Refreshing Cucumber Strawberry Salad

This cucumber strawberry salad is sweet, refreshing, and perfect for any spring or summer meal.

cucumber strawberry salad prepared in a white bowl surrounded by cucumber, strawberries, basil, and red onion

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. 

strawberries, cucumber slices, honey vinaigrette, basil, and cucumber on a white table.

🛒 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.

A collage of the steps to make cucumber strawberry salad.

🥣 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

Strawberry baked oatmeal

Strawberry fig roll recipe

Did you make this recipe? 

Leave a ⭐️ Rating + Snap a photo and tag me on INSTAGRAM, or share it on FACEBOOK and tag me! 

cucumber strawberry salad prepared in a white bowl surrounded by cucumber, strawberries, basil, and red onion

Cucumber Strawberry Salad

Fresh basil, strawberries and cucumber dressed in a zingy honey balsamic vinaigrette, you'll want to make this salad over and over again!
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Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 54kcal

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

** All nutrition information is an estimate only. The nutrition information will vary depending on ingredients and amounts actually used in preparations. 
 
Make the same day- a few hours before serving is best, but can be made just before eating as well. 
 
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 54kcal

If you made this recipe and love it– Don’t forget to leave a ⭐️STAR RATING along with comments on what worked, what didn’t, and any adaptations that made this uniquely yours!

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