Cucumber Ribbon Salad with Yogurt Herb Dressing
Posted: 01/28/2015
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This cucumber ribbon salad is easy to make and is full of great flavor but without any fat, thanks to a creamy yogurt herb dressing.
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This salad is light and refreshing with only 28 calories per serving.
How long it takes: 10 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: sharp knife (or spiralizer), bowl, measuring utensils
Servings: 4
Table of Contents
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I just love cucumbers. They are so refreshing, so light, and yet so full of flavor. This salad is a great side dish if you’re having a barbecue or anything grill related in the summer. It provides a needed freshness and lightness to an otherwise heavy meal.
Cucumbers are always in season, though, so this salad is welcome any time of the year. Whether you’re cooking burgers outside or pulled pork in your slow cooker on a cold winter day, this salad will fit right in. It makes a great lunch, too.
About this easy salad
Cucumber salad is super refreshing thanks to the fresh, crunchy cucumbers and tons of fresh herbs. I use chives, parsley and dill but any combination of fresh herbs works well. Dill goes especially well with cucumbers though. Sort of like dill pickles, right?
Other than the herbs, the dressing is very simple and easy – yogurt, salt and pepper are the only other ingredients you’ll need. Use fat-free, low-fat, or regular yogurt, it’s up to you.
If you love tzatziki, a cucumber yogurt sauce that’s often found in Middle Eastern dishes, you’ll love this salad. If you like, add a bit of grated garlic and a squeeze of lemon juice to add an extra layer of flavor.
Look for the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
If you have one, use a spiralizer to cut the cucumbers into pretty ribbons. If you haven’t jumped on the spiralizer bandwagon yet, it’s okay (although I’d argue you should — I love mine!). A vegetable peeler works well to make thin ribbons (watch this video) or just cut the cucumbers into thin slices or half moons with a sharp knife, the thinner the better.
Hope you love this easy, light, and refreshing salad.
FAQs
Do you peel cucumbers for salad?
If you use thinner skinned varieties, like English, hot house, or Persian, there’s no need to peel the cucumber. Rinse them well and cut off the ends.
Thicker skinned varieties should be peeled. Often they are coated with wax to extend the shelf-life.
What can you do with fresh cucumbers?
Other than this salad, I like to make refrigerator dill pickles. Other salads you can make with cucumbers are Salad with Apples and Cucumber, Greek Cucumber Noodle Bowls with Turkey Meatballs, or Barley Salad with Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Parsley.
Why is my cucumber salad watery?
Cucumbers contain a lot of water. Using Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt helps this salad stay creamy. If your cucumbers have a lot of seeds, remove them before slicing the cucumber. Another method is to salt the cucumber first, allowing the salt to draw out the water. Let the salted cucumbers drain in a colander for a half hour, rinse, and pat dry. Continue with the recipe.
Make it your own
- Try a different dressing. Blue cheese dressing, green goddess dressing, or lemon basil vinaigrette are really great choices.
- Add a teaspoon of grated garlic and a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Sprinkle the salad with feta cheese, Parmesan curls, or blue cheese.
- Add more veggies. Thinly sliced onions, radishes, tomatoes, or carrots taste great in this salad.
Storage Tips
This salad is best eaten immediately. It can be stored in a tightly covered container in the fridge for up to two days. It may get a bit watery and lose some of the crispness. Stir well, or add a few more cucumbers to refresh it.
More Salad Recipes
- Greek Chopped Salad recipe
- Grilled Vegetable Salad with Goat Cheese
- Panzanella Salad Recipe
- Bruschetta Orzo Pasta Salad
- Healthy Broccoli Salad Recipe with bacon
- Orzo salad with yogurt dill dressing
- Herbed Israeli Couscous Salad with Tomatoes and Mozzarella
- Reduced Fat Creamy Coleslaw
- Crunchy Pea and Peanut Salad by The Girl Who Ate Everything
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
This cucumber ribbon salad is easy to make and is full of great flavor but without any fat thanks to a creamy yogurt herb dressing.
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber or another type of thin skinned cucumber
- 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt (see note)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
- 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Using a spiralizer, cut the cucumber into ribbons with the ribbon blade. If you don’t have a spiralizer, use vegetable peeler to make ribbons or thinly slice the cucumber in half moons.
- In a small bowl, mix together Greek yogurt, chives, parsley, dill, salt and pepper. Taste dressing and season with more salt and pepper as needed.
- Mix dressing into cucumbers and stir well to combine. Best served immediately. Store in fridge.
Notes
- I prefer English cucumbers to regular cucumbers. The skin is less tough and the cucumbers contain less seeds. If you can’t find them, regular cucumbers can be substituted but for best results, peel the cucumbers.
- If you prefer, substitute 2% or full-fat Greek yogurt. Sour cream is good, too.
- For a dairy-free cucumber salad, try this cucumber onion salad.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 28kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 13mg, Potassium: 169mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 436IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 1mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Sumit Malhotra says
Great will make this soon. Love cucumbers.
Aggie @ Aggie's Kitchen says
What a beautiful salad! I just started using my ribbon blade on my spiralizer and it’s my new favorite. I haven’t tried spiralizing cucumbers yet!