This Strawberry Cucumber Salad is the perfect summer dish when those fresh picked strawberries are in season! It's brimming with crisp cucumbers, red onions, and balanced with sweet strawberries, basil, creamy feta cheese, and a quick honey dijon vinaigrette. Serve this refreshing salad as a weeknight side dish, or at a party on the patio!
- Strawberry Season! - Every year we go strawberry picking, and this Strawberry Cucumber Salad is going on the menu every year! The June summer strawberries are so sweet and delicious, a grocery store strawberry just doesn't compare! Try this Strawberry Blueberry Salad too!
- A Balanced Salad - Cucumber Strawberry Salad puts the lettuce in the background, and huge amounts of seasonal ingredients at the forefront! The savory flavors of the cucumber and sharp red onion are balanced with the sweetness from the berries and basil, paired with creamy feta cheese and brought together with a Honey Dijon Vinaigrette. You'll love this salad!
- In the early summer of Strawberry Season, try my Strawberry Shortcake, Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce, and these Strawberry Banana Yogurt Popsicles!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Simple fresh ingredients load this salad with delicious sweet and savory flavor!
- Strawberries - The summer homegrown strawberries are really the star here, find them at the farmer's market or pick them yourself!
- Cucumber - Cucumbers make this salad light and refreshing for summer with cool crisp taste! You'll also love my Cucumber Feta Salad!
- Red Onion - Sharp flavor balances the sweetness from the fruit and dressing. If you aren't an onion fan, you could go milder with shallots, scallions or chives.
- Feta Cheese - My favorite salad cheese, we always keep a tub of feta in the fridge for quick salad making! If you can find the feta that comes in a block in the brine, that's the freshest! Try this Italian Mixed Greens Salad too!
- Basil - We've got basil growing in the garden so it makes it's way into almost everything in the summer! If you don't have it, you could leave it out, but the natural sweetness pairs nicely with the salad.
- Lettuce - Go with any salad mix you have, I added some arugula from the garden this time. The bed of lettuce is not the star in this salad since the other ingredient amounts are so plentiful.
- Vinaigrette - This Honey Dijon Vinaigrette is super simple and can be shaken together in a jar. You can use red wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar or lemon juice if you don't have it. The honey brings together the sweetness throughout the salad.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
No cooking involved, this Strawberry Cucumber Feta Salad can be prepped up in less than 15 minutes!
Step 1 - Slice the cucumber, onion, and slice your strawberries in half or quarters, depending on size.
Add the ingredients for the dressing to a jar with a lid and shake it to combine. Or whisk it in a bowl.
Step 2 - Arrange the salad on a bed of lettuce.
Add your ingredients in layers, a few cucumbers, then strawberries, onion, and feta, then another layer of cucumbers, etc. You want each ingredient to be visible.
Step 3 - You can drizzle with dressing and serve, or choose to give the salad a toss.
Helpful Tips
- Assemble the Salad in Layers - This is really important so all your ingredients show and nothing gets buried at the bottom. If you are going to toss everything with the dressing in a bowl, you don't need to worry about the layers.
- The Dressing - This is an easy "shake it in a jar" vinaigrette. It's heavy on the honey to bring out the sweet elements of the salad, but is similar to our favorite Easy Vinaigrette in a Jar. It can be doubled or tripled and will keep in the fridge for weeks. I used the entire amount for this salad. This salad would also work well with this Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette for a different spin!
- Storage - Once your salad has dressing, it won't keep very well, so it's best eaten right away. If you don't add the dressing to all of it, you can store in an airtight container for 1 to 2 days.
What to Serve it with
Fruit and cheese in salads is an absolute favorite of mine! It's a healthy hearty side dish that is great for lots of summer meals!
- Summer Dinners - We love this salad with simple summer pasta dishes like this Bacon Kale Spaghetti or this Salmon Zucchini Orzo Pasta!
- Grazing Party Menu - Sometimes summer dinner or even a summer party is just a grazing table with no real main course! Add Peach Corn Salsa, Cherry Tomato Bruschetta, or this Melon Prosciutto Salad.
- Brunch - A salad with fruit makes a great addition to brunch with my Sausage and Spinach Quiche and a Platter of Fruit. Add Banana Bread Zucchini Muffins or Almond Cherry Scones for the perfect brunch menu!
- Make it the Meal - Add grilled chicken or salmon and serve this salad as the main course!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, goat cheese would pair well with this salad! You could also use blue cheese, Parmesan cheese or leave the cheese out.
Yes, any store-bought vinaigrette would be fine for this salad. Balsamic vinaigrette or balsamic glaze would make a delicious alternative.
Yes! This salad can be made up a few hours in advance and kept in the fridge. You can make the vinaigrette ahead of time and keep it in a jar in the fridge or on the counter, just wait to dress the salad until just before serving.
Try These Summer Salads Next!
If you made this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it! Be sure to leave a star rating by clicking the stars in the recipe card, or leave a comment below!
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Strawberry Cucumber Salad
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 4 ounces lettuce
- 1 cucumber sliced, about 2 cups
- 2 cups strawberries cut in half or quarters
- ⅓ cup feta cheese
- ¼ cup red onion sliced
- ¼ cup fresh basil sliced
For the Dressing
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Slice the cucumber, red onion and cut the strawberries in half or quarters, depending on size.
- Add the ingredients for the dressing to a jar with a lid and shake to combine.
- Arrange the salad on a bed of lettuce, layering on the cucumbers, strawberries, red onion, feta cheese and basil so nothing gets buried.
- Just before serving, drizzle with the dressing and toss if you like.
Notes
- Strawberries - Use summer homegrown strawberries for the best flavor.
- Vinaigrette can be doubled or tripled and will keep for weeks in the fridge. You could also substitute the red wine vinegar with white wine vinegar or lemon juice.
- Make Ahead - Salad can be made a few hours ahead if taking to a party, just wait to add the dressing until just before serving.
- Fresh basil is delicious but optional, mint would be a fun variation!
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