May 5, 2023
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This simple cucumber salad is the healthy side dish your tastebuds crave with a simple cilantro lime dressing.
It pairs great with any protein, with a side of tacos, and packs great as an adult lunch for the office.
Cilantro Lime Cucumber Salad
This 5-minute cucumber salad with cilantro is the answer when looking at your favorite protein while cooking, and all you can think is, “What do I serve with this???”. It’s simple, refreshing, and ridiculously easy to make!
Did I mention that it is also healthy and super tasty? Yes, an epic side you can make by slicing cucumber and mixing. That’s all!
I love to serve this cucumber salad with my epic Cilantro Lime Avocado Chicken: all the flavors and textures go amazingly well together, and I have a complete meal that takes only 30 minutes from start to finish!
Ingredients
Fresh and simple ingredients come together to create this crunchy cucumber cilantro salad you’ll want to have often!
Here’s what you need:
- Lime juice: the citrusy base of the dressing.
- Olive oil: for the dressing to combine with the lime.
- Salt: for seasoning and preventing cucumber from getting too soggy.
- Pepper: just a little for seasoning.
- Cucumber: what this salad is all about! Use Persian cucumbers, English cucumbers (seedless), or traditional salad ones.
- Cilantro: finely chopped for extra freshness.
You’ll find the amounts in the printable recipe card below.
Do You Need to Peel Cucumbers for Salad
You don’t need to peel cucumbers to make this salad, but you can do it if that’s what you prefer. Keep in mind that some cucumbers may have thicker, bitter skin, so peeling will also depend on the variety you are using.
How to Make Cucumber Salad with Cilantro
What can be better than a healthy and tasty side? One you can assemble in 5 minutes! Check out how easy it is to make this cucumber salad with cilantro to serve along with your favorite meals.
You’ll need to:
- Make the dressing
In a large bowl, combine the lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine the dressing. - Slice the cucumbers
Slice the cucumbers as thick or thin as you prefer, and place them in the large bowl with the cilantro lime dressing. I like mine pretty thin, but enough to still have a crunch texture. - Toss to combine
Add the chopped cilantro on top and toss to combine. Coat all the cucumber slices with the dressing. - Taste
Taste for seasoning and add a little more salt if needed. This also depends on the size of the cucumbers and how much lime juice your limes yield. - Serve!
Serve immediately, or refrigerate the cucumber salad with cilantro for 30 minutes to absorb the zestiness from the lime dressing.
How to Keep Cucumber Salad from Getting Soggy
Cucumber is 95% water, so you may find your salad gets soggy quicker than others. One tip to prevent this is not to overdress the salad. Follow the measurements below so the dressing will be enough to make the cucumber taste delicious without creating a watery mess.
If you’re slicing the cucumber ahead of time, you can sprinkle salt over it before assembling the salad. This will help the cucumbers to release some of their water content.
What to Serve with Cucumber Salad
This cucumber salad with cilantro is a terrific side to add freshness to any meal! Summer barbecue season asks for simple salads like this one that pairs great with Classic Grilled Kabobs. Simple Baked Lemon Chicken Breasts and Baked Salmon are also great proteins to serve with this cucumber salad. If you want to keep it meatless, this Spanish Cauliflower Rice recipe is epic!
Cucumber Salad with Cilantro and Lime
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup lime juice about 3 limes*
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cucumbers sliced
- ¼ bunch cilantro chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine the dressing.
- Slice the cucumbers as thick or thin as you prefer, and place them in the large bowl with the cilantro lime dressing. I like mine pretty thin but enough to still have a crunch texture.
- Add the chopped cilantro on top and toss to combine, and coat all the cucumber slices with the dressing.
- Taste for seasoning and add a little more salt if needed. This also depends on the size of the cucumbers and how much lime juice your limes yield.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate the cucumber salad for 30 minutes to absorb the zestiness from the lime dressing.
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