This creamy and healthy cucumber radish salad is the perfect spring or summer side dish! This salad is made with crispy cucumbers and crunchy radishes, garnished with fresh herbs and homemade yogurt dressing. Serve with baked fish, chicken, or beef and mashed potatoes.
This is my family’s classic summer salad, which is usually made with sour cream. However, I’ve decided to change my family’s recipe, and I swapped the sour cream for yogurt dressing to make it healthier.
Table of Contents
INGREDIENTS FOR THIS CREAMY SUMMER SALAD
This cucumber radish salad is easy and quick to make. There are only five ingredients in the salad and five in the dressing!
- Cucumber: I prefer English cucumbers because the seeds are smaller and the skin is thin, so I don’t have to peel the cucumbers.
- Radish: Crunchy and peppery radishes are a delicious addition to this salad. Radishes are rich in antioxidants and minerals like calcium and potassium.
- Herbs: I am using green onion and parsley, but you can swap for dill and red onion.
- Dressing: This salad dressing is healthy, creamy, and easy to make!
HOW TO MAKE CUCUMBER RADISH SALAD
This salad has three easy steps to follow:
- First, make the salad dressing, which I’ll talk more about in a second.
- Then prepare the salad ingredients: slice the cucumbers, radishes, and chop the herbs.
- The last step is to mix everything together and serve!
HOW TO MAKE THE YOGURT DRESSING FOR THIS CUCUMBER RADISH SALAD
The yogurt dressing for this cucumber radish salad is really easy to make. Just mix all the ingredients in a bowl, and you have your salad dressing!
HOW TO PREVENT CUCUMBER SALAD FROM BECOMING SOGGY
Many times when yogurt is used in place of sour cream, as we do in this cucumber radish salad, you end up with a soggy salad. At first, the cucumber salad is nice and creamy, but as it settles, it becomes watery.
The good news is that there is an easy fix for this. With just two simple things, you can prevent this from happening, but it requires a bit of preparation ahead of time. With that said, if you don’t mind a bit of watery salad, feel free to skip these steps.
- Use the Greek-style yogurt or drain the juices from the plain yogurt. If using plain yogurt, place cheesecloth in a strainer, then add the yogurt and let it drain into a bowl. The longer it sits, the less watery it will be. After a few hours, you will notice that its consistency and texture will be thick and creamy. I usually do this a few hours before making the salad, but you can let it drain overnight in the fridge.
- Drain the juices from the cucumber. Place the cucumbers in a colander, sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt, and let the juices drain for about 15-20 minutes. When you’re ready to assemble your cucumber and radish salad, you don’t need to rinse the cucumber. However, I recommend omitting the salt in salad and dressing, you always can add it at the end of preparation if needed.
TIPS FOR THIS HEALTHY SALAD RECIPE
- Slice the cucumber as thinly as possible with a knife. I like to slice the cucumber with a knife instead of using a food processor because I prefer cucumbers to be a little bit thicker and crunchy rather than very thin.
- Want to change things up? Try making this summer salad with Tzatziki Sauce, Healthy Greek Yogurt Salad Dressing, or Yogurt Tahini Dressing instead of the dressing I used in this recipe, as they are a very healthy option too.
IS THIS CUCUMBER RADISH SALAD HEALTHY
Absolutely, especially with my version made with Greek yogurt sauce. Why? Because by swapping a high-calorie/fatty ingredient like sour cream for yogurt, I managed to make this cucumber salad lower in fat and calories, which makes it much healthier.
CAN I MAKE THE CUCUMBER SALAD IN ADVANCE
Yes, you can. If you follow my tips on getting rid of extra juices, you can make this cucumber salad 3-4 hours before serving. Be sure to cover it with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge. The time spent in the fridge will allow the flavors to blend and result in a creamier, more delicious cucumber radish salad.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CUCUMBER RADISH SALAD
You can serve this salad on its own for a refreshing summer snack, but this cucumber radish salad goes well with almost anything. Here are a few delicious options:
- Roasted Chicken
- Baked Fish
- Carne Asada
- Roasted Beef
- Roasted Pork
Cucumber Radish Salad
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Chef Knife
- Small Bowl
- Larg Bowl
- Colander (opcional)
Ingredients
Yogurt Salad Dressing:
- 1 cup (200g/7oz) natural Greek yogurt
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- ½ tsp of salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Salad:
- 5 medium cucumbers, peeled or unpeeled and sliced
- 2-3 small radishes, thinly sliced
- 4 stalks of green onion, or 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup of fresh parsley, chopped or other herbs to your liking (optional)
- ½ tsp of salt
Instructions
Dressing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup (200g/7oz) natural Greek yogurt, 1 garlic clove, 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp of salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper. Set aside.
Salad:
- Slice 5 medium cucumbers, and 2-3 small radishes, then chop 4 stalks of green onion and parsley.(If you prefer, to get rid of some of the juices in the cucumbers, place the sliced cucumbers in a colander (use a bowl to drain the juices) and sprinkle them with 1 teaspoon of salt. Let them rest on the counter for 15 minutes.)
- When ready to assemble, remove the cucumbers (no need to rinse) from the colander and place them in a large salad bowl along with the sliced radishes and chopped green onion. Drizzle with the sauce and mix everything together.
- Toss in 1 cup of fresh parsley. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.
- Serve and enjoy.
