Apple Pear and Cucumber Salad

This delightfully fresh Apple Pear and Cucumber Salad is cool and refreshing. It's the perfect chilled dish to serve on a hot summer's day.

*Disclaimer - This recipe was originally published in 2013. I'm working hard to update all my older recipes with recipe cards, new photos, and additional recipe information. But, getting to all of them will take time. Please bear with me. In the meantime let me assure you that this recipe is still a winner and one I'm sure you'll be well pleased with when you make it at home.

I have a question that just might surprise you just a little...

Mind if I get a little fresh with you?

If your home is overflowing with garden cucumbers (like ours is), I hope your answer is a resounding YES!

Crunchy, zesty, sweet, and tangy ... All of those flavors will dance across your taste buds and give your tongues a wake-up call.

Are you ready for it, baby?

APPLE, PEAR, AND CUCUMBER SALAD 
{PRINT THIS RECIPE}

For the dressing:
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill (or 2 teaspoons dried dill)
2 teaspoons brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

For the salad:
1 Pink Lady apple, peeled (optional), cored and medium diced (the peels will give you additional color)
1 Bartlett pear cored and medium diced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and medium diced
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and medium diced
1 medium sweet onion, peeled and medium diced
½ teaspoon kosher salt

-Place all the dressing ingredients into a container with a tight-fitting lid.
-Shake the container vigorously to emulsify all the dressing ingredients and set aside.
-In a large bowl, add all the salad ingredients and stir to combine.
-Pour at least ½ of the dressing over the salad and stir to combine. (You may choose to add more dressing after you've tasted it but start with only half and see what you think.)
-Place the dressed salad into the fridge and allow the flavors to marry for at least 3 hours.
-Serve with additional dressing if desired.
*Note - you may want to make extra of this dressing to have on hand in the fridge. I think it would make a wonderful marinade for fish and of course a salad dressing for all sorts of lovely lettuce salads.

The reason this recipe is so delicious (besides all the fresh ingredients), is the time it spends in the fridge, with all those flavors blending and melding with each other before serving.

Please don't skip this step because, as we all know, some things just get better with age! Cheers to THAT!

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