Vegan and Gluten Free
Serendipity Jane
Original Recipe: Jane Fox
Inspiration: I won a raffle prize that inspired this recipe!
Introduction:
Grapefruit Mint Cucumber Salad combines fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, lemon and mint with sliced cucumbers for a flavor combination that is addictive and screams freshness with every bite!
Several years back, while attending a Rocklin Chamber of Commerce meeting for work, I listened as the description of one of the raffle items donated by Deb Manly, co-owner of Pairings, was read. It was an oil and vinegar “pairing” of a bottle of Grapefruit white Balsamic Vinegar and a bottle of Lemon Infused Olive Oil. I said to myself, “I want that!” A second later they announced the winner. In another example of serendipity, it was me! I was the winner! That night, I made a salad dressing using a mixture of the two and I was immediately hooked on that fresh combination of grapefruit and lemon flavors!
For the next couple of years, anytime I began to run low, I ran to Pairings to replenish my supply. It was a bit on the pricey side but it was absolutely worth it! Sadly, after Pairings closed its doors, I began to run low, and through an internet search, I found that the nearest place that I could buy these two products was about an hour away! Between the price and the drive, I knew I needed to make a change.
I decided to create a salad dressing to replace my favorite Grapefruit and Lemon Pairing using items available at the nearby grocery store. Grapefruit Mint Cucumber Salad was born. It tastes remarkably similar to my old standby, at a fraction of the price!
Dressing
Since the peel is used, try to buy organic grapefruit if possible. To begin, scrub, then dry the grapefruit skin. Using a zester, remove the peel from one of the grapefruit, and set the zest aside. Next juice the grapefruit until you have ½ cup of juice. Since grapefruit can vary in size, you may need between one and two grapefruits. I used one and a half and then used the remaining half as garnish. Remove any seeds and add the reserved peel to the juice.
Squeeze one Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and add it to the grapefruit mixture, along with ¼ cup of extra virgin olive,¼ cup of white wine vinegar, ¼ cup of maple syrup. Mix well. To bump up the taste another notch, I added fresh mint. Chop the fresh mint leaves finely and add two tablespoons to the dressing.
Cucumber
Wash your cucumbers thoroughly. If your cucumbers have a wax coating, you can remove the wax by soaking the cucumbers briefly in a mixture of water and vinegar. By rubbing vigorously to dry, the wax will be removed. Take a fork and using the prongs and digging through the peel into the flesh, scrape lengthwise down the cucumber, creating ridges. Repeat all the way around the cucumber.
Slice the cucumber, discarding of the ends. The ridges create a decorative scalloped look around the edges of each slice that I find attractive.
Put it Together
Pour the dressing over the cucumber slices. Use any left over mindt and grapefruit as garnish.
Serve and Enjoy!
Printable Recipe
Grapefruit Mint Cucumber Salad
Equipment
- Zester
Ingredients
Dressing
- zest of one grapefruit
- 1/2 cup grapefruit juice freshly squeezed, approx 1 to 1- 1/2 grapefruits depending on the size
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil preferably extra virgin
- 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup Real Maple Syrup
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice Freshly squeezed
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Mint finely chopped
Salad
- 4 Cucumbers
Instructions
Dressing
- Using a microplane zester, zest one of the grapefruits.
- Juice grapefruit to yield 1/2 cup of grapefruit juice. Depending on the size of the fruit, between 1 and 1-1/2 peices.
- Add the white wine vinegar, oil, maple syrup, lemon juice and mint to the grapefruit juice.
- Mix well and set aside.
Salad
- Wash the cucumbers thoroughly.
- With a fork, score the cucumbers lengthwise.
- Slice the cucumbers in approx 1/8" thick slices.
- Combine the cucumbers and dressing and garnish with a sprig of mint and a slice of grapefruit.
- Enjoy!
