Vegan Amish Creamy Cucumber Salad! Looking for a delicious new cucumber salad variation? Look no further than this wholesome Amish inspired recipe.
Simple, refreshing, and flavorful, this Vegan Amish Creamy Cucumber Salad is a nod to the classic Amish version and makes for one awesome summer salad recipe. Crisp cucumbers are bathed in a delightful vinegar-dill dressing that’s perfectly balanced with splash of sweetness.
Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.
Hi there, Ameera here!
Mom grew up eating the traditional Amish Cucumber Salad. Mom said that Grandma made it every year for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter because her Dad (my grandfather) loved it I would have thought that it was more of a summer salad, which it is, but for some reason, her family only ate it during the cooler Ohio holidays.
Mom wanted to see if we could convert it to Whole Food Plant Based, which is exactly what we did. It’s sooooo YUMMY! We ate up in a flash!
You gotta give this one a try!
Tips for Success:
- Flavor Profile: This recipe is a healthy Whole Food Plant Based nod to a traditional Amish Creamed Cucumbers recipe which typically consists of thinly sliced cucumbers, red onions, and fresh dill coated in a mayonnaise (or buttermilk, half & half, or sour cream), vinegar, and sugar dressing.
- Pure Maple Syrup: Traditionally, the Amish recipe has a sweet element to it. You can use less maple syrup if you wish.
- Consistency of the Dressing: The traditional Amish dressing is typically thicker than ours, but we didn’t want to use more than 1/3 cup of cashews. The notable difference is that this recipe does not use the traditional Amish ingredients like mayonnaise, buttermilk, etc. as it is Whole Food Plant Based. These ingredients typically do a better job of coating the cucumbers. This dressing is thinner and doesn’t cling to the ingredients as heavily as the traditional ingredients. The key is when serving try to get a little tiny bit of the dressing that falls to the bottom of the bowl with each bite. If you do that, you will be absolutely delighted with the WFPB version. I know, we were thrilled!
- Fresh Dill: We used a .5 oz. package of fresh dill or ¼ cup fresh dill with the stems removed. Only use the dill fronds and give them a little chop. Save a little bit to sprinkle on the top of the dish. We do not recommend using dried dill for this recipe.
- Red Onions: This dish traditionally calls for 1 cup of very thinly sliced red onions. The key is to slice the red onions very thinly so that they complement the cucumbers rather than overpower them. Feel free to use less if you wish.
- Salting the Cucumbers: It is important not to skip the salting of the cucumbers step as this will step will allow the cucumbers to release their water. You do not rinse the cucumbers. If you taste them after draining, they may taste salty; however, the dressing has very little sea salt and once you add the dressing the salt will mellow out perfectly. If unsure, then use less salt, you can always add more at the very end or to individual servings. If you skip this step, the cucumbers will release all their water into the dressing watering down all the flavor.
- Garden Cucumbers: You can use garden cucumbers for this dish; however, we suggest peeling them if the skin is on the thick side. You should also consider using small garden cucumbers with little to no seeds.
- Cashew Substitutions: Feel free to substitute the cashews with the typical substitutions like silken tofu, white beans, or other nuts or seeds with the understanding that the flavor and texture will change accordingly. We have not tested any substitutions.
- Two Vinegars: The two different vinegars used have different flavor profiles and when combined they create dimension of flavor.
- Black Pepper: This dish is typically heavier on the black pepper than what we are showing; however, we decided to not be heavy handed with black pepper for this recipe. Feel free to increase the black pepper if you wish.
Leftovers and Freezing:
Leftovers will generally keep 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. Store in a covered container.
This salad cannot be frozen.
Pantry Products:
- Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Kitchen Products:
- Mandolin (optional)
We certainly hope you give this awesome cucumber salad a try! If you try it, please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
Print
Vegan Amish Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Total Time: 20 Minutes (+Rest Time)
- Yield: 6 Cups 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Amish
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Simple, refreshing, and flavorful, this Vegan Amish Creamy Cucumber Salad is a nod to the classic Amish version and makes for one awesome summer salad recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 large English Cucumbers, unpeeled *
- 1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt (+/-) *
- 1 cup finely sliced red onions (+/-)
- ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped *
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup [raw] cashews
- ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (+/-) *
- 2 Tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Pinch to ¼ teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
- Pinch to ¼ teaspoon black pepper (+/-)
Instructions
- Thinly slice the English Cucumbers using a mandolin or sharp knife into rounds, then place them into a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt. Mix really well with your hands to ensure all the cucumbers are mixed in the sea salt. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to release their water.
- In the meantime, place the cashews into a small bowl and cover with boiling water for 15 minutes, then drain off the water (discard) and place the soaked cashews into a high-speed blender.
- Place all the remaining Dressing Ingredients into the high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth and emulsified. Set aside.
- After the sliced cucumbers have soaked for 30 minutes, drain the cucumbers into a colander, (do not rinse the cucumbers) then place the drained cucumbers back into the bowl. Add the thinly sliced red onions and chopped fresh dill to the cucumbers and mix well to evenly distribute.
- Pour the Dressing over top the cucumbers mixture, mix well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Serve with additional chopped fresh dill.
Notes
*Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Servings: Makes 6 cups
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