Cucumber recipes are a staple throughout summertime as a result of they’re so, so refreshing. And for good motive: The veggie is roughly 95% water, so it is no marvel that recipes that function cucumbers actually hit the spot when temperatures warmth up. 

Due to its quench issue, cucumbers usually take middle stage in plenty of salad recipes. However that actually doesn’t suggest that cucumbers don’t have any use elsewhere. The truth is, the cool, crisp, and ridiculously hydrating vegetable is way more versatile than it’s given credit score for. 

Its delicate taste pairs nicely with nearly any assortment of substances, from candy to savory. And that top water content material makes it a pure match for drinks like cocktails and infused waters. You may discover that the water-rich veggie is nice blended into candy smoothies, frozen right into a thirst-quenching, icy desserts, submerged in vinegar for crunchy, future pickles, or just chopped uncooked for a fast and crisp sandwich topping. 

There are even a handful of cooked cucumber dishes that buck the assumption that this vegetable can solely be eaten uncooked. When ready over warmth, the cucumber’s water begins to evaporate, forsaking a completed product that tastes of pure, concentrated, cucumber taste. 

Not sure what to do? Strive wrapping the vegetable in aluminum foil and throwing in on the grill a fast and attractive barbecue aspect dish; roast it low and sluggish with a bunch of olive oil for a decadent confit; or depart it uncooked and use it in an entire host of wholesome salads. Mainly, there isn’t any flawed approach to put cukes to work. 

The following time you are questioning what to make with cucumbers, these 36 recipes have you ever lined. They embody dishes that reap the benefits of the vegetable’s crunchy texture—like fast pickles, sushi bowls, and spring rolls—in addition to loads of others that may enable you to experiment with the ingredient in sudden methods. As a result of, as a lot as we love a cucumber salad, there are such a lot of brilliant inexperienced gazpachos, stir-fries, sandwiches, and smoothies that await.