When it’s hot out, what we really crave is food that cools and refreshes. Enter this crisp, light, creamy cucumber salad recipe. Chickpeas add texture and protein, while fresh herbs like mint, parsley and dill are a visual (and edible) reminder of the lush garden bounty of summer. Serve it alongside juicy burgers, like our Lamb Burger or Black Bean Burger, or pair it with Blackened Salmon for a completely good-for-you feast.
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Tzatziki-Inspired Cucumber Salad Dressing
Greek yogurt – We prefer full-fat yogurt here. It’s already healthier than cucumber salad with mayo, so don’t hold back!
Extra virgin olive oil – You’ll want to look for a nice-quality, citrus forward olive oil.
Lemon juice – Fresh lemon imparts a ray of sunshine, and just the perfect kiss of acidity to this cucumber salad dressing.
Fresh mint – For all the freshness, nothing beats mint leaves.
Za’atar – Za’atar is one of our all time favorite spice blends. It’s perfect with just a little drizzle of olive oil for dipping bread. And it adds tons of flavor to this Mediterranean cucumber salad. You can sub dried oregano if you don’t have za’atar.
How to Make Cucumber Salad
Prep! Yeah, this salad takes a little prep, but it requires no cooking whatsoever. (Take that, potato salad!) Slice the cucumbers and onions using a mandoline slicer if you have one, and a really, really sharp knife if you don’t. Drain a can of chickpeas, and wash all your fresh herbs. We throw everything into a salad spinner for a good wash.
Mix the dressing.
Toss it all together! Because it’s loaded with fresh herbs, this salad doesn’t keep super well. It’s OK to make it an hour or so ahead of time, but we don’t recommend making it WAY ahead of time.
What Kind Of Cucumbers Are Best for Cucumber Salad?
Really, you can use any cucumbers that you have available for this salad, but our very favorites are English or Persian cucumbers. They’re slim and basically seedless and—best of all—because their skin is paper thin and not bitter at all, you don’t have to peel them. If you only have standard cucumbers, just be sure to peel them. Then, cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise, and scoop out some of the seeds in the center. Doing so will make the salad lovely, light and crunchy, because the seedy middle can be soggy, and the peel can be tough.
How to Store + Tips
You could sub in our Pickled Onions for a little more zing!
Parsley, mint, and dill are herbs we call for, but if you have some other fresh herbs that are begging to be used, toss them in! Herbs like tarragon and marjoram would add more fun flavor to this salad.
Cucumber salad lasts for a couple of days in the fridge. Any longer, and the cukes start to get watery and lose their crunch. Since it doesn’t keep well in the fridge or freezer, we recommend eating this salad as fresh as possible.
More Ultra-Refreshing Summer Salad Recipes To Try
Bursting with light, bright flavors, these summer salads help to beat the heat.
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