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    Refreshing Cucumber and Avocado Salad

    By | Shine Food – Tue, Jul 10, 2012 10:35 AM EDT

    Photo courtesy of Romulo YanesPhoto courtesy of Romulo YanesBy Kiera Wright-Ruiz, Bon Appétit

    Maybe it's the refreshing zing from the lime juice. Or maybe it's the touch of heat from the chiles. There's something about this salad that makes it hard for us to ever say goodbye. So we're going to stick with it all summer long.

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    Cucumber and Avocado Salad
    Recipe by The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen
    6 servings
    active: 15 minutes
    total: 50 minutes

    Sprinkle salt and sugar on produce like cucumbers, tomatoes, or berries (hold the salt!); let stand for 20-40 minutes. This process, also called maceration, draws out the juices, creating a natural sauce.

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    Ingredients
    24 sprigs cilantro plus 1/4 cup coarsely chopped leaves
    1/4 cup chopped peeled ginger
    6 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
    2 dried chiles de árbol
    2 English hothouse cucumbers (about 2 pounds total), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
    1 teaspoon (or more) kosher salt
    1 teaspoon sugar
    4 celery stalks, thinly sliced on a diagonal
    2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
    2 tablespoons grapeseed or vegetable oil
    2 avocados, halved, pitted, sliced
    1/4 torn fresh basil leaves

    Ingredient Info: Chiles de árbol are sold at some supermarkets and at Latin markets.

    Preparation Combine cilantro sprigs, ginger, garlic, and chiles in a resealable plastic freezer bag; seal. Lightly pound with a skillet or rolling pin until ginger and garlic are well mashed.

    Add cucumbers, 1 tsp. salt, and sugar. Seal bag; shake to mix. Squeeze bag firmly to slightly mash cucumbers, 1-2 minutes. Place bag in a large bowl; let macerate at room temperature, turning halfway through, until juices form, about 35 minutes.

    Empty contents of bag into bowl; turn bag inside out and scrape out any small bits. Discard cilantro sprigs. Mix in celery, juice, and oil. Season with more salt, if desired.

    Divide avocado among plates; spoon salad over. Garnish with chopped cilantro and basil.

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