Pomegranate Cucumber Salad
A 15-minute Jain pomegranate cucumber salad with mint and lime-olive oil dressing. No onion or garlic. Crisp, tart, and festive.
Ingredients
For the salad
- 3 cups cucumber Persian or English, diced; seed if watery
- 1 1/4 cups pomegranate arils fresh anar, patted dry
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves torn, plus more to garnish
- 1/2 cup feta cheese optional, crumbled from a block in brine; or paneer cubes
- salt pinch, for draining the cucumber
For the lime dressing
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice fresh; lemon works
- 1/4 teaspoon roasted cumin powder optional, bhuna jeera
- chaat masala optional, light dusting
- black pepper freshly cracked, to taste
- salt pinch, to taste
Instructions
Prep and drain the cucumber
- Dice the cucumber. If the seeds look watery, scoop them out first.
- Toss the dice with a small pinch of salt in a colander for about 5 minutes, or blot with a clean kitchen towel.
Seed the pomegranate and prep herbs
- Seed the pomegranate if needed and pat the arils dry.
- Tear the mint leaves. Add most of the cucumber and most of the mint to a wide serving bowl.
Whisk the dressing
- In a small jar or bowl, whisk olive oil, lime juice, a pinch of salt, black pepper, and optional roasted cumin or chaat masala.
- Taste and adjust lime or pepper until the dressing tastes bright enough to stand in for onion.
Assemble and serve
- Add most of the pomegranate arils to the bowl. Pour over most of the dressing and fold once or twice.
- Scatter optional feta or paneer on top, add the remaining mint and arils, and fold very gently.
- Taste, add another squeeze of lime if needed, and serve right away.
Notes
Scoop watery cucumber seeds and drain or blot the dice so the salad does not puddle.
Fold pomegranate arils in last and dress lightly; assemble just before serving for the brightest crunch.
Skip feta or paneer for a vegan bowl; season the dressing a little more boldly if you use mild paneer.
Store leftovers airtight in the fridge up to 1 day; drain pooled liquid and refresh with lime and mint.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!