Pair crunchy cucumbers with tender beets to make this healthy and delicious cucumber beet salad recipe. Toss the fresh vegetables with dill and a sweet lemon poppyseed dressing. The refreshing side salad is perfect for spring and summer months, or you can try beetroot dip or cucumber carrot salad.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The cucumber beetroot salad comes together in minutes, making it a perfect choice for entertaining guests at a potluck or get-together.
- This salad is a great way to use the fresh summer cucumbers from your garden or the grocery store.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Beetroot: I love using nutrient-dense fresh beets, but you can replace them with store-bought pickled beets or canned beats. The sweet beets complement the tangy ingredients in the salad.
- Cucumbers: Persian cucumbers or English cucumber add the right amount of crunch.
- Dill: Brighten the healthy salad with fresh dill. Fresh mint leaves are another tasty addition if you’re not a fan of dill.
- Dressing: Create a sweet and tangy homemade lemon poppy seed dressing using fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, dijon mustard, poppy seeds, dried thyme, honey or maple syrup, extra-virgin olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt.
- Walnuts: Toasted walnuts are a great addition to the salad.
Additions and Substitutions
- Protein: Consider adding grilled chicken, baked salmon, or tofu to make the simple salad a full meal.
- Dairy: For added creaminess, top the salad with feta cheese, gorgonzola cheese, goat cheese, or Greek yogurt.
- Vegetables: Include other vegetables like bell peppers and red onion.
- Nuts and Seeds: Toasted walnuts add a delicious crunch to the salad, but replace them with pecans, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds.
- Dressing: I am obsessed with the poppyseed lemon salad dressing in this recipe, but my sherry shallot dressing, avocado green goddess salad, or homemade salad dressing would be a tasty variation.
- Grains: Include quinoa or couscous for a more filling salad.
How to Make Cucumber Beet Salad
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Combine lemon juice, poppy seeds, dried thyme, honey, and salt in a small bowl or airtight container. Then, whisk in the olive oil to emulsify. Store the leftover dressing in a container for one week.
Step 2: Add the beets, fresh cucumber slices, and dill and to a large salad bowl. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of dressing over the top and gently stir to combine. Garnish with toasted walnuts to serve.
Expert Tips
- Wear gloves if you don’t want your fingers to turn bright pink as you cut the beetroots.
- Slice the cucumbers and beets the same size for a more consistent bite. I use a mandoline, so you can cut the vegetables into cubes or shred them.
How to Slice the Beets and Cucumbers
A great way to get a consistent and uniform cut on the beetroots and cucumbers is to use a mandoline. Or you can use a vegetable peeler to achieve a similar effect.
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If you love this recipe, pair it with one of these dinner favorites!
Serving Suggestions
- Steak: Air Fryer Ribeye Steak, Bison Steak Recipe, Lamb Shoulder Chop
- Chicken: Roasted Chicken with Moroccan Spices, Grilled Chicken Drumsticks, BBQ Baked Chicken Legs
- Side Dish: Butter Bean Hummus, Haydari
What to do With the Leftovers
- Refrigerate – Store the leftovers in an airtight container. Cucumber beet salad keeps in the fridge for 3-5 days. However, the entire salad may take on a pink color of the beets as it sits.
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, depending on your preference. You can also use pickled or canned beets for another variation.
What tastes good with beetroot?
Beets taste great with other root vegetables like carrots, onions, or radishes. And greens like cucumber, dill, mint, arugula, cabbage, celery, scallions, fennel, endive, and spinach complement the sweetness of the beets.
More Healthy Salad Recipes:
Cucumber Beet Salad
- Airtight Container or Mason Jar
- 2 lemons, juiced and ½ teaspoon zest
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme,
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 pinch sea salt
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2-3 small raw beetroot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 6 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons Lemon Poppyseed Dressing
- ¼ walnuts, toasted
- Combine lemon juice, poppy seeds, dried thyme, honey, and salt in a small bowl or airtight container. Then, whisk in the olive oil to emulsify. Store the leftover dressing in a container for one week.
- Add the beets, fresh cucumber slices, and dill and to a large salad bowl. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of dressing over the top and gently stir to combine. Garnish with toasted walnuts to serve.
- Wear gloves if you don’t want your fingers to turn bright pink as you cut the beetroots.
- Slice the cucumbers and beets the same size for a more consistent bite. I use a mandoline, so you can cut the vegetables into cubes or shred them.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.