SERVES 4 TO 6 · ACTIVE: 15 MIN · TOTAL: 15 MIN
CUCUMBER SLICES TOSSED IN a bright, creamy, wasabi-spiked sauce make an easy, refreshing summer salad. Since they’re used raw here, mild, sweet-tasting heirloom cucumbers are ideal. To add a cool, sweet element, toss chunks of watermelon into the mix. Store-bought wasabi is really just horseradish. Fresh wasabi is a pricier delicacy worth a try.
½ shallot, finely diced
½ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
1 to 2 teaspoons wasabi paste or freshly grated wasabi
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large English cucumber
1 bunch watercress, picked into 1-inch sprigs
In a large bowl, whisk together the shallot, crème fraîche, mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, dill, wasabi paste, and salt.
Peel away alternating strips of skin lengthwise on the cucumber, leaving strips of unpeeled skin in between. Cut into ¼-inch rounds. Add the cucumbers to the bowl and toss to combine.
To serve, arrange the watercress on a serving plate and scoop the cucumber salad into the center of the greens. Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve within 4 hours, scooping onto the watercress just before serving.