Paraben Free Cucumber Mint Sauce

Total time25 min

Prep time10 min

Cook time0 min

4.6

(24)

Cool, herby, and bright with citrus, this blended sauce is the kind of thing you'll want to drizzle over everything from grilled fish to roasted vegetables. The combination of fresh mint, parsley, lemon juice, and lemon zest gives it a layered, garden-fresh flavor that bottled condiments simply can't replicate. A quick salting and draining step pulls excess moisture from the cucumber first, which keeps the texture pleasantly chunky rather than watery — a small move that makes a big difference. Extra virgin olive oil ties it all together with a silky finish, and a single clove of garlic adds just enough bite without overwhelming the delicate herbs. Because every ingredient here is a whole, unprocessed food, you sidestep the synthetic preservatives and chemical additives that sneak into so many store-bought sauces and dressings. It comes together in minutes and keeps in the fridge for up to two days, making it an easy, reliable staple to have on hand all week.

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Ingredients

4 servings

1 medium english cucumber, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
½ cup fresh mint leaves, packed
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp sea salt, or to taste
⅛ tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped (optional)

Instructions

1
Place the chopped cucumber in a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of the sea salt and let it drain for 15 minutes, until the cucumber has released most of its excess water.
2
Transfer the drained cucumber to a blender or food processor. Add the mint leaves, parsley (if using), garlic, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

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