Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This cucumber ribbon salad is easy to make and is full of great flavor, thanks to a creamy yogurt herb dressing. The cucumber 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
Cucumbers are very thinly sliced into beautiful cucumber ribbons and topped with a creamy yogurt dill dressing for a uniquely gorgeous salad.
If you love tzatziki, a cucumber yogurt sauce that’s often found in Middle Eastern dishes, you’ll love this salad. Cucumber ribbon salad is also very similar to German cucumber salad, which is made of sliced cucumbers with a sour cream dressing.
Refreshing Cucumber Ribbon Salad
Lots of herbal flavor! 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.
A simple dressing. The dressing is easy to make with yogurt, salt and pepper. Use fat-free, low-fat, or regular yogurt, it’s up to you.
Always in season. Cucumbers are available in grocery stores year-round so this salad is perfect anytime. Whether you’re cooking burgers outside or pulled pork in your slow cooker on a cold winter day, cucumber salad will fit right in. It goes well with richer meals, providing freshness and lightness to an otherwise heavy meal.
How To Cut Cucumber Ribbons
If you have one, use a spiralizer to cut the cucumbers into pretty ribbons but if you don’t have a spiralizer, don’t worry. A vegetable peeler works well to make thin ribbons (watch this video). Another option is to simply cut the cucumbers into thin slices or half moons with a sharp knife, the thinner the better. If you love the idea of eating “ribbons”, be sure to try sautéed summer squash and zucchini ribbons and asparagus ribbon salad with beets and burrata.Recipe Tips/Troubleshooting
Peeling/not peeling cucumbers: 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.
Watery salad: 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
Possible Recipe Variations
- Try a different dressing. Blue cheese dressing, green goddess dressing, or lemon basil vinaigrette are really great choices.
- Add an extra layer of flavor. Stir in a teaspoon of grated garlic and a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Garnish with cheese. 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.
- Not into creamy dressings? Try my cucumber salad with an easy vinegar dressing or refrigerator dill pickles. For a spicy kick, easy Korean pickles are a must try! All three recipes are also dairy-free.
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
Cucumber Ribbon Salad with Yogurt Herb Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber (or another type of thin skinned cucumber)
- ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt (see note)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
- ¼ 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.1 English cucumber
- 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.½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives, ¼ cup minced fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill, salt and pepper to taste
- Mix dressing into cucumbers and stir well to combine. Best served immediately. Store in fridge.
Notes
- Cucumbers: I prefer English cucumbers to regular cucumbers. The skin is tender and the cucumbers contain less seeds. If you can’t find them, regular cucumbers can be substituted but for best results, peel the cucumbers and seed them if the seeds are large.
- Yogurt choices: If you prefer, substitute 2% or full-fat Greek yogurt. Sour cream is good, too.
- Dairy-free: For a dairy-free cucumber salad, try this cucumber onion salad.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
simple and delish!
My nana makes something very similar! I think she uses sour cream and mayo, and tons of dill. I love this lighter take on it, I will have to try!
We live in Minnesota and my kids rarely wear coats unless they are going to be outside for a period of time. This salad looks so crisp and refreshing!
Rachel,
Since the growing season has frosted over, I’m transitioning from eating nearly only from what’s in the farm share box to actually going to the store to buy veggies. I picked up some cucumbers at Costco the other day for a layered dip–and there’s one left. I’m so glad to find your recipe!
This salad looks very light and fresh–thanks for sharing!
Yay! Another great recipe for my spiralizer. Love that yogurt dressing!
Cucumber salads are one of my favorites! They always taste so fresh! The dressing sounds fantastic!
This cucumber salad looks just like the one my mom has made for years – and I never grow tired of it! So refreshing with a nice crunch!
I love cucumbers and all the wondeful flavors you added to them sound fantastic. I’ll be making this one soon!
I love my spiralizer! I make something like this frequently, but had not thought to spiralize the cukes instead of shredding them. Great idea!
I JUST got a spiralizer, and have been spiralizing ALL the things….except cucumbers! I adore those refreshing and crunchy vegetables so I am ALL OVER this delicious lookin’ salad! Pinned!