Crunchy, crispy texture with a hint of sweetness—this Crisp Cucumber Salad is refreshing and easy to love. A bright mix of fresh vegetables makes it an ideal summer side dish or everyday salad.
At our house, a homemade salad is a must, especially alongside grilled meat. This season we’re overflowing with cucumbers from our greenhouse, and we snack on them throughout the day. Fresh cucumbers have even replaced many of our sweet cravings.
I recently revisited a vintage magazine salad recipe and adapted it to my preferences. The original used a spicier dressing, but I prefer simple dressings made from oil and vinegar for this kind of salad. Occasionally I’ll use mayonnaise or sour cream in other dishes, but for this Crisp Cucumber Salad a light oil-and-vinegar dressing works best.
This salad takes about 15 minutes to prepare and comes together with minimal effort. Cucumbers are the star, with red bell pepper adding a vibrant color contrast and carrots contributing a pleasant crunch. If you prefer dill over parsley, that swap works beautifully here. For faster, uniform slicing I often use a mandoline for cucumbers and peppers and a julienne slicer for carrots, but a sharp knife works perfectly well.
Crisp Cucumber Salad Ingredients:
- 4 medium cucumbers (or 1 English cucumber), sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, julienned
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- 1/4 large purple onion or 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 3 green onions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped (or dill as an alternative)
- 3 tablespoons grapeseed or sunflower oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 garlic clove, pressed
How to Make Crisp Cucumber Salad:
- Make the dressing: in a small bowl whisk together 3 tbsp grapeseed (or sunflower) oil, 1 tbsp white wine (or distilled) vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp fine salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper and 1 pressed garlic clove. Stir gently and let sit a few minutes so the sugar and salt dissolve.
- Wash and pat dry all vegetables.
- In a large bowl combine sliced cucumbers, julienned red bell pepper and carrot, finely chopped purple onion (or shallot), chopped green onions and chopped fresh parsley (or dill).
- Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately, or refrigerate covered for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld before serving.
More Fresh Cucumber Salad Ideas:
- Broccoli Cauliflower Cucumber Salad – a crunchy spring mix.
- Cucumber Radish Salad – creamy texture with refreshing crunch.
- Green Cabbage Cucumber Salad – vibrant and quick to make in 15 minutes.
- Tomato Cucumber Radish Salad – simple, flavorful and refreshing.
- Tomato and Cucumber Salad – an easy three-vegetable classic.
Crisp Cucumber Salad
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Ingredients
Crisp Cucumber Salad Ingredients:
- 4 medium cucumbers (or 1 English) – sliced
- 1 red bell pepper – julienned
- 1 medium carrot – julienned
- 1/4 large purple onion (or 1 small shallot) – finely chopped
- 3 green onions – finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley – finely chopped
Crisp Cucumber Salad Dressing Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine salt – or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper – or to taste
- 1 garlic clove – pressed
Instructions
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In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients: 3 tbsp grapeseed oil, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 tsp granulated sugar, 1 tsp fine salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper and 1 pressed garlic clove. Stir and set aside to allow the sugar and salt to dissolve.
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Wash and pat dry the vegetables.
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In a large bowl combine 4 sliced medium cucumbers, 1 julienned red bell pepper, 1 julienned medium carrot, 1/4 finely chopped large purple onion, 3 finely chopped green onions and 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley.
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Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately, or refrigerate covered for 30 minutes to let flavors meld if desired.
Notes
- You can swap 2 tbsp chopped parsley for 2 tbsp chopped dill for a different flavor profile.
- Prepare the dressing before slicing vegetables so the sugar and salt have time to dissolve.
- If making ahead, keep the dressing separate and add it just before serving to prevent the cucumbers from becoming too watery.
- A mandoline and julienne slicer speed up prep and ensure even slices, but a sharp knife is fine.
- Grapeseed oil may be substituted with sunflower oil; white wine vinegar can be replaced with distilled white vinegar.