces.
- Peel the fresh ginger; cut off and mince 1/2 tsp.
- Rough chop the cilantro.
- Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl, mix well, add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy! If you prefer it cold, are preparing something else and/or plan to take it to a party or potluck, you can refrigerate and then serve, garnishing with micro greens and/or cilantro (we used both).
© Kitchen Gone Rogue. www.kitchengonerogue.com
Delicious! It looks so yummy!
Thank you!!
Such a simple and yet a perfectly balanced salad with the right amount of crunch and spice. Bookmarked it to try whenever I get water chestnuts.
Thank you, Mayuri! It’s one of my favorites.