Cucumber Strawberry Salad is a vibrant, simple, and refreshing summer salad. Fresh strawberries burst with sweet, juicy flavor, cucumbers give their signature refreshing crunch, topped with lime honey vinaigrette and mint. Simple ingredients but amazing flavors!
This simple recipe has about 3-4 servings as a smaller side dish.
Or serve it for 3 people as a perfect lunch appetizer or bring this refreshing cucumber salad for the upcoming potlucks. We love refreshing salads and over time I've shared with you my popular Watermelon Strawberry Salad, sweet Raspberry Spinach Beet Salad with yogurt dressing, and sweet and salty Spinach Strawberry Salad With Feta.
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Ingredients
My few comments on the ingredients + don't forget to read the Tips section!
The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.
I love making salads in the late spring and summer for a meal - it's so easy!
It's a light meal with preferably seasonal produce (by the way, it makes a whole lot of difference in terms of taste!) that is bursting with nutrients!
- Strawberries are not only a strong carrier of iron but they act as an active iron absorber. Most of the berries are a naturally good source of vitamin C which helps to absorb non-heme iron. Slice the strawberries in quarters or into thinner slices. How to cut strawberries.
- Cucumber - I get small types of cucumbers from my local farmer's market that have strong cucumber flavors and are not watery at all. Smaller, homegrown cucumbers can have thicker skin that is advisable to be removed but not necessary as well.
- This is difficult to find, but if you have your trusted source, you know what to look for. Usually, for salads, the best suitable cucumbers are Dutch, Persian, and English Cucumber. These have very less or almost no bitterness to them and have smooth skins.
- If you’re not sure, actually long cucumbers are usually not as watery inside and have decent flavor. Too much water and cucumber juice will ruin the flavor and make the dressing diluted and hence result in less flavor.
- Lime Honey Vinaigrette - sweet and refreshing salad dressing that works best when pairing both refreshing fruits and vegetables for a salad. These two need balancing ingredients - refreshing mint. Cut mint chiffonade or simply finely chop the leaves. Mix it into the dressing. Don't like mint? Substitute with fresh basil or cilantro.
- Dressing substitutions - If you want to stretch this dressing further and make it creamy, add a little nonflavored greek yogurt (about ½ cup) to it or use my other salad dressings such as Creamy Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing or my Greek Yogurt Dressing.
- Honey has a sweetening effect but you can barely feel its flavor. Maple syrup is also great with cucumbers and strawberries but it has a more intense caramel flavor.
I'd also recommend getting your fresh ingredients from a local farmer's market (where you get far the BEST strawberries by the way!). This way you get fresh produce and more healthy stuff.
Supporting our local artisans and shop owners is a great way to boost our local economies and also take better care of our environment.
Instructions
Prepare the dressing by mixing it in a small bowl or a tightly sealed mason jar. Stir/shake well until all combined.
Assemble the salad. In a large bowl add cucumbers and strawberries.
Drizzle with the dressing (assess the amount of the dressing, we want this salad to be tossed in the dressing lightly without the ingredients swimming in the liquid), and serve the salad with the remaining dressing on the side, or keep in the fridge for later.
Season with salt and pepper (you only need a little but it enhances all the flavors!), top with fresh mint and serve right away.
Tips
- If cucumbers are too watery, cut them in half lengthwise and spoon out the seeds, then slice them. Also if the skin is too thick and harsh (like it is with smaller cucumbers) you would want to peel it off for this salad.
- You can use my simple lime honey dressing provided in this recipe but if you want something more special you can't miss my Strawberry Poppyseed Salad Dressing! It has!
- I also love to add some lettuce to the salad, about 3 cups of 50/50 mix of arugula and spinach.
- To make this salad more nutritious I recommend adding chopped toasted nuts (pecans, walnut, almonds). How to toasted nuts: Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven to 350 Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes or until they become fragrant and golden brown. These will burn quickly so make sure to keep an eye on the nuts, especially during the last minutes.
- To make this salad into a more substantial meal, top it up with grilled shrimp or chicken. Any cooked gluten-free grains are a big plus (think quinoa, gluten-free couscous, gluten-free croutons (especially with parmesan), toasted nuts, and seeds.
- Chill the ingredients - For the best flavor, keep the strawberries and cucumbers in the fridge before cutting. This fresh cucumber strawberry salad does honestly taste better when the ingredients are chilled.
- Serving the salad. Combine all the ingredients and dress only before serving. The juices from the strawberry and cucumber will be released so we don't want the salad to stand out for long and become too watery.
- If you have any strawberry leftovers, make my delicious yogurt hearts or these healthy frozen berry cupcakes for dessert!
Freezing And Storing Instructions
Store the leftover dressed salad in the fridge and consume it within 1 day (same day). Undressed salad will taste fine if stored in the fridge for 1 day but for best results (and fresh flavor) I highly recommend combining everything right before serving.
Make ahead. Salad dressing can be mixed in advance for up to 4-5 days and tightly stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Unfortunately, you can't freeze this salad. I mean, you still can, but just don't do it.
Variations
- Take it to the next level by adding some seeds and nuts! Candied walnuts or pecans work very well with fruit and vegetable salads.
- Fill it up! To add creaminess and a little salty flavor, goat cheese and feta cheese work well too.
- Bulk up! Romaine lettuce, spinach, arugula, and butter lettuce add a whole different feel to this salad.
- If you don’t love lime, swap it with lime or apple cider vinaigrette.
- As this is a cold salad, and you are adding grains to it, please make sure to cool them completely before mixing them into the salad.
FAQ
You don’t need to peel the cucumbers for a salad, it is optional. But depends on the type of cucumbers used - Dutch, English, or Persian cucumbers have thin and not bitter skin that makes them perfect to use in salads. Smaller, homegrown cucumbers can have thicker skin that is advisable to be removed but not necessary as well.
The best way to have the freshest cucumbers for consumption is to wash and cut them right before you are going to eat them. Whole cucumbers will remain fresh for a week or two in the fridge however sliced cucumbers only for a couple of days.
The cucumber skin is not poisonous itself however you do need to wash them with soapy water before use as you would with any vegetable or fruit bought from the store or market. Mass production retailers do use different methods for growing their produce so it is necessary to make sure no toxins or bacteria is left on a cucumber before you consume it.
Can you slice strawberries ahead of time?
Yes and no. If you are going to consume the salad on the same day as slicing the fruit then I'd say yes go for it. But pack the berries properly in an airtight container and store in the fridge.
Easy Strawberry Recipes
Easy Summer Salad Recipes
For more easy gluten-free Fresh Salad recipes check out my SALAD as well as ALL APPETIZER recipe index here.
I hope you'll enjoy this Strawberry Cucumber Salad recipe, please leave a rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo of your food and tag me on Instagram @theyummy_bowl. I love seeing your creations!
Thank you for reading,
Love,
Julia
Cucumber Strawberry Salad
INGREDIENTS
Salad
- 1 ½ cup strawberries chilled, hulled, and quartered or sliced into 3-4 pieces
- 2 cups sliced cucumber chilled, thinly sliced
Dressing
- 1 ½ tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil good quality
- 1 tablespoon lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 ½ teaspoon fresh mint + more for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare the dressing by mixing it in a small bowl or a tightly sealed mason jar. Stir/shake well until all combined.
- Assemble the salad. In a large bowl add cucumbers and strawberries. Drizzle with the dressing (assess the amount of the dressing, we want this salad to be tossed in the dressing lightly without the ingredients swimming in the liquid), serve the salad with the remaining dressing on the side or keep it in the fridge for later.
- Season the salad with salt and pepper (you only need a little but it enhances all the flavors!), top with more fresh mint and serve right away.
PRIVATE NOTES
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
What a great way to use those leftover berries this season!