Wash and thoroughly dry 3 medium English cucumbers. This step takes about 2 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture, which prevents a watery salad.

Dice the cucumbers into 1/2-inch pieces—about 5 minutes. You should have roughly 3 cups of diced cucumber. Checkpoint: Cucumber pieces should be uniform in size so they combine evenly with other ingredients.

Dice 1 red bell pepper into small pieces—about 3 minutes. Remove the seeds and white core first, then cut into 1/4-inch cubes.

Thinly slice 1/2 red onion into half-moons using a sharp knife—about 2 minutes. Place in a small bowl and set aside.

Finely chop 1/4 cup fresh dill by stacking leaves and slicing thinly—about 2 minutes. Chop 2 tablespoons fresh chives into 1/4-inch pieces—about 1 minute.

In a small mixing bowl, add 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, and juice of half a lemon. Using a small whisk, stir vigorously for 2 minutes until the mixture emulsifies and becomes slightly creamy. Checkpoint: The vinaigrette should look cohesive and slightly thickened, not separated.

Place 2 cups cottage cheese in a large mixing bowl—this takes 1 minute. Don't press or break up the curds; keep them intact for the best texture.

Add the diced cucumber, red bell pepper, and sliced red onion to the cottage cheese bowl—about 1 minute to combine.

Slowly pour the vinaigrette over the cottage cheese and vegetables. Gently fold everything together using a large spoon or spatula for 2–3 minutes, making careful motions to keep the cottage cheese curds whole.

Fold in the chopped dill and chives—about 1 minute—saving roughly 1 tablespoon of each herb for garnish.

Taste the salad and adjust seasoning as needed—add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice to your preference. This should take 1 minute.

Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or individual plates and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. The colder temperature helps flavors meld and makes the salad more refreshing. You can refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving.

Just before serving, garnish with the reserved fresh dill and chives and a light sprinkle of paprika on top.