The most delightfully refreshing salad to compliment a meal or shine on its own… my Cucumber Avocado Salad is an unexpected twist on a traditional cucumber salad. With a slight Asian-inspired influence and lots of fresh veggies, this salad is the perfect accompaniment to your favorite fish, chicken, or tofu recipe and is also substantial enough to be considered lunch. It’s a two-in-one!
There are few things that make eating healthier easier than a good veggie salad. I know I’ve knocked salads in the past for being full of lettuce and… well, not much else (and I still stand by that!) but a good veggie salad, sans the lettuce? Sign me up.
The reason I love veggie salads so much, like this Cucumber Avocado Salad, is because unlike traditional salads, these ones are bursting with flavors, textures, and not to mention, colors. I love how green and vibrant this salad is. It not only makes for an amazing presentation, but also makes photographing this salad so much easier! Ha!
The beautiful colors in this salad comes from the crisp English cucumber, the creamy avocado, and of course, the sliced red onion. Topped with a little crushed red pepper, and it’s a beautiful medley of colors and flavors! I’m obsessed, and I know that you will be, too.
And if you’re looking for more salads to become obsessed with, then you have to try my Cabbage Carrot Salad with Tangy Peanut Dressing, or my Ultimate Kale Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing. They are fan-favorite recipes that me and my family love too!
What You Need to Make this Cucumber Avocado Salad
- English Cucumber: English cucumbers are thinner and crispier, so you get a nice bite with them. You can totally use regular cucumbers too, but these are my preference!
- Red Onion: Red onions are delicious raw, and add a nice texture and balance of flavor.
- Peanuts: Peanuts add a crunchy texture that makes this salad pop, but if you’re allergic, you can omit. And, you can use either salted or unsalted peanuts. Most of the time, I use salted peanuts, it’s just a preference.
- Fish Sauce: Some people love it, some people hate it, but personally, I love fish sauce! You can sub in a vegan fish sauce to make this recipe vegan / vegetarian friendly, if you want.
- Honey: Honey adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the dressing!
- Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar and sesame oil, when combined with the fish sauce and honey, make for a perfect sweet and tangy dressing.
- Sesame Oil: Sesame oil is crucial for getting the flavor of the dressing correct!
- Lime: Lime juice adds a nice balance of acid to this salad and gives the perfect finishing touch.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: I love crushed red pepper flakes to add a little heat to this salad. You can add more or less depending on the level of heat that you like.
- Avocado: I love avocado in everything, and it adds the perfect amount of creaminess to this salad.
How to Make this Salad Vegan / Vegetarian-Friendly
While this salad does contain fish sauce, which is not vegan or vegetarian friendly, the good news is that it’s 2021, and vegan fish sauce exists! Simply swap it in, and you’ve got the perfect plant-based Cucumber Avocado Salad ready to go.
And if you’re vegan and don’t do honey either, you can try using maple syrup instead.
How to Make this Cucumber Avocado Salad
- Finely slice the cucumber and red onion; you can peel the cucumber if you wish, but it’s not necessary.
- Add the cucumber and red onion to a salad bowl along with the chopped peanuts.
- Prepare the dressing by whisking together the fish sauce, honey, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and lime juice. Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Pour the mixture over the cucumber, onion, and peanuts.
- Chop the avocado into small pieces and add it to the bowl.
- Toss to combine, and top with more peanuts and/or seasame seeds. Enjoy!
What to Serve with This Cucumber Avocado Salad
Like I mentioned above, this salad is great and fulfilling all on its own. No accompaniments needed! But, if you want to eat it more as a side, here are some of my other recipes that it pairs perfectly with.
Grilled Salmon with Mango Salsa
Healthy Chicken Noodle Stir Fry
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment/rating below. And, since I practically live on Instagram, be sure to tag me in your creations, so I can see them and repost on my IG stories! Enjoy! xx
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 English Cucumbers
- 1 Red Onion
- ¼ Cup Peanuts (Salted or Unsalted, I prefer Unsalted), roughly chopped, plus another tablespoon for garnishing
- 2 Teaspoons Fish Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- 2 Teaspoons Rice Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1 Lime, juiced
- ½ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Avocado
Garnishes
- Sesame Seeds, optional
Instructions
- Finely slice the cucumber and red onion; you can peel the cucumber if you wish, but it's not necessary.
- Add the cucumber and red onion to a salad bowl along with the chopped peanuts.
- Prepare the dressing by whisking together the fish sauce, honey, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and lime juice. Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Pour the mixture over the cucumber, onion, and peanuts.
- Chop the avocado into small pieces and add it to the bowl.
- Toss to combine, and top with more peanuts and/or seasame seeds. Enjoy!
Rate & review
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What others are saying
Love the recipes!!!!!!
Thank you so much for your support, Mare! It truly means the world!
I. LOVE. THIS. It’s everything I imagined it would taste like but better. I love that it’s so healthy, easy to make and available any time for a healthy snack or meal. Love your recipes!
Yay! I am so thrilled to hear that you love this recipe, Lorelei! Thank you so much for making it, and for taking the time to leave such a kind review!
Made this twice now and the first time, the red onion was so overwhelming it was disappointing. Made it again today and only used 1/2 of a red onion and it was much better, fresh and crisp with a nice nutty flavour. Next time I will again reduce the onion to about 1/3. We used salted peanuts and they were great. Simple recipe and tasty.
Hi Jacquie, I’m sorry to hear that! Everyone has a different taste for onion, and I understand if the amount of onion recommended wasn’t for you. 🙂 I’m glad you found a substitute that worked for you!
Simple, refreshing, delicious! A must try! Yum!! Thank you!!
I’m so happy to hear that, Toni! Thank you for your review!