Loaded with fresh vegetables and tossed in a from-scratch dressing, Cucumber Salad with Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette is the perfect light side to accompany any main dish.
I bake a lot of sweets. That’s probably immediately clear to anyone who spends half a second on this site because I have a ton of dessert recipes. I do sell or give away a lot of what I make, so other than the necessary taste test here or there, I’m not actually eating too much of what I bake.
Let me be clear, though: I do have a killer sweet tooth. If things like nutrition and calories didn’t matter, I would live on desserts. But they do, so I make sure to whip up recipes like this Cucumber Salad with Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette. It only takes a few minutes to put together, and it features some of my favorite vegetables.
Cucumbers don’t get enough credit. I can see why they may come across as slimy or flavorless, but I love them. They’re the perfect vegetable to carry this salad, and they’re a wonderful complement to the juicy tomatoes and the strong onions. Throw in a chunks of mild avocado, toss the whole thing in a tart homemade dressing, and you’ve got yourself an easy side dish that pairs well with just about any entree.
Cucumber Salad with Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 cucumbers
- 1 small red onion
- 2 avocados
- 1 large tomato
For the Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
Instructions
- Dice the vegetables and toss them together in a large bowl.. Be sure to remove the seeds from the center of the cucumbers.
- Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisking vigorously.
- Pour three quarters of the dressing over the vegetables and mix gently to coat. Add more dressing if desired.
Notes
- I leave the cucumber skin on for color and taste. Some people prefer theirs peeled, though, so you might want to consider doing that.
- The dressing will help keep the avocado from browning, but for best results, wait until the last minute to cut it up (the other veggies can be sliced and tossed together the night before).
- The easiest way to make the dressing is to combine the ingredients in a jar, screw the lid on tight, and shake. Store any leftover dressing in the jar.
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This reminds me a bit of a salad my mom used to make in the summer. She would use vegetables from her garden and chop them all up for dinner. So this is something I would love and will make this summer. Looks delicious!
Ooh, I wish I’d made this with produce I’d grown myself!
This looks like a great summer salad. With grilling season here, salads are a staple. You can never have too many recipes to put through the rotation. Cucumber is one of our favourites too.
Yes! This salad pairs so perfectly with anything fresh off the grill.
I love cucumbers, too and you are right…they don’t get enough credit! I love that you added avocado to this salad! And the balsamic vinaigrette…YUM!!
Avocado just makes everything better! Thanks, Amanda!
This is one of my absolutely favorite summer salads especially in with fresh tomatoes from my garden.
There’s something about fresh veggies in the summer that’s SO refreshing.
I love cucumbers, too! I make salads with them so often, especially in the summertime. The balsamic vinaigrette here sounds like an excellent choice!
Thank you, Ashley! Have a great weekend!
I love a good cucumber salad, and this is just different enough from mine to give us variety!
cucumber salads are so refreshing, and this one is one I will be making soone!
This is such a good dish to add to my lunch rotation when things get boring. Thanks for sharing!
This cucumber salad looks perfect for a summer lunch! Balsamic vinaigrette is one of my favorites as well. Looks lovely!