Hungarian salads are celebrations of fresh, seasonal vegetables in light brines, the minimalist’s dream really. They are well balanced and require no salad dressing and only little seasoning if any. For the same reason, wine and balsamic vinegars don’t work well here; they would overpower these delicately flavoured salads. Keep in mind, how much sugar and vinegar you make the brine with depends on personal preferences. I decided to include the salad brine in my recipes, but more as a guide post, not as a constraint. This is how I like it and after forty five years of making it; I measured it out the other day. This brine is used for most Hungarian salads, so perhaps it was time I added it to my recipes. Vinegars of course differ in acidity, so use less if the vinegar’s acid content is higher than five percent.
HUNGARIAN SALAD BRINE
3 cups cold water3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp 5% white vinegar
• In a salad bowl, combine dissolve the sugar.
• Add the vinegar and stir.
