This easy cucumber beet salad for one takes just 10 minutes to assemble and it's packed with tangy, salty, and sweet flavors. It's a bowl of wonderful textures too, with crunchy cucumbers, tender beets, and soft feta cheese.
Table of contents
I was gifted a couple of the last beets and cucumbers from my sister's backyard garden. Both were giant! This easy cucumber beet salad is the perfect way to enjoy the last produce from her garden.
I used Armenian cucumber and a light pink/yellow beet instead of traditional golden beets or red beets, but use what you have.
I've never seen Armenian cucumbers at the grocery store, but they're a great version to grow at home. They're very crunchy, a non-bitter peel, and have a lovely lightly sweet, refreshing flavor. Highly recommend!
This cucumber beet salad is a great summer/early fall dish because it's full of different textures and flavors. Plus you can add lots of different toppings based on what you have, and what you're serving this easy recipe with.
If you're like me, cooking for one, and making this cucumber beet salad side salad, serve with a simple protein and grain. Put your effort and creativity into the salad, then enjoy simple sides with it. That will make things easier!
Ingredients
Scroll down to the cucumber beet salad recipe card for the amounts of each ingredient, but here's a quick visual + description of what's in this recipe.
- Beets: Steam fresh beets, roast them, or buy precooked (for sweet beets, roast them). If you'd like to use raw beets, slice them very thin, earthy beets are great cooked or raw. Use a vegetable peeler to peel, if desired.
- Cucumber: Use your favorite type of fresh cucumber (English cucumber, Persian cucumbers, etc). You can peel it if desired.
- Extra Virgin Olive oil
- Fresh Lemon juice: a lemon salad dressing is great over beets and cucumbers. It's a great topping for beet haters too, it helps cut some of the earthy flavor of beets.
- Herbs: I had and used parsley, but thyme, fresh dill, rosemary, mint leaves, other herbs would be good in this salad. Use what you have.
- Kosher Salt
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- Feta cheese: salty, creamy feta adds great salty flavors to the salad, but you can use goat cheese, bleu cheese, or similar. Salty toppings go great with the sweetness of the beets and cucumbers.
Instructions
Scroll down to the cucumber beet salad recipe card for more detailed instructions. Here's a quick overview + photos to see how to make this simple salad recipe in general.
1. If you've got fresh beets, I recommend making Instant Pot Beets. They're easy, relatively quick, and hands off. You can also roast them, or buy precooked beets (fresh, frozen, canned, etc).
2. Chop cucumbers and beets for your cucumber beet salad. Chop into similar sized pieces.
I prefer chopped beets and cucumbers, but you can make cucumber slices and beet slices. Just keep them similar sizes!
3. Make this simple dressing: mix together herbs, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, kosher salt, and red pepper flakes in medium mixing bowl.
4. Add chopped vegetables to dressing. Toss to combine. Let sit for up to an hour, if you'd like. It'll allow the flavors to combine.
5. Top with feta cheese, additional toppings, if desired. Enjoy your cucumber beet salad side dish with your full meal.
Storage/Reheating Tips
The assembled cucumber beet salad is best for a day or two. Store vegetables, dressing, feta cheese separately if longer than that. They should all last about a week in an airtight container (or containers) in the fridge.
The cucumbers won't freeze well, but the cooked beets would freeze well. Don't freeze this cucumber beet salad salad, as the texture will change dramatically. The cucumbers won't have their crunchy texture any more.
Substitutions/Tips
- Cook beets prior to assembling your cucumber beet salad. You can Steam in the Instant Pot or roast them. You can also buy precooked beets (frozen, fresh, or canned beets).
- I prefer a tangy simple lemon vinaigrette, so I use equal parts lemon juice and olive oil. If you don't start with 1 Tablespoon olive oil, and 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice, adjust from there.
- Use whatever kind of cucumber you like/have access to. I'm using an Armenian cucumber in this recipe, they're not really available at grocery stores, but can be grown or found at farmers markets.
- Lots of fresh herbs would be good in this salad dressing. Parsley, thyme, fresh dill, rosemary, mint leaves, etc would all work. Use one or a combination.
- Other great add-ins: balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, maple syrup, pumpkin seeds, sliced red onion, sunflower seeds, chopped nuts, lemon zest, goat cheese, etc would all be good on this cucumber beet salad.
FAQ
Yes, they're great together! Beets and cucumber are a nice pairing because the flavors go well together and they have different textures. This cucumber beet salad has both beets and cucumbers in it.
What To Do With Leftover Ingredients
When you're cooking for one, you often have leftover produce, cans of whatever ingredient, etc. Here are a couple ideas on how to use up the leftover ingredients. It'll help you save money by wasting fewer ingredients.
- Beets: Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Roasted Beets from Love and Lemons
- Cucumber: Cucumber Tomato Salad, Apple Cucumber Salad, Carrot Cucumber Salad
- Lemon Juice: Mediterranean Grain Bowl, Single Serving Lemonade, Lemon Herb Couscous.
Did you make this cucumber beet salad? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!
Cucumber Beet Salad for One
Equipment
- cutting board
- knife
- Measuring cups, spoons
- medium mixing bowl
- spoon
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped cucumber
- ½ cup chopped cooked beet
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh herbs I used parsley
- ½ Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ Tablespoon lemon juice
- pinch salt
- pinch red pepper flakes optional
- 2-4 Tablespoons feta cheese
Instructions
- Chop cucumber to make 1 cup, chop cooked beet to make ½ cup. Set aside.
- Add the following to a medium mixing bowl: 1 Tablespoon fresh herbs, ½ Tablespoon olive oil, ½ Tablespoon lemon juice, and a pinch of each: salt and red pepper flakes. Whisk together.
- Add chopped vegetables to dressing. Mix together. Set aside. If you have time, let sit for up to an hour for flavors to combine.
- Top with 2-4 Tablespoons feta cheese before serving. Serve with a main dish.
Notes
- You can cook the beets yourself (Steam them in the Instant Pot or roast them) or buy frozen, canned, or pre-cooked beets.
- I used a garden Armenian cucumber, but you can use your favorite or accessible cucumber. Depending on the peel, you may want to peel it before serving. It's just preference.
- I prefer tangy vinaigrettes, so I use equal amounts of olive oil and lemon juice. If you don't like as tangy dressings, start with adding 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice, and adjust from there.
- This recipe is easy to double or triple for leftovers or a crowd. Serve within 2 days, or keep dressing and vegetables/toppings separate until serving.
- Optional Toppings: thinly sliced red onion, sunflower seeds, chopped nuts, lemon zest, etc.
Chahinez says
This was just wonderful!
Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD says
glad you liked it!
Gianne says
he combination of fresh cucumbers, sweet beets, and creamy feta cheese is simply divine. It's the perfect light and refreshing dish for a solo lunch or dinner. Pure bliss!
Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD says
it's so good! glad you enjoyed it
Caroline says
I used to make something similar to this often, just without the feta - will have to start making it again and try that in there too, as it was always such a great, tasty combination and perfect for a quick lunch.
Tara says
Oh yum! Such a light and delicious salad. I love how you made it for one serving. The flavors sound fantastic.
Shadi Hasanzade says
The combination of textures is delightful, and the simplicity of the recipe makes it perfect for a quick, healthy, and satisfying meal for one.Thank you so much for sharing that.
Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD says
totally! of course