The Unexpected Ingredient That Gives Your Cucumber Sandwich A Flavorful Protein Boost

British afternoon tea wouldn't be the same without the classic cucumber tea sandwich. Built using white bread with the crusts discarded, it is smeared with cream cheese or butter, and layered with thinly-sliced cucumbers. This sandwich screams delicate and refined yet tasty. But if you are looking for a way to transform your cucumber sandwich and add some protein in the process, you need to break out a jar of your favorite peanut butter. 

It might sound like a dare or a prank, after all, peanut butter seems so juvenile. But believe it or not, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich started as a fancy tea sandwich. However, its elegance was short-lived as it quickly turned into an affordable, shelf-stable option for a hearty lunch for school children during the Great Depression. 

Peanut butter is protein-rich, and like the peanut butter and pickle sandwich, it's pairing with cucumber sandwich is likely a product of either the Great Depression or World War II,  where it was perhaps invented to stretch and use what was readily available. Still, peanut butter and cucumbers are not such an unusual pairing. Together, they create a sandwich that is nutty, sweet, crunchy, and slightly vegetal in taste and texture. This sandwich is all about the contrast of flavors and textures, and it all begins with the peanut butter you use and how you prep your cucumber. 

When it comes to preferred spread, crunchy peanut butter may be better than smooth, but either will work here. It's really a matter of preference. Just make sure to smear peanut butter on both bread slices. This keeps the cucumbers in place and acts as a barrier so water cannot seep into the bread. And speaking of bread, fresh, soft, white bread is a standard choice. If you are feeling creative, drizzle a little honey on it, too.

To peel or not to peel cucumber is the question; however, keep in mind that if you are going to peel this veggie, you will need to slice it up, sprinkle some salt over it, and wait for 30 minutes. This will remove some of that moisture from the cucumbers that can make your sandwich soggy. Keeping the peels intact will contain some of that moisture; however, the peels may also make for a bitter bite depending on your cucumber selection.

English cucumbers should be the go-to for your peanut butter and cucumber sandwiches. This variety is sweeter to the taste buds than your typical slicing cucumber. It also has fewer and smaller seeds, a thin peel that doesn't need to be removed, and no bitterness. Keep your slices thin so that it's easy to layer this veggie on top of the peanut butter. You also don't want the cucumber to overwhelm this nutty spread. An eighth of an inch to a quarter inch is a good rule of thumb for the perfect amount of crisp veggie to creamy nut butter in each bite.