I always stock up on my favorite summertime fruits and vegetables once the warm weather hits: watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, and more. I love including these fresh ingredients in my cooking as much as I can before the season ends.
One of my favorites out of this bunch are cucumbers. Crunchy, refreshing, and hydrating, this summertime vegetable (well, technically fruit) just screams summer! With the high water content of about 97 percent, there's no doubt you'll want to use this vegetable in every way possible to cool off. Check out some of our favorite recipes below.
1. Fresh Cucumber Soup
Soup isn't just for the wintertime and it can be another temperature other than piping hot! This refreshing cucumber recipe has all of the best ingredients blended together: cucumber slices, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, fresh dill, garlic and parsley. It's a no-cook recipe, too so you'll have it ready in no time.
It's perfect as a side dish to help cool you off. Here's the recipe.
2. Shrimp in Cucumber Cups
A gorgeous appetizer to pass around during a summer cookout that's so easy, too. Creamy dill and chive flavored cream cheese is spread on top of thicker cucumber slices and finished off with a piece of shrimp. They're crisp, delicious, and super impressive!
3. Watermelon-Cucumber Refresher
This is exactly what I want to drink to help cool down on a hot summer day. Fresh cucumbers, watermelon, and mint leaves are blended together to make a juice and then combined with vodka, triple sec, and lime juice. You can also make this as a mocktail- just swap out the booze for club soda.
4. Spiralized Mediterranean Cucumber Salad
This refreshing cucumber salad has all the delicious ingredients found in a Greek salad: tomatoes, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and red onion. The spiralized cucumbers are a nice touch (you can always slice them if you don't have a spiralizer) and you can even add some grilled chicken on top to make this a complete meal.
I recommend breaking out the really flavorful extra virgin olive oil for this dish. Here's the recipe.
5. Cucumber Margaritas
Was down all of these amazing cucumber recipes with a cucumber margarita! Crisp with just the right amount of tartness from the lime juice, these cucumber margaritas will be on your summer menu all season long!
Here's the recipe.
6. Low Carb Smoked Turkey and Cucumber Sandwiches
Don't get me wrong, my eyes light up when I spot a loaf of bread. I just can't get enough of it! But, there are times when I know I should cut back. Replacing bread with thinly sliced cucumbers is a great way to keep a sandwich low carb.
Regular cucumbers work for this recipe, but I personally love Persian cucumbers. They're essentially seedless with a sweeter flavor and smooth skin. You can find them at most grocery stores, too.
Here's the recipe.
7. Asian Cucumber Salad
Say hello to your new favorite side dish! It's cool and crisp with bold Asian flavors like: rice vinegar, sesame oil, scallions and fresh ginger. It's so simple to prepare, too. Just combine the cucumber slices with the homemade dressing and it's ready to go.
Here's the recipe.
8. Cucumber Mint Green Tea Popsicles
What could be more refreshing than a cucumber mint green tea popsicle? Just blend together fresh cucumbers, green tea, lime juice, and mint simple syrup and pour into an ice pop or ice cube tray.
Here's the recipe.
9. Cucumber Sushi
Healthy and refreshing, you'll love this fun twist on sushi! Simply remove the seeds from the cucumber slices and stuff with your favorite veggies like avocado, peppers, and carrots. You can even add in a piece of crab meat to create a California roll. Perfect for a summer cookout.
Here's the recipe.
10. Cucumber-Melon White Sangria
Oh, how I love sipping on a tall glass of sangria with my feet up on a hot summer day! So refreshing and relaxing. I love the pretty green colors from the cucumber slices and honeydew melon in this sangria. You can also add in some strawberry slices for even more color.
Here's the recipe.
