Serves 8

This Cucumber Pomegranate Salad is a delicious and refreshing salad for the summer as well as a wonderful accompaniment to a hamburger or veggie burger at any picnic. I love this salad for the following reasons: easy to prep ahead, visually beautiful – a show stopper, healthy (Pomegranates have amazing health benefits!), tasty and won’t spoil in the heat! Now, if you are bringing to a picnic, I would skip the cheese. When you add the pumpkin seeds, do so the last minute before serving, so they remain crisp! Be sure to pick up salted & roasted pumpkin seeds. Adding a few sprinkles of Pink Himalayan Salt to this salad is highly recommended before you add the dressing. Feel free to the keep dressing on the side for guests to add themselves or toss the salad with dressing upon serving. Here are the simple directions.

Ingredients:

• 3 English or European cucumbers, cut into paper thin slices (these are the long, narrow ones)
• 1 pomegranate, cut in half
• 1 medium red onion, cut into thin slivers
• 3 tablespoons salted and roasted pumpkin seeds (store-bought)
• One bunch fresh dill, chop a small handful
• Pink Himalayan Salt & black Pepper
• Optional -Feta or goat cheese, crumbles or Burrata torn into tiny pieces

Start by cutting the pomegranate in half. Squeeze out some juice from each half and save for salad dressing – about 2 tablespoons. Then soak the pomegranate halves in a bowl of water and break apart the flesh and the seeds will come right out and sink to the bottom. Drain in a colander. Pick out all the white pulp. Set aside the seeds.

Next, rinse and dry the cucumbers. Cut off the skin if you wish or keep some skin intact to create a design along the edges. The English cucumber’s skin is not tough. You will need a good chef’s knife to cut the cucumber into paper thin slices.

Now slice the onion into very thin slivers as seen in this photo. You will need roughly 1 cup of onions. You don’t want the onions to overpower this salad.

Chop a small handful of fresh dill, discard the stems. Using a large white bowl (so the colors pop) add the cucumber and red onions, and gently toss until everything is well incorporated. Next, add in the chopped dill, and then the pomegranate seeds (save some seeds for dressing). Add in roughly 3 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds. A handful of crumbled goat or feta cheese is a nice addition as well. You can even try some fresh creamy Burrata chunks.

Dressing Ingredients:

• a drizzle of a good quality extra virgin olive oil
• a few splashes red wine vinegar
• a drizzle agave syrup or honey
• a sprinkle Pink Himalayan Salt
• a tiny dash black pepper
• sprinkle dried basil and dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons juice from pomegranate seeds
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds
• a pinch chopped fresh dill,
• a tablespoon finely diced red onions or shallots
• optional – a drizzle of a Rosé wine if serving adults

-add all these ingredients to a clear glass mason jar with lid and shake well right before serving!

Alternatively, you may buy a store-bought Rosé Wine Vinegar – I really like Trader Joe’s Organic Rosé Vinaigrette. Enjoy! This salad is so yummy and beautiful with all the vibrant colors! I hope it’s a big hit at your next party.

Fun Fact: Pomegranate are rich in Vitamin C and are a powerful antioxidant. Such wonderful health benefits!

This recipe is from my blog marioochskitchen.com where you can find other creative and healthy recipes for the family. My cookbook Mariooch’s Kitchen Food That Will Gather Your Family is available on Amazon.

READ MORE STORIES THAT MOVE HUMANITY FORWARD

READ MORE STORIES THAT MOVE HUMANITY FORWARD

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