21 Cucumber Side Dishes with Three Steps or Less

By

Danielle DeAngelis

Updated on August 9, 2024

Pineapple & Cucumber Salad

The bright and refreshing taste of cucumber pairs well with a variety of flavors, including pineapple, lemon, tomato and chili oil. These cucumber side dishes cater to all tastes. Moreover, these simple sides require three steps or less, making them easy to prepare. Recipes like our Quick Cucumber Kimchi and Cucumber & Avocado Salad are excellent additions to any dinner table.

These side dishes and a fresh bakery baguette are perfect for a light meal during hot and humid weather. However, if you want a complete meal with added protein to energize you, cucumber pairs exceptionally well with chicken, steak, grilled tofu and seafood such as tuna, salmon, crab, shrimp and oysters.

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Pineapple & Cucumber Salad

Pineapple & Cucumber Salad

Enjoy this sweet, refreshing salad alongside grilled meat or fish to cut through the richness and refresh the palate. If you like a little heat, adding jalapeño will give you the kick you crave. While packs of prechopped pineapple are convenient, they're almost always more expensive. When pineapple is in season, it's best to buy fresh and chop it yourself. Look for a pineapple with a golden-yellow exterior, which is a good indicator of ripeness.

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Use-a-Spoon Chopped Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumber, Red Onion & Kalamata Olives

Use-A-Spoon Chopped Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumber, Red Onion & Kalamata Olives — Kelsey Hansen

This quick salad recipe features ingredients inspired by the Mediterranean, including Kalamata olives, cucumber and more. Serve alongside grilled fish or chicken for a refreshing side dish. This recipe was inspired by our popular "Use a Spoon" Chopped Salad from Paul Newman and Michel Nischan's former restaurant Dressing Room.

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Quick Cucumber Kimchi

close-up shot of bowl of cucumber kimchi

This cucumber kimchi recipe gets its flavor from garlic, fish sauce and a hint of Korean chile powder. Make this side dish ahead of time to let the flavors absorb into the cucumbers.

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Cucumber & Avocado Salad

Cucumber & Avocado Salad

This healthy cucumber-avocado salad takes just 5 minutes to prep. Lime juice and fresh herbs boost the bright flavors in this crunchy and creamy salad that's a perfect side dish for grilled chicken, fish or steak. This recipe calls for an English cucumber, which doesn't have to be peeled, but regular cucumbers work well too—just peel them before slicing.

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Cucumber Salsa

Cucumber Salsa

This fresh, tangy cucumber salsa is perfect for grilled fish or on its own as a simple side salad. Well balanced and easy to make, the flavor mellows and the cucumber softens as this sits, so it can easily be made a day or two ahead of time—or enjoy it right away, fresh and crisp.

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Marinated Cucumber & Tomato Salad

Marinated Cucumber & Tomato Salad — Andrea Mathis

This marinated salad is such a healthy way to enjoy those fresh summer veggies and can be easily customized. Try adding in some fresh herbs or feta cheese for a little added flavor. You can also swap in seasoned pepper, which is amped up with additional seasonings, in place of the plain ground pepper for an additional flavor boost.

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Cucumber-Ribbons Caesar Salad

cucumber ribbons caesar salad — Jacob Fox

These pretty cucumber ribbons are dressed in an easy Caesar salad dressing. Grape tomatoes add color and a hit of sweetness. Serve this refreshing salad alongside grilled chicken or steak.

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Vegan Cold Cucumber Soup

Cold Creamy Vegan Cucumber Soup — Jennifer Causey

Silken tofu thickens this cold cucumber soup while letting the flavor of fresh cucumber shine. The herbs and olive oil add an extra layer of flavor to this refreshing soup which will continue to thicken as it chills. But perhaps the best thing about the soup is that it comes together in 10 minutes in your blender!

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Cucumber, Tomato & Feta Salad with Balsamic Dressing

greek tomato salad — Andrea Mathis, M.A., R.D.N., L.D.

This Greek-inspired tomato salad is packed with fresh veggies and flavor-boosting ingredients, like balsamic vinegar, Kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese. This delicious salad takes just 15 minutes to make and while you could eat it right away, it tastes even better the longer it sits, so plan to leave at least an hour of marinating time before serving.

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Smashed Cucumber Salad

Smashed Cucumber Salad — Ryan Liebe

The smashed parts of these cucumbers absorb the dressing really well, yielding a particularly flavorful salad. Look for ume plum vinegar, made with the brine of pickled plums, with other Japanese condiments at most large supermarkets. Sprinkle it over sautéed greens, steamed rice and more.

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Garden Fresh Quinoa

Quinoa is a whole grain and contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. With its high fiber and antioxidant content it's easy to see why everyone is talking about quinoa these days! Try it with garden vegetables in this delicious, quick-and-easy dish.

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Creamy Cucumber Salad

This creamy cucumber salad is an easy side dish for any summer BBQ. Bright dill and white-wine vinegar add fresh tartness to cucumbers and red onions. Enjoy this salad the day you prepare it so the ingredients don't turn watery.

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Creamy Cucumber Soup

There's no reason to only eat cucumbers raw—they are wonderful sautéed then pureed with avocado for a silky cucumber soup that's good warm or cold.

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Salad-e Khiar-o Anar (Cucumber & Pomegranate Salad)

Salad-e Khiar-o Anar (Cucumber & Pomegranate Salad)

A platter of herbs, scallions and feta is typically served alongside Persian meals in lieu of a Western-style green salad. They are meant to be folded into flatbread as an accompaniment to a meal (or sometimes as the meal itself). This salad is a riff on that, with pomegranate seeds and cucumbers mixed in. Read more about this recipe.

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Cucumber Salad (Tzatziki)

This garlicky cucumber-yogurt salad is delicious served with grilled lamb or as a dip for toasted pita chips.

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Creamy Tomato, Cucumber & Feta Pasta Salad

creamy tomato cucumber feta salad — Jen Causey

Enjoy this veggie-packed pasta salad at your next picnic or backyard get-together. Cucumbers and fennel provide crunch to contrast the creamy feta and Kalamata olives. A tangy herb-buttermilk dressing completes the dish.

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Spiralized Cucumber Salad with Feta & Olives

Save time and spiralize crisp cucumber instead of chopping it for this easy, healthy vegetable side inspired by Greek salad. Want to make it a meal? Just add grilled chicken, shrimp or canned chickpeas.

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Spicy Cucumber Salad with Chili Oil

spicy cucumber salad with chili oil — Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling / Emily Nabors Hall

The cucumbers retain their crunch in this spicy cucumber salad with chili oil. Here we use chili crisp, an oil-based condiment with crispy bits of chili; it adds crunch, heat and flavor to the cooling cucumbers. Smashing the cucumbers helps them absorb the complex flavors of the dressing.

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Creamy Cucumber Dill Soup

A combination of avocado and yogurt gives juicy cucumber just the right amount of creaminess in this rich cold cucumber soup.

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Tofu Cucumber Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

Tofu Cucumber Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

Making tofu tastier can be as simple as tossing it in a knockout sauce like this Sichuan-inspired peanut dressing. To make this cucumber salad recipe a meal, add rice noodles and double the dressing. Serve with an extra drizzle of sesame oil and sliced scallions.

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Cucumber Pasta Salad

This light and tangy cucumber pasta salad is fresh and bright. The orecchiette pasta holds the dressing for flavor in every bite, but you can use another small pasta shape if you like. This easy salad is perfect for a warm day or to serve as a lunch dish for company! For a fruitier flavor, try apple-cider vinegar in place of white distilled vinegar.

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