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Smashed Cucumber Salad

Smashed Cucumber Salad with Harissa, Preserved Lemons & Crispy Bulgur

5 from 1 vote
This Smashed Cucumber Salad is juicy, crispy, flavorful, refreshing, and textured - Everything you need in a salad for a light lunch or party side dish.
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Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Author: Seiran Poon
Servings: 4 sides

Ingredients

For the Smashed Cucumber Salad

  • 250 g snack cucumbers
  • 6 preserved lemon slices in oil - seeds removed & finely chopped OR 1/2 whole small preserved lemon
  • 6 mint leaves - finely chopped
  • 1 tsp Harissa - optional: double the amount for even more flavor
  • 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
  • 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
  • ½ lemon - juiced
  • 100 g pitted Kalamata olives
  • 1 pinch flaky salt
  • 1 ½ tbsp pistachio dukkah - (recipe below) OR 2 tbsp chopped pistachios

For The Crispy Bulgur

  • 100 g cooked bulgur
  • ½ tbsp olive oil
  • salt & pepper
  • Pistachio Dukkah
  • Ingredients:
  • 75 g pistachios
  • 50 g almonds
  • 3 tbsp white sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp Nigella seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes - Such as aleppo pepper or mild chili
  • 1 pinch salt - Or to taste
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Smash the cucumbers with a pestle, roughly chop them and place in a colander and mix with 1 tsp flaky salt. Leave for 15-20 minutes, rinse with water and drain well.
  • Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF fan (convection setting).
  • Place bulgur on a lined sheet pan, mix with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread out and bake on middle rack for 10 minutes or until crispy. Toss halfway through.
  • Mix preserved lemon, mint, Harissa, coriander, olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl, add salt to taste.
  • Toss cucumbers and olives with the lemon and harissa dressing. Stir in the dukkah and finally top with the crispy bulgur.

For the Pistachio Dukkah

  • Add the pistachios and almonds to a dry pan over medium heat and toast while stirring, until the almonds get slightly browned. Remove from the pan.
  • Add the sesame, nigella, cumin and fennel seeds to the pan and toast while stirring, until sesame seeds are golden brown.
  • First, add the nuts to a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground, then add the spices, seed mixture, and salt. Pulse a couple more times. You want the mixture a little coarse, not finely ground.

Notes

  • You can store the pistachio Dukkah in an airtight glass jar in the pantry for up to 3 weeks.
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