Combine crunchy cucumbers and tender beets to make an easy cucumber beet salad tossed with fresh dill and a sweet lemon poppyseed dressing. The refreshing side salad is perfect for spring and summer with grilled and roasted meats. For more like this, try beetroot dip or cucumber carrot salad!
Key Ingredients
- Dressing: Whisk together a sweet and tangy lemon poppy seed dressing using fresh lemon juice, a little lemon zest, poppy seeds, dried thyme, honey or maple syrup, a pinch of sea salt, and extra-virgin olive oil.
- Walnuts: Toasted walnuts are my favorite garnish for this salad, or you can experiment with toasted pecans, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds.
- Beets: I love using fresh beets here, but store-bought pickled beets or canned beets also work. Their sweet, earthy flavor balances the tangy flavor of the salad. And don’t toss the beet greens. Save them for a beet greens smoothie!
- Cucumbers: Add the perfect amount of crunch to the beet cucumber salad with peeled or unpeeled Persian cucumbers or one English cucumber.
- Dill: A sprinkle of fresh dill brightens everything up, but fresh mint leaves are another delicious option.
Additions and Substitutions
- Get some protein. Turn this salad into a complete meal by adding grilled or baked thin-cut chicken breast, smoked salmon, canned chickpeas, or tofu slices.
- Make it cheesy. Crumbled rich feta cheese, gorgonzola, or creamy goat cheese over the salad, or add a dollop of Greek yogurt or haydari, a Turkish yogurt dip.
- What tastes good with beetroot? Add other vegetables like bell peppers, fennel, arugula, radishes, carrots, celery, zucchini, spinach, endives, or thinly sliced red onion to complement the flavor of the beets.
- Switch up the dressing. I am obsessed with the poppyseed lemon salad dressing, but try sherry shallot dressing, blackberry vinaigrette, avocado green goddess salad, or miso vinaigrette instead.
How to Make Cucumber Beet Salad
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Dry toast the walnuts in a skillet and set them aside.
Step 2: Combine lemon juice, lemon zest, poppy seeds, dried thyme, honey, and salt in a small bowl or glass jar. Add the olive oil and whisk or shake to emulsify.
Step 3: Mix the cucumber slices and fresh dill in a large salad bowl. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of dressing over the top and combine. Nestle the beats into the salad and garnish with the toasted walnuts.
Expert Tips
- Beware of the beets. Wear gloves if you don’t want your fingers to turn bright pink while you prepare the beetroots.
- Uniformly cut the vegetables. Cut the cucumbers and beets the same size for a tasty, balanced bite. You can use a mandoline for a more consistent cut, or use a sharp knife to dice the vegetables into cubes and matchsticks if that’s easier for you.
Make the cucumber beet salad, and pair it with one of these tasty dinner recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Cucumber beetroot salad comes together in minutes, making it a perfect choice for entertaining guests at a potluck or get-together.
Serve the beetroot and cucumber salad with savory meals like bison steak, lamb shoulder chop, BBQ baked chicken legs, or boneless leg of lamb. You can also feature it on a Mediterranean meze platter with adana kebabs, butter bean hummus, pita chips, and havuc tarator.
Storage
Store the leftover cucumber beet salad in an airtight container for 3-4 days. The salad may lose some of its crunch and take on a pinkish color thanks to the beets. Keep any leftover dressing in an airtight jar for up to one week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can beetroot be eaten as salad?
This beet cucumber salad recipe is all the proof you need to start adding fresh, raw beets to your salads. Slice them thinly, cut them into cubes, or finely grate them. Use pickled or canned beets if that is what you have.
Cucumber Beet Salad
- Airtight Container or Glass Jar
- lemon juice, 2 lemons, plus ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 pinch sea salt
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2-3 medium beets, peeled, cooked, and thinly sliced
- 6 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon dill leaves, finely chopped
- ¼ cup walnuts
- Dry toast the walnuts in a skillet and set them aside.
- Combine lemon juice, lemon zest, poppy seeds, dried thyme, honey, and salt in a small bowl or glass jar. Add the olive oil and whisk or shake to emulsify.
- Mix the cucumber slices and fresh dill in a large salad bowl. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of dressing over the top and combine. Nestle the beats into the salad and garnish with the toasted walnuts.
- Beware of the beets. Wear gloves if you don’t want your fingers to turn bright pink while you prepare the beetroots.
- Uniformly cut the vegetables. Cut the cucumbers and beets the same size for a tasty, balanced bite. You can use a mandoline for a more consistent cut, or use a sharp knife to dice the vegetables into cubes and matchsticks if that’s easier for you.