This Cucumber, Yogurt and Mint Salad Recipe results in a refreshing dish that is excellent served with bread, in sandwiches, or over your favorite grains. We enjoy it scooped up with toasted pita or naan, added to wraps (it’s excellent with tomatoes, hummus, quinoa and leafy greens), and served as a main dish atop rice or wheat berries.
Selecting the Ingredients…
Cucumbers
If you grow cukes you know once they start ripening they can be prolific, so this Cucumber, Yogurt and Mint Salad recipe is a great way to utilize them. In the photos that accompany this recipe I used heirloom ‘Marketmore 76’ cucumbers, but over the years I’ve made this salad with various cultivars including English and Lemon cucumbers, and I recently used a lovely Japanese cucumber that was a gift from a community garden friend. Whatever variety you have, start with 1 to 1.5 pounds. After you make this recipe once, you’ll have a feel for the texture and will easily be able to adjust the ingredients for any amount of cucumbers.
Choose cucumbers that are firm and without mushy or moldy spots. Sometimes there is a lighter area on the skin from where the cucumber touched the ground or leaned against another cuke – that is usually fine, just be sure to inspect it as you’re cutting it. For this salad the cucumbers are peeled, seeded and diced. After peeling, slice your cukes in half long-ways and remove the seeds with the tip of a spoon. Next, cut each half into quarter-inch strips, then cut again across the strips to make evenly sized cubes.
Yogurt
For this Cucumber, Yogurt and Mint Salad recipe I prefer to use plain yogurt, any type is fine (whole milk, low fat, etc.). Greek yogurt works too; it has most of its liquid component strained away, so it’s thicker with more protein and fat than regular yogurt. It’s also a little more tart, so you may want to adjust the amount of lemon juice you add to the salad. If you’re following a vegetarian diet, check the label to make sure there is no gelatin or animal rennet used in the yogurt. To make this recipe non-dairy, use your favorite plant-based yogurt.
Mint
Gardeners often steer clear of planting mint in-ground because it can spread and take over, but if you see spearmint and peppermint plants for sale, buy them (or start your own from seeds or cuttings). They are versatile, perennial herbs that grow very well in pots. You can leave them out all winter (in my zone, 7b, they die down to the ground in December then send out new leaves in the spring) or move them indoors and continue harvesting over the colder months. I like spearmint for savory applications and peppermint for sweet recipes. Both make outstanding hot and iced tea.
If you don’t grow mint, fresh bunches are widely available at grocery stores and farmers’ markets. The mint should be fragrant and green without spots or slimy areas. Place cut mint in a few inches of water to keep it in good form until you use it.
Garlic
Select garlic with little to no odor and no green sprouts. If you can smell the garlic through its skin, it is past its prime. Garlic should feel solid and heavier than it looks. If the garlic is light – or even worse, crunchy – it is dried out inside the skin. Whole, unpeeled heads should be stored in a cool, dark location with good air circulation.
Lemon
Choose lemons with smooth, evenly colored, bright skin. If the lemon has green areas, it’s not ripe enough. Give the lemon a light squeeze – it should be pliable but not squishy or spongey. Lemons should be washed right before using. This recipe calls for a squeeze from a wedge – I usually cut my lemons in 8 wedges. Slice the lemon in half long-ways, then cut those two pieces in half, then cut all four pieces in half again.
If you don’t have lemon on-hand you can use lime, or perhaps a splash of wine or rice vinegar.
Salt, Pepper, etc.
Be sure to taste the salad before you add any salt or spices – you might not need any! I do usually add a bit of Kosher salt, and sometimes I add a twist of fresh pepper.
Variations…
If this Cucumber, Yogurt and Mint Salad Recipe tastes familiar to you, you may have encountered it in Middle Eastern or Greek cuisine. In fact, if you swap out the mint for dill and blend it until smooth, it is Tzatziki sauce! If you process it part of the way (with either mint or dill) and add vegetable stock, it makes an amazing Chilled Cucumber Soup.
If you enjoy this Cucumber, Yogurt and Mint Salad recipe, you may also like Cucamelon Refrigerator Pickles.
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 0 minutes |
| Passive Time | 3 hours |
| Servings |
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- 3 cucumbers peeled, seeded, diced
- 1 cup yogurt plain
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup fresh spearmint chopped
- 1 wedge lemon
- Kosher salt to taste
Ingredients
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- Peel cucumbers, remove seeds and then dice.
- Place cucumbers in a medium bowl, stir in yogurt and a squeeze of fresh lemon.
- Add the mint and garlic, stir until well mixed. Taste and then add salt if desired.
- Cover and chill for several hours or overnight to give the ingredients time to marry. Serve with bread, in sandwiches and wraps, or over your favorite grains.
- This salad must be stored in the refrigerator and should be used in 2-3 days.
