Carrots Cucumber Salad Recipe: Light and Crunchy

If you've been following my recipes for a while, you know by now that I love cucumbers. I use them a lot in salads and raitas. For instance, this beetroot cucumber salad is one of my favorites, and I can't have an Indian meal in my home without this cucumber raita.

My mom's signature cucumber salad recipe is dosakaya pachadi. She makes it with regular cucumbers, but I use English cucumbers instead. This has been my favorite salad since childhood.

Carrot and cucumber are a match made in heaven, in my opinion! They have a sweet crunch and a juicy crispness that are just perfect!

Carrots cucumber salad is my all-time favorite, though I also enjoy carrot and chia seed salad and carrot kosambari and make them often.

Allergens free labels

This salad is light and crunchy and has a simple oil-free dressing. It is naturally vegan and free of:

• gluten
• nuts
• soy

To make it grain-free, swap the rice vinegar with regular or apple cider vinegar. 

If you do not want seeds in your recipe, you can omit the sesame seeds, but they add a nice crunch and balance to the salad. 

To make it allium free, just skip the onions.

Why this carrot and cucumber salad

This is an easy one to answer!

• Simple and easy to make, this salad is ready in less than 20 minutes.
• No cooking required, it is ideal for those busy days when time is limited.
• It is colorful, fragrant, and has lovely textures.
• It uses simple ingredients that you already have in your pantry.
• With only about 119 calories per serving, it is healthy, and light and perfect for hot summer days. Check the nutrition chart at the end of the recipe card for more details.
• It is free of many allergens and suitable for you if you have dietary preferences. See the section above for more information.

What are the benefits of raw carrot and cucumber salad?

A raw salad with carrots and cucumber has many benefits. First of all, as we eat with our eyes first, the bright color of the raw veggies makes the salad look gorgeous!

The crunchy carrots, crisp cucumber, and sharp red onions balance well with each other. The fresh herbs and the dressing adds a lovely freshness to the salad. The toasted sesame seeds add more nutrition and a nutty flavor to the dish.

This simple carrot and cucumber salad is low in calories and high in fiber (check the nutrition chart at the end of the recipe card for more details). As we know, carrots are super healthy and on hot days cool cucumbers provide hydration, among other health benefits.

Ingredients

This easy salad recipe requires under 10 ingredients, that's it!

See the recipe card for quantities.

• Cucumbers: There are so many different kinds of cucumbers out there! I use the regular, large English cucumbers. You can also use Persian cucumber, also known as baby cucumber, if you like.
• Carrots: I used red carrots because they are in season now. You can use the regular orange or any carrots that you have.
• Salt and sugar: I use Himalayan pink salt and demerara sugar.
• Onion: I use red onion for its color and taste. You can use any onion of your choice.
• Red pepper flakes: I love the color contrast and the gentle heat that they add to the salad. You can replace them with freshly cracked black pepper or some finely chopped chili peppers. 
• Rice wine vinegar: If you don't have this, you can use red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar instead. Want to skip vinegar altogether? See the section below for alternative dressing ingredients.
• Fresh herbs: I use cilantro. Not a fan of it? See the section below for other options.
• Sesames seeds: I toast them in a pan until they are aromatic.

Instructions

You can make this crunchy carrot and cucumber salad in just 3 simple steps and less than 20 minutes. Slicing the fresh veggies takes the most time. If you have a handy tool like a food processor or julienne peeler, you can make the salad much faster.

Also see the video at the end of the recipe card below.

Step 1: Prepare the veggies

Wash and thinly slice the carrots and cucumber. Peel the carrots and cucumber only if necessary.

Wash, peel and thinly slice the onion.

Wash the cilantro leaves and pat them dry on a kitchen or paper towels.

Note: You can make carrot ribbons instead of slicing them. You can also cut the veggies into long strips, if that is what you prefer.

Step 2: Make the dressing.

This carrots cucumber salad dressing has just 4 ingredients: rice wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt, and sugar.

Add them to a bowl or a glass jar and mix well until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Keep aside.

Step 3: Assemble the salad.

Add the sliced carrots, onion and cucumber slices, and cilantro leaves to a mixing bowl.

Pour the dressing and mix well so that it coats all the vegetables.

Garnish with sesame seeds and more cilantro.

The salad is now ready to be served, however, if you have time let it rest for 5 minutes or so. This will allow the flavors to mingle.

Notes and variations

This salad is so simple that nothing can hide! Fresh ingredients are key for a fresh flavor and crunchy textures.

Not a fan of cilantro? Swap with any fresh herbs of your choice - parsley, mint, chives, or dill will work well. 

Variations: You can amp up this simple crunchy cucumber carrot salad, if you like, to add more flavors, textures, and nutrition. Here are some ideas:

• Add leafy greens. Some arugula (rocket leaves) or micro greens of your choice will make the salad more colorful and healthy.
• Make a dressing without vinegar. Use lemon juice or lime juice instead of vinegar to make a sweet and tangy lemon dressing.
• Make a vinaigrette dressing. If you don't mind adding oil to the recipe, add some olive oil to the dressing and shake well.
• Add Asian flavors. The toasted sesame seeds add some Asian flavor, but you can enhance it by adding some chopped scallions (spring onions), some soy sauce, and a few drops of sesame oil to the dressing.

Any doubts or questions? Feel free to ask via the comments below. I will try my best to answer them for you. - Padma

Storage

This crunchy salad tastes best when fresh. The vegetables should not lose their crispiness.

If you want to prep ahead, slice the vegetables and store them in separate, airtight containers in the fridge. Make the dressing and store it separately too.

FAQ