26 of Our Favorite Cucumber Soups, Salads, Drinks, and Sandwiches

By

Food & Wine Editors

Published on August 8, 2023

Cold Cucumber Soup with Yogurt and Dill — Photo:
Cara Cormack

We love cucumbers for their cool crunch and delicate flavor. These are one of the most versatile residents of the crisper drawer, ready to be transformed into soups, salads, drinks, noodle bowls, sauces, pickles, and sandwiches in just minutes. These recipes will cool you off on a hot summer day or anytime you could use a sip or bite of something refreshing.

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Quick Cucumber Kimchi

Quick Cucumber Kimchi — © John Kernick

Traditional Korean kimchi usually involves tossing vegetables with garlic, salt, chiles, and other flavorings and letting them ferment for days. Bill Kim marinates these cucumbers for just two hours, so they're still crisp.

02 of 26

The Best Cucumber Sandwich

The Best Cucumber Sandwich — Cedric Angeles

The only reason you may think cucumber sandwiches are boring is because you haven't had one that is made right, says chef Vishwesh Bhatt. He uses Benedictine, a creamy spread of cucumber and herbs; along with a spicy and herbaceous peanut pesto with serrano chile, cilantro, and citrus; and chaat masala to add verve to these sandwiches after layering in the crisp cucumbers, spicy chile slices, and juicy tomatoes.

03 of 26

Cold Cucumber Soup with Yogurt and Dill

Cold Cucumber Soup with Yogurt and Dill — Cara Cormack

This cool, refreshing cucumber soup from Andrew Zimmern gets tang and creaminess from Greek yogurt and big, summery flavor from lots of fresh herbs.

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Greek Salad

Greek Salad — Matt Taylor-Gross

Cool and crunchy, this Greek salad with crispy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, briny olives, and creamy feta cheese is the perfect summer meal.

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Chilled Sesame Soba Bowl with Cucumber and Scallions

Chilled Sesame Soba Bowl with Cucumber and Scallions Recipe — Eric Wolfinger

This easy recipe by Basic Kitchen’s Robin Hollis is endlessly riff-able: The lightly sweet, nutty sesame sauce makes a great starting point for additions such as salmon, grilled chicken, a fried or boiled egg, or extra veggies. Lightly toast sesame seeds before using to release their aromatic oils.

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Cucumber Salad

Cucumber Salad Recipe — Julia Hartbeck

Pair this salad with grilled hot dogs or pork chops in summertime, or serve as a cool contrast to roast chicken or poached salmon in colder months. Feel free to make this up to a day ahead and store it in the fridge — the salad will only get tangier and more delicious as it sits.

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Thai Crab-and-Green-Mango Salad

Thai Crab-and-Green-Mango Salad — © John Kernick

This alluring combination is made by tossing tart green mango with cucumbers, a myriad of fresh herbs, a vibrant Thai dressing and plenty of delicate, sweet crabmeat.

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Frozen Cucumber Margaritas with Chili-Sumac Salt

Frozen Cucumber Margaritas — Victor Protasio

Gail Simmons blends this drink of tequila, cucumber, and coconut water with cilantro and lime and serves it in glasses rimmed with a mix of chili powder, sumac, and salt.

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California Rolls

California Sushi Rolls — Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman

Fresh crabmeat, creamy avocado, and crisp cucumber are at the heart of this popular sushi roll.

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Tzatziki

Cucumber-Dill Tzatziki — Â© Guy Ambrosino

Greek-style yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, and dill are combined to make an incredibly versatile sauce. Serve with toasted pita wedges as an appetizer, or pair with grilled lamb, chicken, fish, or vegetables.

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Mango Cucumber Salad

Mango Cucumber Salad Recipe — Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Stylist Barrett Washburne

This crisp, potluck-friendly salad is sweet, tangy, tart, and spicy all at once with feta, mango, and basil.

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Cucumber-Lemonade Mocktail

30 Summer Drinks to Sip On This Fourth of July — JOHN KERNICK

A super-thin slice of cucumber pressed against the glass adds an artistic twist to this refreshing cocktail.

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Vegetable Sandwich with Dill Sauce

Vegetable Sandwich with Dill Sauce — © Christina Holmes

Stacked high with slices of tomato, onion, cucumber, avocado, and provolone cheese, this is a vegetable sandwich that even confirmed carnivores will love.

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Dragon Roll

Dragon Roll — Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle

Wrap tender poached shrimp, crisp cucumber, creamy avocado, sweet mango, and seasoned rice in nori for this savory American-style sushi roll.

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Smashed Cucumber Salad with Butter Beans and Tarragon

Smashed Cucumber Salad with Butter Beans and Tarragon — Jennifer Causey

Gently crushing the cucumbers for this salad releases their aroma and creates nooks and crannies for soaking up the dressing. They still retain plenty of crunch, a great contrast to the rich, creamy butter beans. Don’t skip the tarragon here; its fragrance and delicate anise flavor give the dish a refreshing pop.

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Cucumber-Rose Gin Spritz

Cucumber Rose Gin Spritz — Victor Protasio

A classic combination of gin, lemon, and club soda gets a refreshing twist with cucumber, basil, and black cardamom infused syrup. Dried rose petals add a subtle floral flavor and act as a beautiful garnish.

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Tomato, Basil, and Cucumber Panzanella with Grated Tomato Balsamic Vinaigrette

Tomato, Basil, and Cucumber Panzanella — Victor Protasio

This summery panzanella from Samin Nosrat, author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, pairs oven-roasted sourdough croutons with juicy ripe tomatoes, raw red onion, and crisp cucumbers.

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Cold Cucumber Soup with Mint

Cold Cucumber Soup with Mint — © JAMES BAIGRIE

This decidedly refreshing soup comes together in minutes to be consumed as a midday snack or as an appetizer.

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Soy-Ginger Salmon Pasta Bowls

Soy-Ginger Salmon Pasta Bowls — Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

The soy-ginger marinade for the salmon doubles as a sauce for the pasta in these hearty bowls topped with avocado, cucumber, chiles, and cilantro.

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Tangy Cucumber Soup

Tangy Cucumber Soup

To turn this tangy and refreshing yogurt-based soup into a terrific light meal, simply add poached shrimp.

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Quick-Pickled Sweet Cucumbers

Quick-Pickled Sweet Cucumbers — © John Kernick

Requiring just 15 minutes of prep, these super-thin sweet pickled cucumbers are salted before they're submerged in the pickling brine for maximum flavor.

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Cucumber Gazpacho

Grapes and cucumbers form a delicately sweet and refreshing soup; adding shrimp makes this into a lovely, light meal.

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Greek Salad Sandwiches

Greek Salad Sandwiches — © Martin Morrell

This is Greek salad perfection: Michael Psilakis tops warm bread with garlicky red-pepper tzatziki (cucumber-yogurt spread) and a piquant combo of cucumbers, olives, peperoncini, tomatoes, radishes, greens, and feta.

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Whipped Feta with Cucumbers

Whipped Feta with Cucumbers — © Seth Smoot

The taste of the Mediterranean shines through in this airy feta spread that's served with olive oil–marinated cucumbers.

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Gazpacho Salad

Gazpacho Salad Recipe — Photo by Tara Donne / Food Styling by Chris Lanier / Prop Styling by Raina Kattelson

This salad from Anne Quatrano celebrates the best of summer with a combination of chilled gazpacho and chunky, fresh vegetables.

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Cold Peanut-Sesame Noodles

Cold Peanut-Sesame Noodles

The secret to Andrew Zimmern's cold noodle recipe, inspired by the ones he had in China's Sichuan province, is the oil that gets drizzled on top. Made with chiles, Sichuan peppercorns and lots of spices, it is called Ma La ("numbing and spicy").

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