Cucumbers have a delicate taste and contain a large amount of beneficial trace elements. Therefore, in cooking, these vegetables occupy one of the first places in popularity.
Cucumbers in cooking are an ingredient in many dishes, and they are used both fresh and boiled. Also, these dietary vegetables can be used as a side dish for meat dishes. As for the dishes with boiled cucumbers, the most popular of them are soups, lecho (or stews) and salads.
Rassolnik
This soup is rightfully considered a classic of Russian cuisine. To prepare the pickle, you will need ingredients such as broth, cucumber pickle, cucumbers, potatoes, carrots, cereals (rice, barley or oatmeal) and meat, cut into small cubes.
Boil cucumbers in pickle for no more than 5 minutes, otherwise they will become too soft. Since pickles or pickled cucumbers are traditionally added to this soup, the cooking time should be such that they remain slightly crispy. Pickled cucumbers cook much faster than fresh ones.
For the soup, you need to finely chop potatoes (3 medium tubers), you also need carrots (1 piece), cereals (100 grams), cucumbers (2-3 pieces), pork or beef (500 grams), water (2-3 liters). First, you need to cook the meat, adding bay leaf to the broth. If desired, you can add fried onions and green roots to the broth. Cook potatoes with cereals for about 15 minutes, then add cucumbers. Before cooking, they are cut into strips or cubes and placed in a saucepan with the broth and the rest of the ingredients, after which the soup is cooked for about 5 minutes.
Vegetable lecho
For the preparation of lecho, you can use large and overripe cucumbers. Ingredients for lecho: cucumbers (2 kilograms), tomatoes (1-2 kilograms), sweet bell peppers (1-2 pieces), garlic (4 cloves). Salt, sugar, oil and vinegar are added to taste.
The vegetables must be cut into strips or cubes, then all the ingredients should be mixed, except for the cucumbers, and cooked for 15 minutes, then add the cucumbers and cook the lecho for another 10 minutes. A few teaspoons of vinegar and garlic are added after the dish is ready.
Cheese salad
To prepare the salad, you will need the following ingredients: fresh cucumbers (3 pieces), lemon, hard cheese (200-300 grams), fresh herbs, spices, salt and garlic to taste.
The cucumbers must be peeled and finely chopped, then pour over with lemon juice and put in boiling salted water. Cook for about 5-10 minutes. Throw boiled cucumbers on a sieve, then transfer to a salad bowl and sprinkle with grated cheese. Before serving the dish, you can sprinkle the salad with fresh herbs (dill or parsley), and add any spices to taste and garlic.
