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Cucumber Cottage Cheese Salad with Fresh Dill and Scallions

Cucumber Cottage Cheese Salad

This cool, creamy Cucumber Cottage Cheese Salad is the kind of no-cook, ten-minute dish that earned a permanent spot on American diner plates in the 1950s. Crisp English cucumber gets folded into small-curd full-fat cottage cheese, brightened with fresh dill and scallion, and finished with cracked black pepper. A whisper of sour cream pulls everything together into a salad that tastes far more elegant than its short ingredient list suggests.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 People
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Calories: 165
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large English cucumber about 12 oz, unpeeled and diced into 1/4 inch pieces
  • 0.75 tsp kosher salt for drawing water from the cucumber
  • 2 cups small-curd full-fat cottage cheese do not substitute low-fat
  • 2 tbsp sour cream full-fat
  • 3 tbsp fresh dill finely chopped, plus a few sprigs for garnish
  • 3 tbsp scallions thinly sliced, white and light green parts only
  • 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper plus more to finish
  • 1 pinch kosher salt for final seasoning, to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Medium mixing bowl
  • 1 Colander for draining the cucumber
  • 1 Sharp chef’s knife
  • 1 Cutting board
  • 1 Rubber spatula for gentle folding

Method
 

  1. Dice the English cucumber into 1/4 inch pieces and toss in a colander with 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Set the colander over a bowl or in the sink and let drain for 15 minutes.
  2. Gather the drained cucumber in a clean kitchen towel and gently squeeze to remove excess moisture. The cucumber should feel crisp and dry, not wet.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine 2 cups small-curd full-fat cottage cheese with 2 tablespoons sour cream. Stir gently with a rubber spatula until smooth.
  4. Add the drained cucumber, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, and 3 tablespoons sliced scallions to the bowl. Fold everything together with a few gentle strokes so the curds stay intact.
  5. Season with 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and a small pinch of kosher salt. Taste and adjust, keeping in mind the cucumber already carried some salt.
  6. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes to let the flavors meld.
  7. Spoon the salad into bowls or onto a lettuce leaf, top with a few extra dill sprigs, finish with one more grind of black pepper, and serve cold.

Notes

  • Salting the cucumber and letting it drain is the single most important step, since it prevents the salad from going watery within an hour.
  • Always use full-fat small-curd cottage cheese. Low-fat versions turn thin and weepy once mixed.
  • For the classic American diet-plate presentation, serve a generous scoop on a leaf of butter lettuce alongside sliced tomato and a canned peach half.
  • Rye bread or saltine crackers make an excellent accompaniment.
  • Best eaten the day it is made. Leftovers will release liquid overnight, but a quick stir and a pinch more salt will revive them.