This cucumber and beet salad combines beets, cucumber, feta, and a lemon dill dressing to create something really special. It's simple to make, comes together in about 15 minutes, and the flavors are incredible!
Do you love easy cucumber salad recipes? You should try our Cucumber Apple Salad or our Mediterranean Cucumber Salad!
I always end up with more cucumbers than I know what to do with in my summer garden, so I'm constantly on the hunt for new ways to use them up before they take over the kitchen counter.
Beets, on the other hand, took me a lot longer to come around on. I never trusted them. That color just doesn't look natural, does it?
But Van loves beets, so I finally gave them a fair shot to win me over, and wouldn't you know it, they did!
I made this one with roasted beets, which mellow things out and let that natural earthiness shine. I have also tried it with pickled mini beets from the farmers market and they brought a sweet tang I couldn't stop eating!
Ingredients Needed
- Beets - I used pickled beets I found at the farmers market, but canned or roasted beets work great too. I'll walk you through roasting your own down below.
- English Cucumber - I like English cucumbers because the skin is thin and there's no seeding to mess with. Fewer steps, more eating.
- Feta - Crumbled feta brings that salty punch that tastes so great against the sweet beets. It's the same trick I use in my Watermelon Salad with Feta Cheese, Cucumber, and Blueberries, and it works just as well here.
- Fresh Herbs - Mint, basil, or dill all earn their keep in this salad. Use whatever's growing on your windowsill or calling to you at the store.
- Lemon Dill Dressing Juice and Olive Oil - This simple dressing comes together with lemon juice, olive oil, Kosher salt, and dried dill.
Check the recipe card below for exact amounts.
How to Make Cucumber and Beet Salad
- Make the dressing. Whisk the lemon juice, kosher salt, dried dill, and olive oil together in a small bowl.
- Layer the salad. Arrange the cucumber, beets, feta, and fresh herbs in a bowl or on a platter.
- Dress it and go. Drizzle the dressing over the top right before serving.
How to Roast Beets
If pickled or canned beets aren't your thing, roasting your own is easy. Here's how I do it.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Trim the tops off the beets and scrub them clean, then pat dry.
- Rub the beets lightly with olive oil and wrap each one in foil.
- Roast for 40 to 60 minutes, depending on size, until a fork slides in easily.
- Let them cool until you can handle them. The skins should slip right off. Dice once fully cooled.
Sara's Expert Tips
- Layer, don't toss. Beets will stain everything in sight the second you start stirring, so building this one in layers keeps it looking as good as it tastes.
- Dress it right before serving, not ahead of time. The dressing will start to soften the cucumber and beets the longer it sits, so hold off until you're ready to eat.
- Let roasted beets cool all the way before they go anywhere near the cucumber, or you'll end up with wilted cucumber... and nobody wants that.
Variations and Substitutions
- Cheese - Goat cheese makes a great swap for the feta cheese if you want something creamier and a bit less salty.
- Add Crunch - Toasted walnuts or pistachios would both go great with the other ingredients in this salad.
- Add Greens - Pile this over arugula or spinach and now it's a real salad (not just a salad in the sense that we're Southerners who call everything a salad).
Storage Information
Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Fair warning, the beets don't stop bleeding just because you put a lid on it, so the salad will look a little less picture-perfect by day two even though it still tastes great. If you're making this ahead, layer everything without the dressing and add it right before serving.
Recipe FAQs
That's fine, but you will need to roast them. Raw beets are hard and don't have much flavor. Roasting brings out their natural sweetness and makes them soft enough for this salad. See my roasting instructions above.
Beets stain everything they touch. It's just what they do! Layering instead of tossing helps slow it down, but some color transfer is inevitable once things sit for a while.
You can prep the components ahead of time. Roast or drain your beets, slice the cucumber, crumble the feta, and whisk up the dressing, then store everything separately in the fridge. Wait to layer the salad together and add the dressing until you're ready to serve.
More Easy Recipes with Cucumbers
- Spicy Cucumber and Shrimp Salad
- Cream Cheese Cucumber Bites (3 Ingredients)
- Cucumber Jalapeno Margarita
- Chilled Peach Soup with Cucumbers
- Quick Pickle Recipe
📖 Recipe
Cucumber and Beet Salad
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups beets canned, pickled, or roasted (diced)
- 1 English cucumber thinly sliced
- 4 ounces feta crumbled
- ¼ cup fresh herbs mint, basil, or dill (chopped)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, kosher salt, dried dill, and olive oil until well combined.
- Layer the cucumber, beets, feta, and fresh herbs in a bowl or on a platter.
- Drizzle the dressing over the top just before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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Kay says
Quick and easy!