29 Cucumber Recipes More Cooling Than Your Window AC Unit
What’s cooler than being cool? Eating juiced, blended, smashed, or simply sliced cucumbers in any of our best cucumber recipes. With a water content of 95% (as well as a nice dose of vitamin C, vitamin K, and a tiny hit of potassium), refreshing, crunchy cucumber dishes are what many of us turn to for refreshment on the hottest days of the year. And while creamy cucumber salad and Greek salad and…well, any other salad…are great ways to use this fruit, one of the best things about summer cooking—when produce is aplenty—is not having to turn on the oven. There’s so much a crunchy raw cuke can do: slaws, pickles, lettuce wraps, noodles, cocktails, ice pops, dips (seriously, we could eat this tzatziki by the spoonful)—we could go on, but why don’t you just scroll down instead?
Looking for a way to use up scraped-out cucumber seeds? This cucumber-lemonade is just the thing.
Photograph by Travis Rainey, food styling by Micah Morton, prop styling by Tim Ferro2/29Cucumber-Lime Energy Drink
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht3/29Spicy Salmon Roll Bowl
Your favorite sushi deconstructed: a bowlful of white rice, salmon, avocado, quick-pickled cucumber, plus a showering of flavorful garnishes (furikake, shichimi togarashi, toasted sesame seeds, and green onions).
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua5/29Roasted Squash Vampiro Tacos With Cucumber Salsa
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova, Prop Styling by Gerri K. Williams6/29Crunchy and Bright Greek Salad
A Mediterranean classic—fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, bell peppers, olives, feta cheese—that’s happy alongside a hearty, meaty main or alone as a vegetarian lunch.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Allison Ritchie7/29Curried Steak With Sweet-and-Sour Cucumber Dressing
You’re going to want to put this this tangy (white vinegar), spicy (Thai chile), sweet (sugar), and savory (fish sauce) cucumber dressing on all kinds of grilled meats—and you won’t be able to resist eating it by the spoonful. (You know, to “test” it.)
Photo by Julian Cousins, food styling by Adriana Paschen, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime8/29Sesame-Lemon Pickled Cucumbers
Photograph by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Christina Allen9/29Samosa-dillas With Cucumber Salad
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman10/29Crispy Chickpea and Cucumber Salad
In what could easily be a side dish or a main, this recipe sold us with the ingredient list alone: garlic, cumin, turmeric, chickpeas, slabs of salty feta, and English hothouse cucumbers.
Photograph by Shawn Michael Jones, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams, Food Styling by Micah Morton11/29Watermelon Cucumber Slushy
It’s not summertime until you crack open a watermelon, right? Here, the fruit is paired with cucumber (duh), a light tang of Champagne vinegar, and a lick of kosher salt.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Gerri Williams12/29Pork Adobo Pull-Apart Sliders
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua13/29Cucumber Sekanjabin Sharbat
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Photograph by Cody Guilfoyle, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie, Food Styling Thu Buser14/29Spiced Lamb Ramen With Cucumbers and Yogurt
Get out your large bowls, because you’ll want a serious helping of this one. Inspired by Japanese mazemen, the brothless dish is dreamy when you need comfort food (read: meat and carbs) on a warm night.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Emma Fishman15/29Nuoc Cham Gazpacho
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua16/29Chile-Cucumber Agua Fresca
Pair this mocktail—punchy from sharp lemon juice and a little habanero heat—with salty snacks. And if you’re having it after hours, feel free to add a splash of your favorite Mexican spirit.
Photo by Peden + Munk, Food Styling by Adriana Paschen, Prop Styling by Ceci Garcia17/29Cucumbers With Pickled Ginger–Scallion Sauce
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Emilie Fosnocht, prop styling by Sean Dooley18/29Everyone’s Favorite Gado-Gado
Photograph by Frank Frances, food styling by Lillian Chou, prop styling by Sophia Pappas19/29Smashed Cucumber Salad
With a dressing made from tahini, lime juice, and miso, and a drizzle of chili oil, this is one of those summer salads that pairs nicely with a range of dishes. Try it alongside grilled chicken or slow-roasted fish.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Pearl Jones20/29For the Love of Cottage Cheese Salad
If the idea of using cottage cheese in a summer side dish sounds weird to you, think of this cherry tomato salad like a caprese that just returned from an Eastern European vacation. Serve with grilled kielbasa.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Maggie DiMarco21/29Spa Water Punch
If you’re on drinks duty for the neighborhood potluck this summer, this minty fino sherry punch is cooling and light, served by the pitcher. We like to float some cucumber slices in each glass, spa-water style.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski22/29Spicy Lightly Pickled Cucumbers
Photograph by Heami Lee, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by JoJo Li23/29Cucumber Caesar With Spicy Breadcrumbs
Give cucumbers the Caesar salad treatment with a creamy garlic and anchovy dressing, shaved Parmesan, and Calabrian chile–spiced breadcrumbs in place of croutons.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco and Tom Cunanan, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime26/29Cucumber and Onion Salad
Photograph by Yudi Ela Echevarria, food styling by Micah Morton, prop styling by Sean Dooley, Special thanks to Frank's House27/29Mishkaki-Style Strip Steak With Kachumber
Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio28/29Caramelized Pork and Cucumber Stir-Fry
Toss sliced cucumbers over the heat for just a minute, and you’ll see how nicely they retain their crisp texture. As for flavor, ginger, garlic, white pepper, and a hot red pepper (such as a Fresno chile) make a pretty great combo.
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Tami Hardeman29/29Candied Cucumbers With Vanilla Whip
If you can’t imagine serving a recipe with cucumbers for dessert, well, we’ve imagined it for you. This unexpected riff on an Eton mess, a British summer classic, swaps out macerated berries for candied cukes.
