Fresh and Creamy Cucumber & Avocado Salad

This refreshing cucumber and avocado salad is perfect for anyone who loves light, healthy dishes that taste amazing! It’s packed with fresh herbs and zesty lime juice that makes every bite absolutely delicious.

Recipe Details

Timing & Servings: Prep Time: 5 minutes, Additional Time: 15 minutes, Total Time: 20 minutes, Serves: 4 people, Yield: 4 cups.

Nutrition Profile: Low-Carb, Nut-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, High-Fiber, Vegan, Vegetarian, Egg-Free, Low-Calorie.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 199 Calories, 18g Fat, 10g Carbs, 2g Protein.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Shallot: You’ll need 1 medium shallot sliced thin and separated into rings. Shallots are milder than regular onions and add such a nice gentle bite to this salad!

Fresh lime juice: 3 tablespoons of fresh lime juice brings that bright, zesty flavor that makes everything pop. Fresh is always better than bottled when you can manage it!

Extra-virgin olive oil: 3 tablespoons of good quality olive oil makes the dressing smooth and rich. This is what brings all the flavors together beautifully.

Fresh mint: 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh mint adds such a refreshing touch. The mint makes this salad feel so cooling and fresh!

Fresh basil: 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil gives you that amazing herby flavor. Basil and mint together are just magical in this dish.

Salt: ½ teaspoon of salt helps bring out all the other flavors. Don’t skip this – it makes such a difference!

English cucumber: 1 English cucumber sliced thin is perfect because you don’t need to peel it. If you only have regular cucumbers, just peel them first and they’ll work great too!

Ripe avocado: 1 ripe avocado halved, pitted and sliced crosswise adds that creamy texture we all love. Make sure it’s ripe but still firm enough to slice nicely.

How to Make Cucumber & Avocado Salad

Step 1: Toss your shallot rings with the lime juice in a large bowl. Let them stand there for about 10 minutes until they soften up. This step helps mellow out the shallot’s sharpness!

Step 2: Whisk in the olive oil, mint, basil and salt into your shallot mixture. Add the sliced cucumber and toss everything to coat well. Let the cucumber marinate in this yummy dressing for about 10 minutes, tossing it occasionally.

Step 3: Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cucumber to a pretty platter. Top with your sliced avocado and drizzle all that delicious dressing over the salad. Serve right away for the best taste and texture!

Easy and Quick Cucumber & Avocado Salad Version

Want to make this even faster? You can skip the marinating time if you’re in a rush! Just mix everything together and serve immediately. It won’t have quite the same depth of flavor, but it’ll still taste wonderful and save you 20 minutes!

Serving Ideas

This salad is perfect alongside grilled chicken, fish, or steak for a complete meal. It also goes beautifully with barbecue dishes or as part of a summer lunch spread. Try it with some crusty bread and you’ve got yourself a lovely light meal!

Storage

This salad is best eaten right away since avocado can brown quickly. If you need to store leftovers, keep them in the fridge for up to 1 day. The lime juice helps prevent the avocado from browning too fast!

Substitutions

No shallot? Use ¼ cup of thinly sliced red onion instead. Can’t find fresh herbs? You can use 1 teaspoon each of dried mint and basil, but fresh really is better here. Regular cucumber works great if you peel it first. No lime? Lemon juice works just as well!

Pro Tips

• Perfect avocado: Choose an avocado that gives slightly when pressed but isn’t mushy. You want it to hold its shape when sliced!
• Thin slicing: Use a mandoline or very sharp knife for paper-thin cucumber slices. They’ll absorb the dressing better this way.
• Fresh herbs: Stack your mint and basil leaves and roll them up before slicing. This gives you perfect thin ribbons!
• Make ahead tip: You can prep the dressing and cucumber up to 2 hours ahead. Just add the avocado right before serving.

FAQs

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

You can prep everything except the avocado up to 2 hours ahead! The cucumber actually gets better as it marinates. Just add the sliced avocado right before serving to keep it from browning.

What if I don’t like shallots?

Sure! You can use red onion instead, or even skip the onion completely if you prefer. The salad will still taste amazing with just the herbs and lime dressing.

Can I add other vegetables to this salad?

You bet! Cherry tomatoes, radishes, or even some diced bell pepper would be delicious additions. Just keep the cucumber and avocado as your main stars.

How do I keep the avocado from turning brown?

The lime juice in this recipe actually helps prevent browning! Make sure to coat the avocado well with the dressing, and serve the salad as soon as possible after adding the avocado.

I’d love to hear how this salad turns out for you! It’s become one of my go-to sides for summer meals, and I think you’re going to love how fresh and delicious it tastes. Let me know what you think!