Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad with Rye Croutons

Ingredients

• 3 medium cucumbers (about 4 cups cubed)
• 5 slices rye bread (about 2 cups cubed rye bread)
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp small capers
• 2 oz. feta, finely cubed (about 1/3 cup)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Pickled Shallots:

• 5 to 6 small shallots (or 1 medium red onion)
• ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 2 Tbsp sugar

Sour Cream Dressing

• ½ cup full-fat organic sour cream
• 2 tsp vinegar from the pickled shallots
• ¼ tsp salt
• Half a small bunch fresh dill, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup chopped)

Instructions

1. 1
   A few hours in advance or the day before, prepare the pickled shallots. Peel the shallots and slice them as thinly as you can. You should get about 1/2 cup of finely sliced shallots. Place them in a small jar and cover them with the apple cider vinegar. Stir in the sugar and water, and place in the fridge to marinate for a minimum of one hour, preferably overnight.
2. 2
   If you wish, peel the cucumbers (I like to leave the skins on if they’re organic). If using field cucumbers, de-seed them by slicing in half lengthwise and running a spoon down the center. (English cucumbers or baby cucumbers don’t need to be de-seeded). Finely chop the cucumbers into small cubes. You should get about 4 cups cubed cucumber.
3. 3
   Cut the rye bread into small cubes. Toss with 3 Tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Oil a baking sheet with the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil and spread the cubed bread across it. Bake at 375F for about 10 minutes, or until the croutons are golden and crisp. Remove and allow to cool.
4. 4
   In a medium-large bowl, combine the cubed cucumber and cooled croutons. In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, salt, and vinegar, and 2 Tbsp of fresh chopped dill (save the rest for garnish. Toss the cucumber and croutons with the sour cream dressing. Top with about 1 to 2 Tbsp of pickled shallots (shake off any excess vinegar and keep the rest for another dish), 1 capers, and finely cubed feta. Top with more chopped dill. Taste and season as desired with a bit of salt and pepper. (Be careful not to over salt this salad as the capers and feta are already quite salty). Serve within the hour so that the croutons maintain their crisp. (If you wish to make this a few hours in advance, add the croutons at the last minute so they stay crispy). Enjoy!