When the food industry of the world invented crab sticks, it revolutionized the budget kitchen. Even people with very little money were able to try salads with exquisite taste. Crab salad with cucumber broke records in the former Soviet Union, sometimes even ahead of olivier and herring under a fur coat. Therefore, here we will consider different options for this snack. But honestly, such salads are much better if you use real crab meat instead of sticks, which are still made from white fish. Then their taste will be completely unique! In addition, such salads are very light. A budget option can be prepared at least every day, and guests are delighted with a holiday or served for some celebration.
Key Secrets to Success
Crab salad with cucumber has become so popular for various reasons. It is very easy to do. After all, almost all products for it are taken ready-made. Even if you use crab meat, then most likely it will be canned. In addition, its main ingredients are perfectly combined with each other. The main thing is that everything needs to be finely chopped, mixed and seasoned. The basic basis for such salads is the same. But some products are added, and some are removed. And this can change the taste of your favorite dish so that it does not have time to bother. And besides, cooking this salad opens up endless possibilities for experimentation.
Crab salad with cucumber: a classic recipe. Essential Ingredients
This appetizer is just a salvation for the hostess in case of unexpected arrival of guests. If you have a can of canned corn, and in the refrigerator there is a fresh cucumber and a pack of crab sticks, then we can confidently say that the feast will succeed! It is also good to take a couple of eggs. In just a quarter of an hour you will build a chic salad. And if you prepare for the arrival of guests in advance, you can buy all the products necessary for the preparation of its classic version. This is not only eggs, sticks, cucumbers and corn, but also greens, onions and mayonnaise. Typically, these basic products are in any kitchen. When you season salad, do not overdo it. In principle, half a can of mayonnaise should be enough for it so that it does not seem dry, but there is no sense of excess sauce.
How to cook a classic recipe appetizer
To make a crab salad with cucumber, take 250 grams of sticks, but good, from real fish. They need to be removed from the film and cut into cubes. Now add two to three stalks of green onions. Many do not need to let the salad become bitter. Finely chop and send to the chopsticks. A chopped bunch of dill will also go there, which will give the salad not only taste, but also the smell of freshness. We cut 3-4 hard-boiled eggs and add to our snack. Now the turn of corn has come - half a tin of it will go with us. The main thing is that it should not be too sweet. And finally, finely chop two fresh cucumbers. We mix all products, sprinkle with black pepper and salt. Dress with mayonnaise mixed with sour cream. But this is if you are going to eat a snack right away. In the refrigerator, such a salad is best kept unrefilled. Then it will not flow and emit juice.
How to diversify the classic recipe
Basic crab salad with cucumber can be prepared differently. Instead of green onions, you can take garlic. It is best to cut a small spring green stalk. But the crushed clove will come down. Instead of one of the cucumbers, take a sour apple. But it should not be too juicy. In addition, some housewives add chopped Beijing cabbage and / or avocados to such a salad. In the latter case, the appetizer is seasoned with sour cream, not mayonnaise. Then it comes out not so high-calorie.
Hearty recipe
If you want a classic salad (crab sticks, corn, cucumber, eggs) to become very nutritious, you need to include rice in the list of products. Do you want such an appetizer on the table to look especially beautiful and bright? Take real village eggs. They will need about 5 pieces. We boil them, peel and finely chop. We wash half a glass of rice with cold water. We cook it separately and let it cool. It is better to take loose varieties. Then the rice comes out undigested, just right for the salad. 400 grams of crab sticks and two fresh cucumbers finely chopped. We spread all the products in a salad bowl. Now open a can of canned corn, salt the liquid and add the contents to the other ingredients. If you want a fresh touch, you can chop a little green onion and dill. Salt, pepper, season with mayonnaise.
With rice and pickles
The same hearty salad can be varied. It is especially good in the winter and for the festive table. The recipe for crab salad with corn and cucumber, of course, resembles the previous one. Among its ingredients are rice and fish fingers. But in addition to fresh cucumbers, we will add here also pickled, also bell pepper. We cut a pack of crab sticks into cubes. Boil half a glass of rice. After cooling, add to the sticks. Now cut into cubes a bright - yellow or red - bell pepper. He, too, will go to the salad bowl. Our snack will be not only bright, but also juicy. Finely chop two pieces of fresh and pickled cucumbers. The final touch is canned corn (enough contents of one can) and 1-2 chopped stalks of green onions. Our salad will sparkle with all the colors of the rainbow! Season it with mayonnaise. It can be served in salad bowls or portioned plates. And if you add another 150 grams of grated cheese to the appetizer, its taste will satisfy any gourmet.
"Tenderness"
It's time to tell you how puff salad is made. Cucumber, crab sticks, egg - all these ingredients will be present in it. But they fit differently. 200 grams of crab sticks, 2 fresh cucumbers, three hard-boiled eggs and 150 grams of hard cheese are cut into cubes, but do not mix. Now we take a flat plate on which we will build a salad. First, put a layer of cucumber on the bottom. Lightly grease with mayonnaise. Then come the crab sticks. Then the eggs are advised to salt them on top. Then we put the cheese, and on it - canned corn. Each layer is soaked in mayonnaise. And to the very top, we squeeze this French sauce from a pastry syringe or just from a bag so that we get a beautiful net. You can decorate with greens. If the salad is served portionwise, sprinkle the top with egg yolk or grated cheese.
Crab salad with cucumber and peas
Not everyone loves canned corn. Especially if you come across a sweet one. Therefore, some cooks prefer to use good old peas in such a salad. This appetizer is amazingly spring, especially in color. So, take a pack of crab sticks of any size to taste. Free them from the film, cut into cubes. Next, take on the greens. One small, not too large bunch of onions, parsley and lettuce, wash, dry and cut. Mix with chopsticks. We will do the same with two fresh cucumbers. Add half the contents of the can of peas. It remains to salt, pepper and season with mayonnaise, mixing all the ingredients well.
With tomatoes
These overseas vegetables are not often added to crab sticks salad with cucumber. Nevertheless, they blend perfectly. Take 10 crab sticks. Cut them into small rings. Two fresh cucumbers and three boiled eggs are chopped into cubes. We also cut 4 strong salad tomatoes. You can add a little chopped green onion and dill. Knead everything in a salad bowl and season with mayonnaise. The appetizer is very good in late summer. If you want a more satisfying option, you can rub in this salad 100 grams of hard cheese. Moreover, in combination with tomatoes, he will make this dish very spicy.
Gourmet
But this is a real crab salad of cucumbers and eggs. It uses a minimum of products. Nevertheless, the salad comes out very satisfying and at the same time exquisite. We take a jar of canned crab meat, decant the excess liquid, knead with a fork. We chop finely white lettuce and two fresh cucumbers. Add 4 boiled eggs, chopped in small cubes. We mix everything. Dress with mayonnaise. We spread it in a salad bowl with a slide.
"Star"
The French version of crab salad with corn and cucumber is a real bomb for a celebration or celebration! 200 grams of chilled boiled seafood will serve as the basis for us. Divide the crab meat with your hands into fibers. Now take a bunch of green salad and finely chop. 3 boiled eggs, fresh cucumber and 3-4 cherry tomatoes cut into small cubes. Put it all in a large deep plate. Now add three tablespoons of canned corn, as well as two long-grain boiled rice and olive oil. The latter can be replaced with good mayonnaise. All mix well. But this is only the first stage. To amaze guests, the salad must be served. To do this, lay out the washed leaves of lettuce or Peking cabbage on a star-shaped dish. Take red or yellow bell pepper, cut the stem, seeds. Now we make long triangles that will serve us as the "rays" of the star. Put them on a green salad. Now with a slide in the middle of the dish we spread our snack. And in the middle we apply a thin layer of red or black caviar. Instead, lay a few pieces of lightly salted salmon or trout. Sprinkle the salad with dill. Now he is ready to serve.
Tips before inviting guests to the table
Any salad of cucumbers and crab sticks is best kept for about an hour in the refrigerator before serving. Then all the products will be saturated with dressing and will acquire a unique taste. But the salad should not be rearranged. Otherwise, fresh cucumbers and onions, which are present in the appetizer, will start up juice, and the dish will acquire a not very pleasant smell. And the gas station can be stratified. Most often, these salads are decorated with greens, grated egg yolk or mayonnaise. How to serve a snack? You can in a large beautiful vase, you can portion. Sometimes the serving dish is covered with green lettuce, previously sprinkled with ice water. This gives the appetizer a special shade. Especially beautiful when openwork leaves protrude on the sides of the plate. The appetizer dish itself is better to take white, without a pattern. This will darken the brightness of the salad. In some cases, it is sprinkled with croutons. This salad is good in both winter and summer. In cold weather, its fresh taste will remind you of the heat, and in the warm it will seem light, as if airy. And this despite the presence of very nutritious ingredients in it.