Side Dish: United States – Bayou-Chilled Creole Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Pickled Okra

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 6

Approximate Time

Prep 15 min

Cook 0 min

Additional 20 min

Total 30 min

Ingredients

2 English cucumbers, thinly sliced
2 cups (300 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 / 2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
1 / 2 cup (120 ml) pickled okra, sliced into rounds (reserve 2 tbsp / 30 ml brine)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 / 4 cup (15 g) flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tbsp (3 g) fresh dill, chopped
3 tbsp (48 g) Creole mustard (or coarse Dijon)
3 tbsp (45 ml) apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp (30 ml) pickled okra brine
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 tsp (5 ml) Louisiana-style hot sauce
1 tsp (7 g) honey
1 / 4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 / 2 tsp celery seed
1 / 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 / 4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Place the sliced cucumbers in a colander and toss with a big pinch of salt; let sit 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture, then pat dry with paper towels.
In a bowl, whisk together Creole mustard, apple cider vinegar, pickled okra brine, lemon juice, hot sauce, honey, celery seed, black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.
In a large mixing bowl, combine cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, scallions, parsley, dill, and sliced pickled okra. Pour the dressing over and toss gently to coat.
Chill 15–30 minutes to meld flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or a splash of lemon if desired.
Serve cold alongside the crawfish boil for a crisp, tangy counterpoint to the spice and richness.