Fresh crisp cucumber and tangy pickled beets join together in this delicious and healthy Cucumber Beet Salad recipe made with a balsamic-mustard dressing and crumbled feta cheese. It’s so simple and fantastic for a side or light lunch.
Love cucumbers like we do? Don’t miss our Cucumber Sandwiches and Asian Cucumber Salad.
Easy Cucumber Beet Salad
Four people – not one, but four (!) – asked me this week for suggestions on what to do with their garden cucumbers. I immediately sent them this Cucumber Beet Salad recipe. It’s one of my favorites and the perfect use of cucumbers, and yes beets.
For all you beet haters, I used to be one, too. But hear me out. I first enjoyed this salad at my friend’s house. I was fully prepared to hate it, but it was just so beautiful I had to at least try it. It was absolutely delicious and I ended going back for more. All these years later, I still love it and have served it at many a brunch where everyone is always pleasantly surprised. It’s simply wonderful.
The tender tangy beets provide a lovely contrast to the crisp cool cucumber, then finished off with a robust vinaigrette and feta cheese. It’s so simple and wonderful.
Ingredients Needed
This salad is made with cucumbers, pickled beets, a simple homemade dressing, and feta cheese.
(Scroll down to the recipe card below for details and measurements.)
- Olive oil – The base of the dressing.
- Mustard – Dijon is my preference for this dressing, but whole grain or spicy brown work great, too.
- Balsamic vinegar – This adds an intense sweet/tart taste that complements the mustard very well.
- Honey – For just a touch of sweetness to help balance out the strong vinegar taste.
- Salt and pepper – Simple seasonings to flavor the dish.
- Cucumber – You can use any type of cucumber for this salad. We prefer Persian or English cucumbers since they carry less water and have perfectly edible skin. Whatever you use should be washed, dried, and sliced into thin rounds.
- Pickled beets – Tangy and tender roasted pickled beets are a great contract to the cucumber. You can buy them or make our homemade pickled beets recipe – it’s so easy! They should be sliced and drained.
- Feta cheese – Mild salty feta pairs great with the other ingredients. For a bolder flavor, we also love this salad with blue cheese, gorgonzola cheese, or goat cheese.
How to Make Cucumber Beet Salad
This cucumber salad comes together in just minutes.
(Scroll down to the recipe card below for details and measurements.)
- Make the dressing. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, and salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Assemble the salad. On individual serving plates, place the beets and cucumber in a spiral pattern, alternating between the two. Drizzle the mustard dressing over the top, and sprinkle the cheese on top of that. Grind a few dashes of pepper, serve and enjoy!
Proper Storage
This salad is best assembled and served right away, but leftovers will keep for up to 2 days in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- salt and pepper, , to taste
- 1 large cucumber, , washed, dried, and sliced into thin rounds
- 8 ounces pickled beets, , drained
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Taste and adjust, if necessary.
- On individual serving plates, place the cucumber and beets in a spiral pattern, alternating between the two.
- Drizzle the mustard dressing over the top, and sprinkle the feta cheese on top of that.
- Grind a few dashes of pepper, serve and enjoy!
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