Creamy Cucumber Radish Salad

August 13, 2018 By Whip & Wander 73 Comments

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A light and creamy summer side dish

This Creamy Cucumber Radish Salad is one of my favorite summer side dishes when the weather turns warm. Crisp cucumber, lightly spicy radish, and rich hard-boiled eggs are tossed in a light and creamy dressing that pairs well with just about everything you’re grilling this summer.

The light dressing relies on Greek yogurt for the majority of its creaminess and is balanced with a kick of Dijon mustard, fresh dill, and tangy vinegar. If (like me) you also tend to keep hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for quick meals, there’s a fairly decent chance you may not even need to turn the stove on to make this dish. You can’t beat that on a warm night!

How to help prevent soggy cucumbers

Did you know that cucumbers are approximately 96% water? It’s true! As such, cucumber salads are notorious for turning soft and soggy. The good news is, there is a few things you can do to help prevent your cucumbers from turning soggy as quickly — and they’re super simple!

How to prep + disgorge excess liquid from your cucumbers:

If you use English cucumbers, as suggested in the recipe, there’s no need to remove the outer skin first, however, if you use a traditional garden cucumber that has a thicker skin you’ll want to peel the skin off first.
Slice the cucumber in half length-wise. Using a spoon, scoop the seeds out in a downward motion, then slice the cucumber width-wise into half-moons.
Place a sieve over the top of a mixing bowl, ensuring that there is at least 1-inch or more space between the bottom of the sieve and the bottom of the bowl. Add the cucumbers to the sieve and toss with Kosher salt — for this recipe, 1 tsp is plenty. The salt works to (disgorge) draw out the excess water from the cucumber flesh.
Let the salted cucumbers rest for 15-20 minutes, tossing once or twice to make sure that all the excess liquid drains through the sieve. There should be plenty of liquid at the bottom of the mixing bowl in the end, which you can discard. The cucumbers will likely look wet and glossy at this point so take a paper towel or a clean kitchen towel and gently damp dry the excess moisture on their flesh.

What should I serve this Creamy Cucumber Radish Salad with?

This cucumber radish salad makes a tremendous side dish for so many main courses. Some of my favorite dinners to pair it with are:

What tools do I need to make this recipe?

A cutting board
A chef’s knife
A large mixing bowl
A large sieve
A kitchen scale – OR – measuring cups (for less accurate measurements)
Measuring spoons
2 wooden spoons (to toss and serve)
A mandoline (nice to have to slice the radishes but not essential)
An egg slicer (nice to have but not essential)

Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.

Looking for more dinner inspiration?

Love this recipe? Here are some additional side dishes that you might enjoy!

A note for special diets

This Creamy Cucumber Radish Salad can easily be made friendly for grain-free, gluten-free, Keto, and Low-FODMAP diets. For Low-FODMAP diets, you’ll want to select a lactose-free yogurt in place of traditional Greek yogurt.