Dunked in traditional Tzatziki Sauce, this easy cucumber salad topped with onions caramelized in ghee is a mild twist to the classic cucumber salad recipe.
This Tzatziki Cucumber Salad is bursting with mildly sweet flavors of caramelized onions, crispy cucumbers, tangy lemon, and a spicy kick with black pepper. While I have caramelized onions in ghee, you may feel free to use any vegetable oil for it.
The classic recipe uses sour cream and olive oil. Being born in India means, you had a dozen types of curd (yogurt). My love for curd made me swap oil dressing with Greek yogurt.
While homemade curd would work, I have used the market-bought Tzatziki dip which had dill, a fresh aroma, and a perfect creamy texture. You can use homemade Tzatziki as well.
This Tangy Greek Cucumber Salad is a perfect balance of textures and flavors, making it a popular choice for summer gatherings or as a perfect side dish for pita chips and cucumber chips.
Other popular vegetarian salads from the blog are Radish Cucumber Salad, Mango Avocado and Cucumber Salad, Apple Cucumber Mint Salad, Keto Greek Salad, and Mashed Potato Salad With Sprouts.
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Ingredients
- Cucumber- is the star ingredient of this salad. I have used English cucumber grown locally in India. You may use English cucumber or any local variety. Since the skin of English cucumber is very thin, I haven't peeled it off. It adds a crunchy texture and sweet flavor to this salad. You may use grated cucumber or chopped as you prefer it. I prefer slicing the cucumbers over using shredded cucumber.
- Red Onion-Red Onions work best. They add mild sweet flavor and add perfect smooth texture to salad when caramelized in ghee. You may skip caramelizing onions, though I loved the natural glaze that comes from ghee and the good punch of flavor that comes from caramelizing it. You may add spring or green onions or shallots as well. If you are using raw onions, you may keep them in cold water to relieve the strong flavor.
- Tzatziki-The dill is not available in India. Instead of using curd, I wished to experiment with this Dill Tzatziki dip, and trust me, it was a great decision. This Dill Tzatziki dip from Wingreens is purely yogurt-based with garlic, curd, dill, salt, and black pepper as its ingredients and is without any oil, with just 112 calories per 100 gm. You may swap it with sour cream or feta cheese.One may also use plain Greek yogurt or plain yogurt. You may add the fresh dill or any other herbs of your choice.
- Lemon-Fresh Lemon juice adds the much-needed tangy twist to this salad. You may use any vinegar of your choice as well.
- Black pepper- I love the spicy kick that black pepper adds to this creamy curd salad. Here in India, we don't have salted curd without black pepper.
- Pink Salt- or as well call it 'Kala Namak'. It adds an earthy savory flavor and balances the overall flavor of this salad.
- Fresh Mint Leaves- I had not imagined how refreshing and vibrant this salad would turn out to be with the addition of these green mint leaves. Feel free to use fresh herbs like Dill, thyme, basil, fresh parsley, or cilantro.
- Desi Ghee- Those who love ghee, would know the flavor that comes from caramelized onions in ghee- Melt in mouth salad. You may use olive oil or any vegetable oil. (Ghee is missing from the ingredients pic).
How To Make Tzatziki Cucumber Salad
Step 1 Wash and Chop
Wash cucumber, and mint carefully. Since I didn't peel the cucumber off, washing it is an important step. Chop everything as desired. Thin Slice onions or chop them small as you like it. You may use a mandolin slicer.
Step 2 Caramelize the Onions
In a heavy-bottomed pan/ wok or tempering pan, add ghee and when hot, add sliced onions. Keep sauteing onions on slow flame. They would turn transparent, then brown, and then dark brown. It takes about 5 min to caramelize onions.
Step 3 Assemble the Salad
In a large bowl, add the sliced cucumbers, Tzatziki dip, browned onions, and mint leaves. Top it with salt, black pepper, and lemon juice. You may also use lemon zest. You may also make the greek yogurt dressing first by adding the Tzatziki dip, spices, herbs and lemon juice and then topping the crunchy cucumbers and caramelized onions with it.
Step 4 Serve It
The Greek Cucumber Onion salad is ready. Serve it fresh!
Expert Tips
- Use of fresh ingredients for the best flavor.
- Make sure to caramelize onions in a heavy-bottomed wok and throughout cook on slow flame. The Slower the flame, the crispier the onions would be.
- Keep ingredients separate until ready to serve. If you're meal prepping or making this salad ahead of time, it's best to keep the ingredients separate until you're ready to eat. Store the cucumber slices and onion slices in separate containers or compartments to maintain their freshness.
- When storing the leftover salad in the refrigerator, ensure that the container is tightly sealed or covered with plastic wrap.
What to Team with This Tzatziki Cucumber Salad
Grilled proteins:/ veggies Serve the salad alongside Paneer Tikka, or tofu, baked or grilled vegetables like carrots, potato, broccoli, and eggplant.
Sandwiches or Wraps: Add it as a refreshing side dish to sandwiches or wraps with falafels, or patties.
Mediterranean Platter: Serve it alongside hummus, Focaccia Bread, falafel, pita bread, and glazed carrots.
Rice or Grain Bowls: It works well with brown rice, or couscous, along with a variety of vegetables and proteins.
Storage Suggestions
I recommend consuming this salad on the same day, especially in the summer as it has water content and can leave water.. If there are any leftovers of this salad, store them in an airtight container and place them in the refrigerator for about 2 days in winter.
If possible, you may separate the dressing and the chopped salad. Mix the two just before serving. This would help you store leftovers in separate containers and prevent the salad from becoming soggy.
This salad has yogurt, ghee, and salt. So, if stored in the refrigerator, it would naturally release water. Drain excess water and before serving, give it a gentle toss to redistribute the flavors and dressing. I would not recommend to freeze this cucumber salad.
Recipe FAQs
Cucumber Raita is made with homemade Indian curd , which is thin in consistency than the Tzatziki Cucumber Salad.
Tzatziki is typically made of strained Greek yogurt, grated or diced cucumber, minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar, salt, and chopped fresh dill or mint.
This salad would be best when consumed the same day. At most for 2 days, it can be refrigerated.
You may also like-
More Cucumber Salads from the Blog:-
- Cucumber Radish Salad
- Mango Avocado Cucumber Salad
- Moroccan-Spiced Chickpea Salad Recipe
- Easy Indian Onion Chutney (For Poppadoms)
- Easy Beet Recipes- Vegetarian
- Beet Salad With Feta and Walnuts {Easy Recipe}
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Creamy Tzatziki Cucumber Salad
Equipment
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Large Bowl for mixing salads
- 1 heavy bottomed tempering pan caramelizing onions
Ingredients
- 2 medium cucumbers with peel
- 2 small onions sliced
- 1 tablespoon Desi ghee can use olive oil
- 2 tablespoon Tzatziki Dill Dip Can use plain yogurt or curd
- 1 teaspoon Kali Mirch (Black Pepper)
- 1 pinch pink salt table salt works well too.
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice can use vinegar
- 10 leaves mint fresh leaves
Instructions
- Wash cucumber, mint carefully. Since I didn't peel cucumber off, washing it is an important step. Chop everything as desired. Slice onions or chop them small as you like it.
- In a heavy bottomed pan/ wok or tempering pan, add ghee and when hot, add sliced onions. Keep sauteing onions on slow flame. They would turn transparent, then brown, and then dark brown. It takes about 5 min to caramelize onions.
- In a large bowl, add the chopped cucumber, Tzatziki dip, browned onions, mint leaves. Top it with salt, black pepper and lemon juice.
- The Cucumber Onion salad is ready. Serve it fresh!
Notes
- Use of fresh ingredients ensures the best flavor.
- Make sure to caramelize onions in a heavy bottomed wok and throughout cook on slow flame. Slower the flame, crispier the onions would be.
- Keep ingredients separate until ready to serve. If you're meal prepping or making this salad ahead of time, it's best to keep the ingredients separate until you're ready to eat. Store the cucumber slices and onion slices in separate containers or compartments to maintain their individual freshness.
- When storing the leftover salad in the refrigerator, ensure that the container is tightly sealed or covered with plastic wrap.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving size: 1 bowl | |
| Servings: 2 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 125 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 7g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat 4.1g | 20% |
| Cholesterol 10mg | 3% |
| Sodium 147mg | 6% |
| Total Carbohydrate 15.3g | 6% |
| Dietary Fiber 2.8g | 10% |
| Total Sugars 6.5g | |
| Protein 2.3g | |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Calcium 52mg | 4% |
| Iron 1mg | 5% |
| Potassium 421mg | 9% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice | |
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