Cucumber Radish Salad

Need a fresh and simple side salad?  Then give this cucumber radish salad a try.  Filled with cucumbers, radishes and a creamy yogurt dill dressing, it makes a refreshing accompaniment to whatever you may be serving.

Quick and easy, this cucumber radish salad is great for those days when it’s too hot to be cooped up in the kitchen. Cooling cucumbers and crisp radishes are tossed with a light and tangy yogurt dill dressing that makes this salad even more refreshing.  It’s the perfect salad for a hot summer day or to serve with whatever you might have going on the grill.

Ingredient Notes:

(Here are a few notes about the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe.  As always find the full list of ingredients and directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)

• Cucumbers - Use slender Persian cucumbers if you can find them.  Extra-crisp, with thin skins and hardly any seeds, they’re perfect for salads.  If you can’t get your hands on any then you can use a hot-house or English cucumber instead.
• Radishes – Any variety of radishes will do.  Regular red or multicolored radishes both work well here. 
• Yogurt - I like the tangy flavor of goat yogurt here but feel free to use your favorite yogurt as long as it’s full-fat.  Even dairy-free works as long as it’s rich and creamy.
• Fresh Herbs – Were using fresh dill and mint to flavor the yogurt-based dressing.  Make sure to chop your herbs very finely to release as much of the natural oils as possible and flavor every bite.
• Scallions - Thinly sliced they bring a mild onion flavor to the salad that won’t overpower the other ingredients.
• Lemon – You’ll need both the juice and the zest.
• Olive Oil - Use your favorite extra-virgin olive oil.

How to Make a Cucumber Radish Salad:

(Here are the basic steps and some helpful tips on how to make the recipe.  Find the full directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)

1. Thinly slice your cucumber and radishes into equal sized pieces.  (You can slice them into rounds or half-moons depending on size.)
2. Next whisk together the yogurt, chopped herbs, lemon juice, lemon zest and olive oil in a large bowl.
3. Add the sliced cucumbers and radishes to the dressing, mix gently to combine and you are ready to serve!

Variations:

• Try other fresh herbs like cilantro, or parsley.
• Add feta cheese.
• Toss in chickpeas for protein.

Tips:

While you can make this radish cucumber salad a little in advance, it’s really at its best if eaten immediately. If you do want to make it ahead of time you’ll need to salt the cucumbers and be aware that the cucumbers and radishes will soften as they sit in the dressing.

How to Salt Cucumbers:

Salting cucumbers helps to draw out their water.

1. Place the cucumbers in a colander set over a bowl, sprinkle about ½ teaspoon of salt all over the slices, toss gently, and let sit for about 20 minutes.
2. Discard the water that has drained in the bowl and pat the cucumber slices dry before using.

More Cucumber Salads:

• French Cucumber Salad
• Strawberry Cucumber Salad
• Tomato Cucumber Chickpea Salad