Cucumber Avocado Salad is the perfect easy and light side dish. Made with fresh ingredients and a simple dressing, this is a great dish to bring to outdoor picnics and gatherings.
Avocados are my favorite and my best. (Is “my favorite and my best” something that is only used in my house? We are notoriously weird and random, so it’s possible.) I could eat all the avocados all the time, but I especially love them mixed in with other ingredients, like in my Avocado Tuna Salad.
In this amazing salad made with cucumbers, avocados, and tomatoes, we are combining really just a few ingredients to make this fast and simple salad. This would be perfect as a side dish if you are grilling up some hamburgers or chicken legs, but it would also go great with chicken tacos.
This is an easy side dish that I encourage you to serve your kids, they might surprise you and gobble it up!
How to Make Cucumber Avocado Salad
- Chop the vegetables: The first thing you need to do is chop the cucumber, tomato, red onion, and cilantro.
- Make the dressing: Now whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, honey, hot sauce and salt.
- Combine: In a large bowl, toss the chopped vegetables with the dressing.
- Add the avocado: Now very carefully stir in the avocado.
Cucumber Avocado Salad Dressing
It took me a few tries to get the salad dressing just perfect for this cucumber tomato and avocado salad. I wanted the zip of the lime juice, but it needed to be balanced just right with the sweetness of the honey. Finally, I wanted just the slightest heat from the hot sauce. What we are left with is the perfect dressing with ingredients that are kept on hand in your pantry.
Picking Fresh Avocados
When you are picking an avocado you want to look for a couple of things, especially given that it is going to be tossed in a salad and not mashed into guacamole.
- Skin color: The avocado’s skin should be dark green, or almost black.
- Skin texture: The avocado’s skin should be bumpy rather than smooth.
- Softness: When you gently squeeze the avocado, it should have just a slight give. It shouldn’t feel overly soft or hard as a rock.
The key for this cucumber and avocado salad is to make sure that you don’t have a mushy avocado that won’t hold up in the salad or one that is so hard that it ruins the salad.
English Cucumbers
English Cucumbers are the ones that you see in plastic in the grocery store. They are long and thin. I love using them in this cucumber tomato avocado salad because their seeds are smaller, making them ideal for a dish like this. Additionally, they are a little less bitter than other cucumbers.
FAQ
If you are someone who tastes dish soap when cilantro is added to a recipe, by all means, leave it out. I love what it adds, but it is still a great dish without it.
No, I would not recommend that. While the citrus in the dressing does prevent the avocado from browning, it is much better when it is made fresh. Additionally, it is such a quick salad that it can be saved for the last minute.
If you can’t find an English cucumber, just use a regular cucumber. The texture of the cucumber will be different and it will be just slightly more bitter than the English, but it will still work well in this salad.
Other Summer Sides
If you are having a backyard picnic or BBQ, here are some other summer side dishes that are mayonnaise free and are okay to sit out for a bit.
- Tomato Cucumber Salad: Though made with a lot of the same ingredients as this cucumber avocado salad, this recipe has a completely different taste. It is amazing and my picky kids love it!
- Edamame Salad: If you are looking for something really different, try this easy side. It is simple to make, but unique and so good!
- Zucchini Salad: This recipe has literally won awards. It is delicious and a great way to eat your vegetables.
If you make this cucumber tomato avocado salad or any of my other recipes, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Cucumber Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- 2 roma tomatoes chopped
- 1 English cucumber cut into 1/4 moons
- 1/2 small red onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped fine
- 2 avocados diced
Instructions
- Add the chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion to a large bowl.
- Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, honey, hot sauce, and salt. Mix into the vegetables and then mix in the cilantro.
- Gently fold in the avocado and serve.
Ellen Lonsdale says
This is so similar to one I had in Spain a couple of years ago. I fell in love with it and even took a picture. It had all the same veggies but I think they added chopped jalapeños. I made up a dressing similar to the one in Spain but I’ll try your’s for a different variation.
I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Sharon Wagner says
I love your recipes. So good and tasty, and simple. I’ve made many of them with great results and saved sooo many more for another day.
Sharon in Montag says
I am on keto so I could not use the honey so I Used some monkfruit sweetener and Persian cucumbers! It was absolutely wonderful and super easy to make. Love your recipes and blog.
I’m so happy to hear that you were able to make this keto! And thank you so much for your kind words.
Cathy Rodriguez says
I really like the idea of making salads and I appreciate you sending different recipes to try out.
I’m so glad, Cathy!
Karen says
You are one of my go to’s when I need a recipe. This salad looks delicious.
I’m so happy to hear it!