Cucumber Feta Mint Salad

Name: Cucumber Feta Mint Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 toll house cucumbers; 1/4 cup red onion; .5 ounce mint; 4 ounces feta; 1/3 cup cashews; kosher salt; 1/4 cup olive oil; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1/2 tablespoon honey; 1 pinch chili flakes, optional

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This Cucumber Feta Mint Salad is a cool, easy and refreshing salad. This is perfect as a side dish or even a light lunch! This salad takes about 30 minutes and only requires a handful of ingredients.

2 octagon bowls with Cucumber salad with mint and feta on a white marble background surrounded by mint leaves.

When the hot weather hits, nothing is more cooling than a cucumber salad! This Cucumber Feta Mint Salad is incredibly refreshing and the feta and cucumber makes the perfect combination. This is a great side dish to chicken or seafood or bbq or even as a picnic side.

It's dressed in a simple dressing. It's made from red wine vinegar, honey, fresh mint and olive oil. For more easy salad recipes, be sure to check out my Fresh Watermelon Mozzarella Salad and Raw Rainbow Ribbon Carrot Salad.

A hand holding an octagon bowl with cucumber salad with cashews, mint and feta There are 2 gold spoons in the salad off to the side.

Why You'll Love this Recipe

Easy side dish: This recipe is super quick and easy to make. Making it the perfect side salad for meat, fish and poultry. I love serving this on the side for burgers, kebabs or even a rotisserie chicken dinner.
Feel good food: This salad nutritious but is full of flavor! This is not a 'boring' salad. It's filled with all sorts of textures and fresh ingredients. Read about the health benefits of cucumbers here!
Perfect for any season! While this cucumber salad is super refreshing and will keep you cool from the summer heat. This Cucumber Feta Mint Salad is perfect year round!

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

Hot House Cucumber: Also called English cucumbers, seedless or burpless cucumbers. They are typically wrapped in plastic to protect the skin and keep moisture in, so no need to peel them.
Mint: fresh mint, takes this simple salad to the next level. I love the combination of feta and mint together. If you do too, check out this Whipped Blood Orange Feta Dip with honey & mint.
Red Onion: gives a beautiful pop of color and a sharp bite to the salad.
Cashews: adds crunch, you can use roasted or unroasted. Can use salted or unsalted, just make sure you taste the salad before adding any additional salt.
Feta: adds salt and tanginess to the salad.
Kosher salt: used to salt the cucumbers to draw out the moisture. This results in a crunchy cucumber.

Dressing Notes

Olive Oil: Use high-quality oil like extra virgin olive oil.
Red Wine Vinegar: Red wine vinegar has a bold flavor that makes it perfect in a dressing.
Dijon Mustard: used as an emulsifying agent that encourages the olive oil and vinegar to stay together and not break in the dressing.
Honey: adds just a touch of sweetness to this recipe. Can be substitute for a bit of granulated sugar.
Chili flakes: totally optional but I like just a touch of spice to this salad for extra flavor.

See recipe card for quantities.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Side by side photos. In the upper left corner is a number in white with a black outline showcasing the step #. The left '1' shows cucumbers sliced in half with the seeds removed. The right photo '2' shows cucumber slices in ¼-1/2 inch slices in a colander with salt.

Wash cucumbers and cut each cucumber in half vertically, then scrape out the seeds with a spoon or melon baller. Slice the cucumbers into thin cross-sections about ¼-1/2 inch thick.
Salt the cucumber slices and place them in a colander with a bowl underneath or place in the kitchen sink to drain the excess water for at least 10 minutes up - 30 minutes.

Side by side photos. In the upper left corner is a number in white with a black outline showcasing the step #. The left '3' a plated with cubed feta, mint leaves, sliced red onion, cashews and a small bottle of vinaigrette on the side on a white marble background. The right photo '4' shows cucumber slices drying on a white and blue kitchen towel.

While the cucumber is draining, crumble/cube feta, thinly slice red onion, wash and pull mint leave, crush cashews and whisk up dressing and set aside. Optionally, you can put the red onion in an ice water bath to remove some of the 'bite' of the red onion.
Lightly rinse salt off cucumber. Place the cucumbers in paper towels or a kitchen bowl to absorb the extra moisture. It's okay if some salt is still left on!

Side by side photos. In the upper left corner is a number in white with a black outline showcasing the step #. The left '5' a plated with cucumber and red onion tossed in the dressing in a square tubberware container. The right photo '6' shows cucumber salad in an octagon bowl with a fork to the side and a white napkin underneath.

Once cucumbers are dried, add them to a salad bowl and add red onion and dressing. Gently toss, until well coated then place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
Take cucumber outs of the fridge and add mint, crumbled feta and crushed cashews. Taste and add salt if necessary. Serve.

Expert Tips

Red onions too sharp? Add sliced onion to ice water for a few minutes, then dry before adding to the salad. It will take away some of the sharpness out of the red onion.
Salt your cucumber! Salting cucumbers and 'sweating' them will draw out the extra water and moisture resulting in a crunchy cucumber.
Wait to add the feta and fresh mint until just before serving to keep it extra fresh.
Check your salt! When drying the cucumber there might be a little bit of salt on your cucumbers. Also, whether you use salted or unsalted cashews will also affect the salt level. Make sure the taste the salt before serving to decide if you need to add extra salt or not.

Cucumber Mint Feta Salad with in a white and brown speckled octagon bowl with 2 gold spoons off to the side. It sits on a white background with mint leaves surrounding.

Recipe FAQs

What cucumber is best for this recipe?

I recommend Hot House cucumbers for this recipe. They are also called English cucumbers or seedless or burpless cucumbers. They are wrapped in plastic to protect the keep and keep moisture in. These cucumbers have edible skin and seeds.

Do I have to sweat the cucumbers?

Technically no but I highly recommend it. Salting the cucumbers released any extra moisture that would make this salad super soggy. Also drawing out the water, this results in a crunchier cucumber.

Can I make this salad in advance?

Personally I don't recommend it. After a day, the flavors get muddled and your mint will become brown and soggy. You could prep the dressing and salting your cucumbers in advance. Then toss the cucumber, dressing and red onion a few hours before serving and finishing it with feta, mint and cashews right before serving.

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page? I always appreciate feedback. You can also follow me on Pinteres t, Facebook or Instagram.