Russian “Summer” Radish & Cucumber Salad
Submitted by Anastasia, Carnegie Hill CSAThis is a traditional Russian salad, best enjoyed during the summer when radishes, cucumbers, and scallions are in season. It was a staple dish of my childhood—both at our dacha, where my grandparents let my sister and me pull the radishes from the ground and cut ripened cucumbers off the vine, and gracing the tables at celebrations and dinner parties. The sour cream and salt help to neutralize the pungency of the radishes and enhance the sweetness of flavors. The combination of simple flavors, crisp texture, creamy goodness—and the low-effort no-cook preparation—are among the reasons this dish remains so popular back home.
Ingredients
- 2 bunches radishes
- 1 medium sized cucumber, slicing cucumbers work best for this recipe
- 1 bunch scallions or green onions
- 1-2 stems celery, optional
- 1 TBS dill, optional
- ½ to ⅓ cups sour cream, depending on how thick you like the dressing
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Slice the radishes thinly (but not paper thin). Slice the cucumbers thinly. If the cucumbers are more than 1.5 inches in diameter, cut them in half lengthwise first. Chop the onions. If using celery or dill, chop finely.
- Combine the vegetables in a medium bowl.
- Right before serving, add the sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir so the dressing is evenly distributed. Taste and add more sour cream, salt, and pepper if needed.
Notes
Variations:
- While traditional versions of this dish call for regular (full fat) sour cream, you can also use a low-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
- For a root-to-tip version, you can thinly slice or chiffonade the radish greens and add in step 2.
- In late fall and winter, you can substitute daikon radishes.
great recipe–so obviously straight from Russia!