This cucumber salad is light and refreshing, which you need living in the south during the summer! Here are just a few reasons why I love the ingredients in this cucumber salad.
Cucumbers are an amazing vegetable and part of the Curcubitaceae family, which is the same family as some melons and squash. Cucumbers are not only cooling and hydrating to the body (that’s why we put them on our eyes as a beauty treatment), but cucumbers also have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
With all these benefits, I know that cucumbers can be hard to digest for some. This is typically because of the standard cucumber in the stores have a wax coating with large seeds which makes it difficult for our stomach to breakdown. That is why this recipe specifically calls for English Cucumbers.
Parsley is related to the celery family and is one of the most popular herbs in the culinary world. It’s nutrient profile is packed with Vitamin K , Vitamin C, Vitamin A, folate, and iron.
Dill is a very light and refreshing herb, which is native to Russia, Africa and the Mediterranean. It’s nutrient profile is packed with Vitamin A , Vitamin C and manganese.
Avocados are actually a fruit with high fat content. The “good” fats in avocado are alpha-linolenic acid, which is an omega-3 fatty acid, and oleic acid. Avocados have numerous phytonutrients as well as pantothenic acid, dietary fiber, vitamin K, copper, folate, vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin E, and vitamin C. Avocados are a personal favorite of mine and my kitchen is always stocked with them!
Hemp seeds are part of the Cannabis family, but are legal, don’t get you high and have numerous health benefits. They are a near “perfect” protein as they contain all 20 amino acids plus 9 essential amino acids that our bodies cannot produce on its own. They have a 3:1 ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, which benefits our hearts and hormones. If that weren’t enough, these little seeds also have phytonutrients and fiber in these seeds keep the nutritional value high benefiting hearth health, skin, weight loss, joint pain, digestion, PMS and more.
This salad is not only tasty, but is packed with nutritional value. Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Summer Fresh Cucumber Salad Recipe Serves 3 (1 cup serving size)
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1 English cucumber, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped dill
1-2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 whole avocado, chopped
1 tablespoon of hemp seed hearts (optional)
Lemon juice, to taste
Pink Himalayan Salt and Pepper, to taste
Combine all ingredients and mix together in a bowl. Serve immediately!