Recipe for: Summer Salad with Strawberries, Cottage Cheese, and Young Cucumbers with Dill - photo 1
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Recipe for: Summer Salad with Strawberries, Cottage Cheese, and Young Cucumbers with Dill

Salads Vegetarian Dishes 25 min Easy 0 views ~41.71 PLN - (0)
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Description

A light, fresh salad that combines the sweetness of ripe strawberries with the delicate creaminess of cottage cheese and the crunch of young cucumbers, enhanced by the aroma of fresh dill and the tang of lemon. This is a typically summer Polish dish, perfect for a picnic, barbecue, or as a light lunch. The salad has a contrast of textures: juicy fruits, grainy cottage cheese, and crisp cucumber slices. A delicate sour cream dressing with a touch of rapeseed oil and honey highlights the natural sweetness of the strawberries without overpowering the flavor. Serve chilled or at room temperature; it pairs wonderfully with dark bread or as a side to baked fish. It presents beautifully in a serving bowl, with visible red strawberries and green dill.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (11)

Servings:
4
  • Strawberry 500 g
  • Cottage cheese 400 g
  • Cucumber 1.5 pcs (~450 g)
  • Sour cream 100 g
  • Rapeseed oil 30 g
  • Lemon 1.3 pcs (~100 g)
  • 🌿 Spices
  • Dill 1.5 bunch (~30 g)
  • Salt 2 g
  • Black pepper 2 pinch (~1 g)
  • ✨ Optional
  • Honey 30 ml
  • Walnuts 50 g
💰 Estimated dish cost: ~41.71 PLN (10.43 PLN/serving)

💡 Click an ingredient to mark it as used

Preparation steps

Preparation of ingredients

1

Wash the strawberries under running, cool water and set aside in a colander to drain (2-3 minutes). Remove the stems: hold the strawberry from the bottom and gently twist the green part with your fingers or use a small knife. Cut larger strawberries into quarters, leaving smaller ones halved — the pieces should not be too small, they should retain their structure.

Ingredients: Strawberry
Use a large sieve/strainer and a cutting board. Do not soak the strawberries for too long, as they will lose their juice. A small knife or peeler will be useful for removing the stems.
2

Wash the cucumbers and, if the skin is thick, peel them thinly with a peeler. Cut the cucumbers into thin slices: place the cucumber on a cutting board and slice it diagonally or use a mandoline to a thickness of about 3-4 mm, so the slices are even and crunchy. If the cucumbers have larger seeds, scoop them out with a spoon before slicing.

Ingredients: Cucumber
The best tool is a mandoline or a sharp knife. When cutting by hand, ensure the slices are of even thickness – they will look nice in the salad. If you don't have a mandoline, cut slowly and carefully.
3

Chop the dill: gather the sprigs into a bunch, hold the ends, and finely chop with a knife. Crumble the cottage cheese: place the cottage cheese in a bowl and mash with a fork or pass it through a sieve if you want a smooth consistency. The cottage cheese does not need to be completely smooth — small lumps add texture.

Ingredients: Dill, Cottage cheese
Use a sharp knife for the dill and a large bowl for the cottage cheese. If the cottage cheese is very wet, drain it in a sieve for 5 minutes.

Sauce

4

Prepare the sauce: in a small bowl, pour in the cream (100 ml), add 2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil (30 g) and squeeze the juice from half a lemon (about 1 tablespoon of juice, ~15-20 g). If you want to balance the acidity, add 1 tablespoon of honey (30 g) — optional. Whisk thoroughly with a whisk or fork for 20-30 seconds until the sauce is smooth. Season with a pinch of salt (2 g) and freshly ground pepper (1 g), taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Ingredients: Sour cream, Rapeseed oil, Lemon, Honey, Salt, Black pepper
Use a small bowl and a whisk or fork. If the sauce separates, add a little more cream and mix vigorously. Squeeze the lemon juice by hand, do not pour the whole lemon at once — it's better to add it gradually.

Mixing and folding

5

In a large bowl, gently combine the chopped strawberries, cucumber slices, and crumbled cheese. Gradually pour in the prepared dressing (first half), then gently mix with a spatula or wooden spoon for 20-30 seconds to avoid crushing the strawberries. Taste and add the rest of the dressing if needed. Sprinkle with chopped dill and finely chopped walnuts (50 g) if using.

Ingredients: Strawberry, Cucumber, Cottage cheese, Dill, Honey, Sour cream, Rapeseed oil, Salt, Black pepper
Use a large bowl and a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. Gently mix from the bottom up — too vigorous mixing will crush the fruit and make the salad watery.

Additions and serving

6

Transfer the salad to a serving platter or divide it onto plates. For decoration, you can place a few halved strawberries on top and additionally sprinkle with fresh dill. Serve chilled (10-15 minutes in the fridge) or immediately, with a slice of whole grain bread.

Ingredients: Strawberry, Dill
Use a flat platter so the layers are visible. Do not keep the salad in the refrigerator for more than 24 hours — the strawberries will release juice and the salad will become too wet.

Final Tips

7

Before serving, taste again and adjust with salt and pepper if necessary. If the salad seems too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of cream or a little lemon juice. For a vegan version, replace the cottage cheese with mashed tofu and use maple syrup instead of honey.

Ingredients: Sour cream, Lemon, Cottage cheese
If you are preparing the salad in advance, keep the dressing separate and mix just before serving to maintain the fresh texture of the ingredients.

Fun Fact

💡

In Poland, the combination of fruits with cottage cheese has a long tradition (e.g., cold cheesecake, desserts with cottage cheese). Strawberries and cottage cheese are a classic seasonal pairing that gains a fresh, unexpected touch thanks to dill.

Best for

piknik letnia kolacja przyjęcie na świeżym powietrzu

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve in a flat dish to showcase the colors well. Serve with dark bread or crackers. If you like contrast, add a few leaves of arugula or radicchio.

🥡 Storage

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. It's best to prepare the ingredients in advance, but mix the dressing with the salad just before serving. Do not freeze the salad — strawberries and cottage cheese do not freeze well.

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