This Creamy Cucumber Onion Salad is a refreshing and flavorful side dish that combines the crispness of cucumbers with the rich, sweet taste of caramelized onions and aroma of mint leaves. Dunked in fresh Tzatziki dip, this easy cucumber and onion salad topped with onions caramelized in ghee is a mild twist to the classic cucumber salad recipe.
This super easy recipe of Cucumber Onion 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 lemon and olive oil. I have tweaked the recipe to create a healthy version. Being born in India means, you had dozen types of curd (yogurt). My love for curd made me swap oil dressing with curd one. I have used the market bought Tzatziki dip which had dill and fresh aroma. The creamy texture of Tzatziki dip had made this salad taste amazingly delicious.
This low calorie and healthy Onion and cucumber salad is a perfect balance of textures and flavors, making it a popular choice for summer gatherings or as a side dish for various meals. Another popular cucumber salad from the blog is: Apple Cucumber Mint Salad.
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Why Would You Love This Recipe?
- Super Easy recipe
- Gathers in No time
- Scalable recipe
- Easily made Pantry Ingredients
- Budget Friendly and can be made ahead of time.
- Kids Friendly
- Low calorie and Healthy salad with just 125 calories.
- Weight-Loss Friendly
- Can be made Vegan
- The Best Cucumber and Onion Salad Ever!
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 crunchy texture and sweet flavor to this salad. One may also use fresh zucchini.
- 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 personally loved the natural glaze that comes from ghee. You may add spring onions or shallots as well.
- 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, slat and black pepper as its ingredients and is without any oil, with just 112 calories per 100 gm.
- Lemon-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 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 Dill, thyme, basil or cilantro.
- Desi Ghee- Those who love ghee, would know the flavor that comes from caramelized onions in ghee- totally Melt in mouth salad. You may use olive oil or any vegetable oil. (Ghee is missing from ingredients pic)
Variations
- Vegan Cucumber Onion Salad- By swapping Ghee with olive oil and using Tzatziki vegan dip, this salad would be vegan.
- Cucumber Onion Sandwich- While I love salad, I also enjoy light breads in breakfasts. This salad can be spread over a bread to make a great sandwich!
- Add another Vegetable- You may add zucchini, carrot, bell peppers and tomato for more colorful and rich salad.
- Add another Spice- I have used only black pepper in this recipe of cucumber salad. You may experiment with dried chilies, green chilies, dried thyme or basil.
- Add another oil- While the ghee that comes from caramelized onions makes the salad creamy and greasy. If you wish to add another oil, I would recommend using olive oil. That adds strong and aromatic flavor.
- Add nuts- Salads are a great way to have your dose of nuts. Add roasted cashews, almonds or pecans to this salad to make it more enriching.
Storage Suggestions
I recommend consuming this salad the same day, especially in summers. If there are any leftovers of this salad, store them in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator for about 2 days in winters.
If possible, you may separate dressing and the chopped salad. Mix the two just before serving. This would help you store leftovers in separate containers and prevent salad from becoming soggy.
This salad has yogurt, ghee and salt. So, if stored in 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.
What to Team with This Cucumber Onion 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, patties.
Mediterranean Platter: Serve it alongside hummus, Focaccia Bread, falafel, pita bread, glazed carrots.
Rice or Grain Bowls: It works well with brown rice, or couscous, along with a variety of vegetables and proteins.
Expert Tips
- Use of fresh ingredients ensures the best flavor and texture of your salad. Avoid using ingredients that are already wilted or spoiled.
- 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. This prevents air exposure and helps maintain the salad's freshness.
Recipe FAQs
In India, cucumber and onions are eaten together in salad since ages. It's totally fine to have them raw in salad.
The best way is to sprinkle some salt over them and let them drain water, if any.
This salad would be best when consumed the same day. At most for 2 days, it can be refrigerated.
Detailed Recipe with Steps
Step 1 Wash and Chop
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.
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 chopped cucumber, Tzatziki dip, browned onions, mint leaves. Top it with salt, black pepper and lemon juice.
Step 4 Serve It
The healthy Cucumber Onion salad is ready. Serve it fresh!
You may also like-
More Healthy Salads from the Blog:-
- Easy Indian Onion Chutney Recipe (No-Cook Dip For Poppadoms)
- Healthy Beet Recipes- Veg/ Vegan, Easy & Creative
- Beet Salad With Feta Cheese and Walnuts {Easy Recipe}
- Mashed Potato Salad with Green Mung Beans {Veg + No-Mayo}
- Roast Pumpkin Spinach Salad With Sesame- Fall Salad
- 10 Minute Vegetarian Chickpea Salad With Peanut Butter {Simple & Mediterranean Style}
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Creamy Cucumber Onion Salad With Tzatziki (No Cream Easy Recipe)
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 healthy Cucumber Onion salad is ready. Serve it fresh!
Notes
- Use of fresh ingredients ensures the best flavor and texture of your salad. Avoid using ingredients that are already wilted or spoiled.
- 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. This prevents air exposure and helps maintain the salad's freshness.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving size: 1 bowl | |
| Servings: 3 | |
| 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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