If you need an easy side dish, try my cucumber carrot salad packed with crisp, fresh vegetables, vibrant colors, and zesty dressing. It takes only a few minutes to make and you can enjoy it as a light snack or pair it with meals like roasted chicken or grilled steak.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cucumber: Seedless cucumbers such as Persian or Japanese have a perfect crunch since they have tender skin and a crispy, fresh texture.
- Carrots: Buy precut carrots or cut and peel them yourself. The sweetness of the carrots is a tasty addition to the otherwise tangy salad.
- Onion: Thinly sliced red onion provides flavor and a beautiful pop of color.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro brightens the dish.
- Scallions: Adding scallions provides a unique texture and a refreshing, peppery taste.
- Dressing: I’m not exaggerating – this salad dressing is incredible! It’s made with rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, lime juice, ginger, and garlic – resulting in the most crave-worthy dressing for the salad.
Additions and Substitutions
- Add Vegetables – Consider adding more fresh vegetables like edamame or mung beans.
- Change the Dressing – Replace the dressing in the recipe with tangy miso vinaigrette or sherry shallot dressing.
- Increase the Protein – Make my cucumber carrot salad a complete meal by including chickpeas, hard-boiled eggs, or chicken.
- Cut the Vegetables Differently – Use a mandolin or a spiralizer to make the carrots and cucumbers thin or noodle-like for a bit of variation.
How to Make Cucumber Carrot Salad
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Slice the cucumber using a sharp knife or mandolin. Then, cut the carrots and add them to a mixing bowl and set them aside.
Step 2: Then, cut the onions, cilantro, and scallions and add them to the bowl.
Step 3: Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl, and give it a quick stir.
Step 4: Pour the dressing over the salad, mix, and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before serving.
Expert Tips
- Marinate the cucumbers and carrots in the dressing for at least 20 minutes before serving.
- Double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd.
If you enjoy this recipe, try one of these salad favorites!
Serving Suggestions
- Pulled Pork Sandwich, Pulled Pork Sliders
- Beef Ribs, Beef Brisket, Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps
- Adobong Manok, Grilled Tandoori Chicken, BBQ Baked Chicken Legs, Oven Baked Drumsticks with Peruvian Spices, Joojeh Kabob, Roasted Jerk Chicken, Pulled Chicken
- Bratwurst, Hot Dogs
- Baked Beans with Hamburger
- Hamburger, Air Fryer Turkey Burgers, Turkey Smash Burgers
- Blackened Mahi Mahi, Baked Flounder
What to do with the Leftovers
- Refrigerate – Store the leftover cucumber carrot salad in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
- Repurpose – Transform the leftover salad by using it as filling for sandwiches like Banh Mi, pitas, or cold cut. I also like using this salad as a topping for my sesame salmon bowl.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I prepare cucumber carrot salad in advance?
Carrot cucumber salad is a great prep meal. However, I recommend leaving the dressing off until you’re ready to serve to preserve the crispness of the vegetables.
What does carrot and cucumber do to the body?
Carrots are an excellent source of nutrients like potassium, vitamin A, and antioxidants; they also contain beta-carotene, a nutrient that gives the carrots their bright color and increases the bioavailability of the vitamins.
Cucumbers are a perfect addition to the salad, and they are packed with vitamins K, B, and C and trace minerals. Carrots and cucumbers both have anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting properties.
More Salad with Cucumber and Carrots:
Cucumber Carrot Salad
- Small Bowl
- 6 Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced at a bias
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon lime juice, about ½ a lime
- ½ – inch fresh ginger, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
- Slice the cucumber using a sharp knife or mandolin. Then, cut the carrots and add them to a mixing bowl and set them aside.
- Then, cut the onions, cilantro, and scallions and add them to the bowl.
- Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl, and give it a quick stir.
- Pour the dressing over the salad, mix, and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before serving.
- Marinate the cucumbers and carrots in the dressing for at least 20 minutes before serving.
- Double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.