Refreshing Cucumber Strawberry Salad
This cucumber strawberry salad is sweet, refreshing, and perfect for any spring or summer meal.
Pairing sweet and juicy strawberries with cool and refreshing cucumbers just makes sense. While you might be tempted to just top your salad with these ingredients, make this unique and refreshing salad to serve at your next summer picnic or BBQ.
But, no need to wait until the next party- whenever you get the grill out, make this cucumber strawberry salad to accompany your favorite dinner. The fresh and sweet flavors will pair perfectly with any savory grilled dish or BBQ.
Why This Recipe Works
It’s light and refreshing: Hot meals on a hot day don’t always go together. But, pair this refreshing salad with cucumbers and strawberries with your main dish and you’ll feel cool and refreshed!
It’s simple to make: Just chop, toss, and go! While letting the flavors meld together for a bit does make it pop a bit more, this also makes a great last-minute healthy side dish.
A tasty way to use seasonal fruit: Whether you have a garden overflowing with cucumbers, strawberries, and basil or you’re getting your fill at the farmer’s market, this salad makes perfect use of seasonal summer produce.
🛒 Ingredients
Use a clear shot of the ingredients for this recipe, prepped, and labeled if necessary. Insert the ingredients into the list below, omitting quantities.
- Strawberries: Use only fresh berries. Frozen or dried strawberries won’t work for this recipe.
- Cucumbers: Don’t bother peeling unless the peel is extra tough, then take a vegetable peeler and lightly remove the peels.
- Basil: Only fresh will work with this recipe- it adds an amazingly fresh flavor!
- Red onion: For this recipe, the mildly sweet flavor of red onion works best. If you don’t have red onion– use sweet.
- Feta cheese: can substitute with crumbled goat cheese if you prefer, but I would avoid any cheese that is much stronger in flavor as it may overwhelm the rest of the salad.
- White balsamic vinegar: Use the white variety for a more crisp taste and light color.
- Honey: The perfect natural sweetener for this salad.
- Olive oil: Use light or extra virgin olive oil depending on how much you love the taste! Light olive oil is much more mild tasting than extra virgin olive oil.
See recipe card for quantities.
🥣 Step by Step Instructions
Step 1 Make the honey balsamic vinaigrette by whisking the vinegar, honey, olive oil, and pepper together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Step 2 Dice the strawberries and cucumbers, slice the basil and red onion and gently mix it all together in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Step 3 Pour the honey balsamic vinaigrette on top. Mix gently until well combined. Toss with feta cheese.
Hint: If making this for a party or for kids to enjoy– serve the feta on the side and let people add it as desired.
🛍Substitutions
If you want to try making this cucumber strawberry salad, but don’t have everything you need- skip the grocery trip and try these substitutes!
- Replace strawberries with diced cherries.
- Swap feta for crumbled goat cheese, blue cheese, or skip the cheese altogether.
To make this recipe vegan, skip the feta and swap the honey for your sweetener of choice- maple syrup, stevia, or skip it altogether (the strawberries really sweetened this salad up!)
📦 How to Prep and Store It
This salad can be made a few hours before serving to allow all of the flavors to meld together. The basil becomes stronger the longer it sits mixed into the salad, which makes for a more intense and flavorful dish.
I would not make this the day before as the fruit and cucumber can become a bit soggy in texture if it sits too long.
Store in an airtight container and eat within 2 days.
🗯 Serving Ideas
While I enjoy snacking on this salad straight out of the bowl, it’s the perfect side dish to balance a traditional BBQ or savory meal.
Serve alongside:
- Pulled pork sandwiches
- Grilled steak and veggie kabobs
- Grilled chicken with pepper and potato packets
FAQs
How do I keep cucumber salad from getting watery?
Cucumbers are super watery vegetables and can get soggy quickly. Dice the cucumber and place them on a kitchen towel. Sprinkle them with salt and let them sit for 10-15 minutes. The salt helps to draw the water out (and the towel soaks it up) keeping the water out of your salad!
Can you eat strawberries and cucumber together?
This flavor pair might not be common, but it is delicious! The bright sweet flavor of strawberries pairs wonderfully with the cool crispness of cucumber.
♻️ Make it Sustainable
Don’t bother peeling your cucumbers, leave the peels on to reduce food waste and get a healthy dose of fiber.
Keep your onion peels and store them in the freezer to use in a batch of vegetable stock.
Other strawberry recipes you might enjoy
The perfect strawberry banana pancake recipe
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Cucumber Strawberry Salad
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup strawberries diced (1/2 inch pieces)
- 1 1/4 cup cucumbers diced (1/2 inch pieces)
- 1/3 cup loosely packed basil leaves thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced and diced (about 1/4 of a medium onion)
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk the vinegar, honey, olive oil, and pepper together in a small bowl, set aside.
- Dice the strawberries and cucumbers and slice the onion and basil. Add them all of a medium sized bowl and toss together. Pour the honey balsamic mixture over top and mix well.
- If adding the feta, gently fold into the salad. Optional to serve on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
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