I’m ever so slightly obsessed with versatile dishes – anything that you can use as a dip, sauce, sandwich spread, and salad at the same time is good in my books – which is where this cucumber salad with yogurt comes in. Although this cucumber yogurt salad is often served as a dip, it is referred to as a type of salad – just like fattous salad and tabbouleh salad. Depending on where you’re based globally, you may have seen some variation of a creamy cucumber salad. In Greece, there is Tzatziki; in Germany, there is gurkensalat; in Poland, it’s mizeria; and in Lebanon, it’s kh’yar bi laban. Kh’yar bi laban is a traditional Middle Eastern cucumber yogurt salad, similar to Greek tzatziki, combining cucumber with yogurt, but with mint rather than the popular addition of dill in tzatziki. It is also traditionally made with sheep milk yogurt, rather than cows. Though, that isn’t something you have to do when making this homemade creamy cucumber salad. This easy cucumber salad is not only quick to prepare, but it’s made up of just a few simple ingredients and is super low effort!
How To Avoid Mushy Cucumber Salad
Though this easy cucumber salad is super versatile and quick to prepare, one of the recipe’s biggest issues is the short shelf life due to the salad becoming too watery or mushy. As cucumbers are full of liquid, it doesn’t take long for this mix to become watered down and for the cucumbers to become mushy. However, there are ways to avoid this, so here are my top tips:
Salt the cucumbers: To avoid the cucumber salad becoming mushy/watery, you can salt the cucumbers before using them in the recipe. Place the cucumbers in a large bowl or colander and sprinkle with salt. Allow to rest for 20-30 minutes and then lightly squeeze the cucumbers to get rid of the excess liquid. Pat with a kitchen towel and then continue with the recipe. Core the cucumbers: If you’re only able to use cucumbers with seeds, then it’s best to scoop out the watery, seedy section of the cucumber. It’s for this reason that I aim to use Lebanese cucumbers and other low-seed/seedless varieties, as they require less effort to prepare and you don’t have all the mushy insides to deal with. Keep some sauce aside: If you’re planning on making this cucumber yogurt salad ahead and serving a day or so later, then you can keep some of the yogurt sauce to one side and mix it in just before serving. You can also simply mix in a little extra yogurt before serving, but then it won’t have developed the flavors with the rest of the ingredients, so it will mellow the overall cucumber salad dish.
How To Make This Cucumber Yogurt Salad
Step 1: Prepare the cucumbers
Sugar – add a pinch of sugar (or sugar-free sweetener) to the recipe to counteract the yogurt’s tart flavor. Legumes – though it’s not traditional at all, I’ll sometimes add chickpeas or white beans to this cucumber yogurt salad for a more filling dish. Red onion – lightly sliced red onions are often included in cucumber salad dishes, though not typically in Lebanese cucumber salad. However, feel free to add some if you’d like.
First, wash your cucumbers and pat them dry with a kitchen towel. Then slice lengthwise and chop into small pieces. Or optionally slice into thin slices. If you want to salt the cucumbers to remove excess liquid, then do it at this point. Add the cucumber to a large bowl or sieve and sprinkle with salt. Leave to rest for 20-30 minutes, lightly squeeze out the excess liquid and blot with some kitchen towel – then continue with the recipe. Step 2: Mix the creamy cucumber salad Finely chop or crush the garlic. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Allow to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes for better flavor, and then serve! For even better flavor, allow the cucumber mint salad to marinate for a couple of hours in the fridge before serving.
How to Serve
Serve this cucumber yogurt salad with a drizzle of olive oil as a snack, appetizer, dip, or sauce with fresh bread, pita bread, and crudités. You can also serve it over your favorite proteins whether fish, meat, or tofu(you can find two simple methods of how to make tofu at home!). It’s also often served alongside dishes like tabbouleh salad, kibbeh recipe, stuffed grape leaves, spinach pies( Fatayer), etc.
How To Store
You can store this cucumber yogurt dip in the refrigerator for between 1-2 days. If you set some of the yogurt sauce aside, then that is fridge-friendly for 3 days. Though the cucumber salad is ready to eat immediately, I suggest leaving it to marinate in the fridge for a few hours. The flavors will develop and the cucumber becomes tender. Note that, over time, the moisture within the cucumbers will thin the yogurt dressing and it can become watery/mushy. You can make this better with the tips mentioned above, though it won’t avoid it entirely.
Recipe Notes
If you’re unable to use yogurt, then you could try to use sour cream (or a dairy-free sour cream alternative). The cucumbers: I’ve diced the cucumbers here. However, feel free to chop it into thin round slices, if preferred. You can also experiment with using peeled vs non-peeled cucumbers, to test which texture you prefer. If you want to chop the cucumber into thin slices, you can use a mandoline for even slices. For a super thick version of this yogurt cucumber salad, you could use labneh in place of the yogurt. You can swap the cucumber with celery for an interesting take on this recipe. The flavor will differ, but celery retains its crunch for longer than the cucumber.
Related Recipes
If you try this Lebanese creamy cucumber yogurt salad recipe, then let me know your thoughts and questions in the comments. I’d also really appreciate a recipe rating and would love to see your recreations – just tag @AlphaFoodie.
