This easy cucumber salad recipe is a fast and fresh summer side dish with a bit of a kick. The cilantro adds the perfect twist! A perfect compliment to a Mexican-style meal. Originally posted January 6, 2014.
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Today I dusted off my piano and started playing a song. Eric immediately said, “Oh, man, that’s bad. We need to get that piano tuned.” It’s adorable that when he hears terribly wrong notes coming out of the piano, he assumes we need a tune up rather than guessing the truth, which is that I really ought to practice the piano more often.
This is nothing new. As a kid I took lessons, but I was so bad at practicing that I didn’t really improve much. I used to go the entire week in between lessons and not so much as look at the piano, and then I would be frantic on the car ride over to my teacher’s house, practicing air-piano in the car with my books propped open on my lap. Yes, air-piano exists, much like air-guitar, only way less cool.
Eric bought me a second-hand piano when we lived in Indianapolis. He somehow managed to get some guys from church to help him lift it up into our second floor apartment. When we moved to Utah, we lived on the second floor yet again. And then our piano made it all the way out here to California this summer, officially becoming the heaviest and most cumbersome guilt-trip known to cross the country. It’s a giant piece of unused furniture sitting in our front room, taunting me.
I love playing the piano, I really do. But there’s always an excuse. The kids are asleep, don’t want to wake them. Have to get dinner on the table, I’ll do it after. I’m going, really, just let me pin this one last caramel-stuffed cookie recipe.
I think I feel a New Year’s Resolution coming on. Have you guys got any on your list?
Super versatile Cucumber Salad with Cilantro
Now let’s talk cucumbers. There are about a million ways to eat this Mexican-style cucumber salad: It would be an awesome replacement for lettuce on tacos, you could put it in burrito bowls, top off your tortilla soup, top off this Barbacoa Beef, or Carne Guisada, or eat it alongside these Baked Black Bean Taquitos. Or just serves it as a simple side dish when you are making enchiladas or tamales or carnitas or whatever.
You guys love this Asian Marinated Cucumber Salad so much (it came close to making my Top Recipes of 2013) that I thought I would try out a Southwestern version. I’m glad I did, because it is awesome. It’s not traditional, but since when has that ever stopped us from Mexican-ifying our food? I’m pretty sure they don’t really eat cream cheese enchiladas in Mexico, but that doesn’t mean they’re not dang good.
What you’ll need for Cucumber Lime Salad
Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
- Jalapeno
- Garlic
- Fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
- Crushed red pepper
- Olive oil
- 2 cucumbers
- Cilantro
How to make Mexican Cucumber Salad
Here’s a quick overview of how to make this cucumber salad. See the recipe card down below for full instructions and measurements!
- Dice garlic and jalapeno and mix with fresh lime juice, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper.
- Finely slice the cucumbers and mix with the dressing.
- Finely chop the cilantro and add to the salad.
- Serve or refrigerate.
Tips for Lime Cucumber Salad
The easy way to get thin slices for cucumber salad
For me what makes a cucumber salad great is having the cucumbers sliced suuuuper thin. That means either a lot of patience and a very sharp knife, or a good quality mandolin slicer. I use my mandolin all the time, it’s a good kitchen tool to have around!
You want to slice the cucumbers pretty thin. They should be quite flexible, like this. Do yourself a favor and buy the mandolin. I love mine!
This is too thick. If I bent this any more, it would have snapped. You want them thin enough that they are bendy. (Try to shield your eyes from my horrific red nail polish.)
This cucumber salad is light, just as you would expect anything with cucumbers to be. I added some crushed red pepper to give it a little kick, but it’s not overwhelming. You can serve it immediately after you make it, or let it marinate in the fridge for a few hours. The flavors will be a little stronger if you let it sit. I like it both ways.
Storing Cucumber Cilantro Salad
Cilantro lime salad can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. After that, the texture of the cucumbers and the flavors of the salad will deteriorate. This salad is best eaten immediately or in the couple days after you make it. We’re going for FRESH here people.
How do you keep cucumber salad from getting soggy?
Here is my number ONE tip to keep cucumber salad from getting soggy:
- Don’t let your cucumber salad get soggy.
I’m serious here. The longer your cucumber salad sits around in the fridge, the soggier the cucumbers are going to get. Don’t wait around to enjoy it!
If you do want to keep the salad as fresh and crisp as possible, you can lightly salt your cucumber slices and let them sit in a colander or strainer for 10-15 minutes, then pat them dry, before you combine them with the dressing and cilantro. The salt will draw out the moisture, and you can further remove it with the paper towels. But cucumbers don’t last forever, so don’t expect that they’ll be as fresh on day 5 as they were on day 1.
If you make any of my recipes, share it on Instagram using the hashtag #TheFoodCharlatan so I can see it! I love that.
What to serve with Cilantro Cucumber Salad
Spanish Cauliflower Rice (To Eat With Mexican Food) << another great HEALTHY Mexican side dish!
Traditional Tejano Carne Guisada (Braised Beef for Tacos) << this recipe is from my brother-in-law’s grandma. Today’s salad would pair well with it! Throw it on your tacos!
…and then eat these beans on the side >> Traditional Tejano Pinto Beans (Slow Cooker)
You could also try it alongside this hearty Super Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup!
More great salads to try out:
Asian Marinated Cucumber Salad: This one is soooo good guys
Pistachio-Pear Cucumber Salad << simple, refreshing, easy, and healthy.
Pineapple Spinach Salad << a fun twist on the traditional strawberry spinach salad.
Best Greek Tomato Cucumber Salad with Feta Cheese << so easy! a perfect last minute side dish.
Raspberry Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Dressing << super fresh, fun flavors.
Cucumber Ribbon Salad with Peppers, Radishes, and Thai Dressing from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Cucumber Basil and Watermelon Salad from FoodieCrush
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Mexican Cucumber Lime Salad
Ingredients
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons lime juice, fresh
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper, crushed
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cucumbers, very finely sliced (see photos)
- 4 tablespoons cilantro, minced, to taste
Instructions
- Dice the jalapeno and garlic and add to a medium-sized bowl.
- Add 3 tablespoons of fresh lime juice, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Use a whisk to incorporate the 3 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside.
- Finely slice the cucumbers. Use a mandolin if you have it, but a very sharp knife will do the trick. (See photos below.) Add the cucumbers to the dressing and stir together.
- Finely mince the cilantro and add it to the bowl. Stir to combine. You can either let it sit in the fridge to marinate for a couple hours, or serve immediately.
This looks so fresh and like it has the perfect amount of spice and zing. Pinning to try over the summer!