Look no further for a hydrating, crunchy, salty snack. Prepare in a large batch and portion to eat throughout the week as a quick and easy meal prep snack!
It’s no potato chip to be sure, but these marinated cucumbers do satisfy the craving for crunch and salt!
I am a fan of cucumbers and will eat them in pretty much any capacity, even plain. I took to these marinated cucumbers as an easy way to keep them on hand in the fridge during the week when my snack attacks hit.
This marinade is easy, and can be put together with simple pantry staples. The star of this marinade is good ol’ Old Bay. Full of celery seeds and spices, Old Bay provides a flavorful punch in one easy shake.
If you aren’t a fan of Old Bay, I recommend replacing it with the equally classic 21 Seasoning Salute.
For this recipe, I used a regular medium sized cucumber. If you use one of the massive English cucumbers, you may need to up the seasonings, vinegar and olive oil. Make to your taste preferences! To replicate the recipe most closely, use a regular medium-sized cucumber.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium cucumber.
- 1 tsp each black pepper and salt.
- 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning.
- 1 TB Balsamic Vinegar.
- 2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Optional Add-ins:
- A handful fresh parsley, chopped.
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped.
- 1/4 cup scallions, thin sliced.
DIRECTIONS
1. Slice each end off the cucumber. Before proceeding, you may peel the cucumber according to preference. I like the cucumber with the skin on, but if you don’t, now is the time to peel.
2. Cut the cucumber lengthwise. Using a small spoon, scrape the seeds into a bowl. I put the cucumber seeds into my smoothies, but you can discard if you prefer. Taking the seeds out of the cucumber preserves the cucumbers better, as it is the seeds that tend to go bad first.
3. Once de-seeded, slice the cucumber lengthwise once more, so you have four long sections of cucumber. From here, slice the cucumbers to fit in the jar, about the width of half of the tip of your finger.
4. Add the sliced cucumbers to a mason jar.
5. Add the seasonings (pepper, salt, Old Bay), along with the Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil. If you’d like, add the chopped handful of parsley now.
6. Place the lid on the mason jar and shake vigorously to combine. Let sit overnight in your refrigerator before consuming for best results.
RECIPE NOTES
Marinated cucumbers will last about a week in your fridge, but I typically eat them all before then!
These cucumbers are a great prep-ahead snack complement to your weekly meal prep, or even just to hold you over between meals.
Enjoy!
