Cucumber Carrot and Radish Salad

Fresh, healthy and delicious, this cucumber carrot and radish salad takes minutes to make for a light side dish. Tossed in a simple lemon dressing.

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Last Updated on May 17, 2022 by Betty Davies

Tossed in a lemon dressing, this cucumber carrot and radish salad is crunchy, fresh, light and healthy. Perfect for the warmer weather, it takes minutes to make and is full of texture and flavor. Ideal for picnics and cookouts, this salad side dish works wonderfully with all of your favorite meals.

Crunchy and colorful salad on a serving plate.

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If you are looking for a fresh and tasty side salad for the summer, then you have got to try this! Light and zingy, this cucumber carrot and radish salad comes together in a matter of minutes.

Sliced cucumber and radish, grated carrots and diced red onion are tossed in a simple lemon dressing for a flavorful and healthy dish. Made from scratch with fresh ingredients, it works wonderfully with chicken and fish dishes. Bold, but not overpowering, it’s an excellent addition to your table!

Be sure to try my Melon Cucumber Salad and Cilantro Cucumber Salad too!

Why you will love this recipe!

Quick and easy: It takes a matter of minutes to prep the veggies and toss everything together, it’s a great option when time isn’t on your side!
Healthy: Made with lots of fresh and healthy ingredients, this salad is made from scratch and packed full of vitamins and minerals. Low in calories and fats, it’s a great way to get some veggies on your plate.
Make ahead: This is a great make ahead side dish, so it’s perfect for picnics and summer BBQs.
Dietary info: This cucumber carrot and radish salad is vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free and low carb .

Carrot cucumber and radish salad on a plate with two forks.

Ingredients

Cucumber: I like to remove the seeds from the cucumber so that the salad isn’t too watery.
Carrot: For ease I bought pre grated carrots from the store, but you can grate whole carrots if you prefer.
Radishes: Thinly slice the radishes for a slightly peppery flavor.
Red onion: A little finely diced red onion adds some zing to this salad. If you find the flavor too strong, you can soak the red onion in water for 10 minutes before adding to the other ingredients and this will dull the sharpness.
Lemon: We use both lemon zest and juice for a fresh and bright flavor.
Seasonings: Salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Sugar: Just a little sugar helps to balance out the tartness of teh lemon. Honey or maple syrup can also be used.
Oil: I like to use extra virgin olive oil in salad dressings. Light olive oil can be used for a milder taste and avocado oil works great too.

How to make cucumber carrot and radish salad

Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe!

Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing (photo 1).
Slice and chop the salad vegetables and add to a large bowl (photo 2).
Pour over the dressing and toss together (photo 3).

Three step by step photos to show how to make the recipe.

Recipe Variations

This cucumber carrot and radish salad is pretty delicious just how it is! If you like, you can add in different vegetables, though I would suggest you go with crunchy veggies like bell peppers. You could also serve it on a bed of greens like spinach or lettuce. I love the simplicity of the fresh lemon dressing, but you could use other salad dressings like:

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you stop the salad from being watery?

I like to remove the cucumber seeds before chopping it, this removes a lot of the water so your salad stays nice and crisp. If making it to serve straight away, you don’t need to remove the seeds.

To remove the seeds, cut the cucumber in half lengthways and run a spoon through the middle and the seeds will come out easily. If you like, you can salt the cucumber to remove more water.

Do you need to peel the cucumber?

I tend to use English cucumbers for salads, their skins are fairly thin so don’t need peeling, plus I love the color they add to the plate. Lebanese cucumbers also have thin skins and don’t need to be peeled. Of course, if you prefer to you can, but I’m all about minimizing prep time, plus the skins are a great source of fiber and minerals.

What’s the best type of radish to use for salads?

I used red radishes in this salad, they’re widely available in stores and are the most common. They are crunchy and have a peppery flavor. If you like, you can swap them in for other varieties of radish, watermelon, daikon, sparkler and easter radishes will all work great.

Serving Suggestions

This fresh and crunchy salad is a great light side dish, because of the zesty flavor of the lemon dressing, it’s great to serve with chicken and fish mains. Try it with some of these favorites:

Make Ahead and Storage

Because this cucumber carrot and radish salad is made with crunchy vegetables, it’s a great make ahead option as they won’t wilt and soften when tossed in the lemon dressing. You can easily make up the salad a day before serving and keep it covered in the fridge til ready to serve. It will keep well for around 3 days in the fridge and it travels well.

Recipe Notes and Tips

The cucumber can be sliced fairly thickly as it has a mild flavor. The radishes should be thinly sliced and the red onion should be finely diced so that their tastes don’t overpower the dish.
I prefer to use grated carrot, but you can slice it thinly if you prefer.
Use fresh lemon juice rather than bottled for the best flavor, it’s much more zingy and bright tasting.

Sliced cucumber mixed with grated carrot and sliced radishes and red onion.

This cucumber carrot and radish salad is light, fresh, zingy and so easy and quick to make. Perfect to enjoy any time of the year, but it’s a great addition to those summer cookouts.

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