Newsletter
Eat

10 Easy and Essential Cucumber Recipes to Cool Off With This Summer

Sheela Prakash
Sheela PrakashSenior Contributing Food Editor
Sheela is the Senior Contributing Food Editor at Kitchn and the author of Mediterranean Every Day: Simple, Inspired Recipes for Feel-Good Food. She received her master's degree from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy and is also a Registered Dietitian.
published Jun 28, 2023
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Post Image
Credit: Joe Lingeman

It’s hard to beat the cool refreshment cucumbers provide. The water-packed veggie is not only wonderfully crisp, but its mild flavor also makes it incredibly adaptable to all sorts of flavors and ingredients.

These 10 recipes show off the vegetable’s versatility, and are so easy that they can be thrown together for just about any occasion.

1. Sour Cream and Dill Cucumber Salad

Everyone needs a go-to recipe for summer cookouts and potlucks, and this fresh and creamy cucumber salad is absolutely the answer.

Credit: Joe Lingeman

2. Chilled Lemon-Dill Cucumber Noodles

These extra-refreshing “noodles” are a wonderful bed for a piece of seared salmon or even some smoked salmon. If you don’t happen to have a spiralizer, you can use a vegetable peeler to shave the cucumber into thin ribbons.

Credit: Michelle Peters-Jones

3. Spiced Cucumber Sticks with Chaat Masala

These spiced cucumber sticks are probably the most ubiquitous of all street foods in India. The spice mix, chaat masala, is a mixture of a slew of spices, including coriander, cumin, and fennel.

Credit: Sarah E Crowder

4. Cold Lentil Salad with Cucumbers and Olives

This salad is wonderful served with dollops of ricotta or crumbled feta, so feel free to use whichever one you prefer or happen to have in the fridge.

Credit: Lauren Volo

5. Herbed Smashed Cucumbers

Smashing cucumbers allows for them to soak up more dressing in their flesh (it’s also pretty fun, too). Here, they’re tossed with a Greek-leaning lemon and yogurt dressing along with plenty of dill and parsley.

Credit: Oriana Koren

6. Cucumber-Peel Sandwich Spread

Instead of tossing the cucumber peels in the garbage, use them to make this ingenious spread. The peels are chopped and folded into softened cream cheese and Dijon mustard before chopped watercress and prosciutto are added to the mix.

Credit: Joe Lingeman

7. Cucumber Gin & Tonic Pitcher Cocktail

Cucumbers are as deserving to be on your plate as they are to be in your cocktail. Here they give a classic gin and tonic an an extra-refreshing twist that makes it all too easy to sip on.

Credit: Joe Lingeman

8. The Easiest Tangy Cucumber Salad

This simple, quick-pickled cucumber salad actually tastes better the longer it sits, so feel free to make it the night before you need it.

Credit: Joe Lingeman

9. How To Make Indian Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce: Raita

This traditional Indian condiment is cool and creamy and delicious on just about anything. Try it over grilled fish or roasted vegetables, or tucked into sandwiches.

Credit: Christine Han

10. Chilled Cucumber Noodles with Sesame Dressing

These savory, nutty cucumber noodles keep well for a few days, so it’s worth making a double batch to enjoy for lunch and dinner throughout the week.

This post originally published on The Kitchn. Read it there: 10 Easy and Essential Cucumber Recipes