Mizeria (Polish Cucumber Salad)

When I was growing up, my mom often made a dish called mizeria. It was always a freestyle recipe — the type of thing I would watch her mix up on a hot summer day while the AC rattled around in the other room. It’s a simple mix of sour cream, cucumber, dill, and vinegar, which combine to make a flavorful, refreshing snack in relatively no time at all. It’s a restorative meal during the dog days of summer (my mom always had it alongside a glass of iced tea!).

Lots of cultures have some version of cucumbers and yogurt. Persians have mast-o khiar. Greece and Turkey have tzatziki. And the Polish have mizeria. Here, I’m sharing my twist on mizeria, which involves swapping out the sour cream for creamy, tangy labneh, which is just yogurt strained to remove the whey. Lemon juice and vinegar thin it out to create a viscous and flavorful dressing that coats the cucumbers, and both dry and fresh dill create a well-rounded herb flavor. Finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and you have yourself a satisfying dish that acts as either a side or light lunch.

1. Salt the cucumbers. Salting the cucumbers both flavors them and removes excess water — you want mizeria to be creamy, not watery! After slicing the cucumbers, you’ll place them in a colander and sprinkle with salt, then toss to combine. Let sit for 30 minutes to drain. Be sure to pat them down afterwards with a few paper towels to remove the water.
2. Serve it cold. Mizeria is a dish best served cold. When possible, I like to refrigerate the finished dish for at least 30 minutes (and up to one day) before serving.