This Strawberry Cucumber Salad is crunchy, bright, refreshing, and juicy in every bite! Thinly sliced cucumbers layered with massaged kale, basil, mint, and sliced strawberries, then finished with balsamic glaze. It’s an unforgettable salad for the spring and summer!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Crisp cucumbers and the sweetness of strawberries make a delicious fresh summer salad.
- Great way to highlight fresh strawberries during peak season.
- Enjoy as a light lunch or the perfect salad to bring to cookouts on a hot summer day.
If you love strawberries, be sure to make Strawberry Sheet Cake, Healthy Strawberry Crisp, and Strawberry Overnight Oats.
Key Ingredients
This strawberry and cucumber salad is made with super simple, fresh ingredients along with some pantry staples. Here’s a bit more detail about what we need:
- kale – I love dinosaur kale for it’s extra texture, but curly kale would work just as well. The key it to massage it for at least 2 minutes with your fingertips with the oil.
- oil – avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil will both work, so use whatever you have on hand.
- cucumbers – you can use American, greenhouse, English or Persian cucumbers if you’d like. If you don’t want super seedy cucumbers, the small Persian cucumbers are nice for that.
- strawberries – strawberries are in peak season from April – June, which makes this the perfect salad. Look for berries that are vibrant red with a bright green stem, with no signs of bruising or moldy berries. The best berries are readily available at any grocery store or farmer’s market this time of year.
- red onion – for a punch of flavor and a little kick, red onion is perfect. Thinly slice them so the blend well into the salad.
- fresh herbs – I love the combo of fresh basil and fresh mint, which I find to complement the cucumber and berries.
- salt – sea salt is needed to enhance all the flavors. A touch of black pepper is a nice addition.
- balsamic glaze – feel free to purchase a bottle of balsamic glaze at the store. Or, if you are feeling up for it, make your own balsamic reduction by simmering down 1 cup of balsamic vinegar until reduced by half and slightly syrupy.
Find the full detailed instructions with measurements in the recipe card below, at the end of this post.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Another good way to get people to dive into this cucumber strawberry salad is to make it pretty. Here are the step-by-step instructions:
- Massage Kale: In a large bowl, massage chopped kale with oil between your fingers for 2 minutes, or until dark green and slightly wilted. Sprinkle on basil and mint.
- Prepare Cucumber: Cut ends off of cucumbers and slice the cucumbers. Place on top of the kale.
- Add Strawberries & Red Onion: Add sliced strawberries, then thinly sliced red onion and feta cheese. Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine.
- Finish with Balsamic Glaze: Evenly drizzle the balsamic glaze and toss again. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Variations to Try
While this strawberry cucumber salad recipe is delicious just the way it is, here are some fun variations that offer different flavors and textures:
- Cheese: If you prefer a another variation of cheese, try crumbles of goat cheese or gorgonzola.
- Vinegar / Salad Dressings: Omit the balsamic glaze and replace it with balsamic vinaigrette, or another vinaigrette made with red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white balsamic vinegar.
- Salad Greens: If you prefer to use another leafy green, like baby spinach, baby arugula, romaine, or mixed greens, there is no need to massage.
- Fresh Fruit: Replace the strawberries with any fresh produce that is in season during late spring / summer like peaches, plums, apricots, or nectarines.
- Seeds: Add some crunch with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds.
Serving Suggestions
This strawberry cucumber salad is going to be perfect all summer long and especially for strawberry season! Some of my favorite ways to serve include:
- Weekday Lunch: Make it a whole meal on busy weeknights with some protein like chickpeas, chicken, shrimp, or salmon.
- BBQs / Summer Parties: Bring it to all your spring and summer cookouts for friends and family.
- Holidays: Make it for Mother’s Day, Memorial Day Weekend, or 4th of July.
- Dinner Party: Serve this as a healthy side dish portion of elegant outdoor gatherings with friends.
How to Store
How to Store
For best results, store the cucumber and strawberry salad will in an airtight container in the fridge up to 1 day.
After that, the cucumbers and strawberries begin to leach out too much water and become mushy, so it’s best to serve this one a little more fresh!
Recipe FAQs
Do strawberries and cucumbers go well together?
The sweetness of strawberries and crisp cucumbers are a delicious balance of flavors, textures, and colors.
How do you keep cucumber salad from getting soggy?
Salt the slices first. This is the trick to super crisp cucumbers in salads. Simply adds the spirals or chunks to a colander over a bowl or sink, sprinkle with salt, toss, and rest for 30 minutes (if time permits). Pat them dry with a paper towel and finish the recipe.
Do you peel cucumbers for salad?
This depends on the preparation and type of cucumber. If I am spiralizing a regular cucumber, I do not peel and I rarely ever peel mini cucumbers because the skin is so thin. However, I do peel English cucumbers or American cucumbers if I am dicing them.
If you make this Strawberry Cucumber Salad recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating on the blog! I love hearing from you, and it helps others learn more about the recipe too. Xx Ashley
Strawberry Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped kale, thinly sliced
- 2 English cucumbers, sliced (round)
- 1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup freshly crumbled feta
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped basil
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped mint
Simple dressing:
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon balsamic glaze
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Massage chopped kale with olive oil between fingers. Transfer to serving bowl.
- Mix together dressing ingredients in small bowl and set aside.
- Add all ingredients to serving dish and pour on dressing, gently tossing to combine. Garnish with more feta, fresh herbs, and balsamic glaze before serving.
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