Fresh crisp cucumber and tangy pickled beets join together in this delicious and healthy Cucumber Beet Salad recipe made with a balsamic-mustard dressing and crumbled feta cheese. It’s so simple and fantastic for a side or light lunch.
Love cucumbers like we do? Don’t miss our Cucumber Sandwiches and Asian Cucumber Salad.
Easy Cucumber Beet Salad
Four people – not one, but four (!) – asked me this week for suggestions on what to do with their garden cucumbers. I immediately sent them this Cucumber Beet Salad recipe. It’s one of my favorites and the perfect use of cucumbers, and yes beets.
For all you beet haters, I used to be one, too. But hear me out. I first enjoyed this salad at my friend’s house. I was fully prepared to hate it, but it was just so beautiful I had to at least try it. It was absolutely delicious and I ended going back for more. All these years later, I still love it and have served it at many a brunch where everyone is always pleasantly surprised. It’s simply wonderful.
The tender tangy beets provide a lovely contrast to the crisp cool cucumber, then finished off with a robust vinaigrette and feta cheese. It’s so simple and wonderful.
Ingredients Needed
This salad is made with cucumbers, pickled beets, a simple homemade dressing, and feta cheese.
(Scroll down to the recipe card below for details and measurements.)
- Olive oil – The base of the dressing.
- Mustard – Dijon is my preference for this dressing, but whole grain or spicy brown work great, too.
- Balsamic vinegar – This adds an intense sweet/tart taste that complements the mustard very well.
- Honey – For just a touch of sweetness to help balance out the strong vinegar taste.
- Salt and pepper – Simple seasonings to flavor the dish.
- Cucumber – You can use any type of cucumber for this salad. We prefer Persian or English cucumbers since they carry less water and have perfectly edible skin. Whatever you use should be washed, dried, and sliced into thin rounds.
- Pickled beets – Tangy and tender roasted pickled beets are a great contract to the cucumber. You can buy them or make our homemade pickled beets recipe – it’s so easy! They should be sliced and drained.
- Feta cheese – Mild salty feta pairs great with the other ingredients. For a bolder flavor, we also love this salad with blue cheese, gorgonzola cheese, or goat cheese.
How to Make Cucumber Beet Salad
This cucumber salad comes together in just minutes.
(Scroll down to the recipe card below for details and measurements.)
- Make the dressing. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, and salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Assemble the salad. On individual serving plates, place the beets and cucumber in a spiral pattern, alternating between the two. Drizzle the mustard dressing over the top, and sprinkle the cheese on top of that. Grind a few dashes of pepper, serve and enjoy!
Proper Storage
This salad is best assembled and served right away, but leftovers will keep for up to 2 days in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.
More Salad Recipes:
- Asian Cucumber Salad
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Pineapple Cucumber Salad
- Three Bean Salad
- Arugula Beet Salad
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Cucumber Beet Salad
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- salt and pepper , to taste
- 1 large cucumber , washed, dried, and sliced into thin rounds
- 8 ounces pickled beets , drained
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Taste and adjust, if necessary.
- On individual serving plates, place the cucumber and beets in a spiral pattern, alternating between the two.
- Drizzle the mustard dressing over the top, and sprinkle the feta cheese on top of that.
- Grind a few dashes of pepper, serve and enjoy!
It was a hit at a summer party potluck with 150 people. Many people asked for the recipe. The only change I made was adding thin sliced onions to the refrigerator pickled beets. I couldn’t make it as artistic for so many people, but it still looked great spread out on a large platter. I have made it with sheep feta and also blue cheese, Both were delish. Ya can’t beat easy, beautiful, and delicious!
I’m not a huge fan of Dijon mustard so I added a tablespoon of honey to tone it down a bit. I also added dried cranberries to give it a bit of sweetness. Will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
This recipe is delicious. My husband does not like cucumbers and he absolutely loved this salad. Thank you so much for sharing.
An absolute new favorite!
I used beer mustard in the dressing since that’s what I had. This was fantastic.
What are marinated beets? Where we live we have pickled beets, is this something different?
same thing, thanks!
I love beets in salads. Fresh, pickled or roasted. My husband says they taste like dirt but tolerates them for me. This looks fabulous and can’t wait to try it.
Thanks for sharing.
I think this salad is great!
I am growing both (golden and choggia) beets and cukes, because I love them both so much. I tend to use my cukes for sunomono – the fastest salad in the west. Err…east.
Thanks for the visit and niceness at my blog!
I am soo not a beets fan! But I dont mind a few here and there.. Looks like a real good summery salad.
Amy- I have an award for u on my blog. come and claim it. =)
Thanks for sharing. We’re sharing peanut butter ideas and Elvis stories at diningwithdebbie.blogspot.com. I hope you will come join us. Or, join us for Crock Pot Wednesdays. Mister Linky will be ready for that on Tuesday.
A healthy and delicious salad! I still can’t find balsamic vinegar at my place. But the recipe is definitely a keeper for me. Tks for sharing!
I am a big fan of cucumber and am (slowly) learning to appreciate (not quite loving them yet!) beets. This looks like a lovely salad and it looks so pretty on the plate!
Beautiful photo. Even if I weren’t a recently-converted beet lover, which I am, your styling would make me want to try this salad.
Ok, I have to say…I am NOT a beet lover. I have tried them every which way, even freshly roasted beets – blech.
BUT, BUT, BUT…this salad is SO yummy! I even ask Amy to make it when we visit!
Cucumber (yummy)…Gorgonzola Cheese (very yummy)…Balsamic and Dijon Mustard (Yummy)… Beets (sptffft…not so much). You had me right up to the beets. Not a big fan of the red fleshy poison.
Got your back on this one Paul.
How about if I substitute tomatoes instead?
Don’t know if I like beets. Never had em. My friend Sarah (A Taste of Home Cooking, the girl that got me started blogging) raves about them and I am definitely curious. I just keep forgetting!
I love beets, but I had to rediscover them as an adult too.
What a gorgeous presentation!
Okay, I am one of your doubters. But I trust you, so I may give it a chance. Looking to get more veggies in my diet anyway.
I actually like beets, but not cucumbers. I guess I’ll eat them (cucumbers) if they’re presented to me, but I don’t seek them out. Beets on the other hand are great. I hated veggies as a kid but would always eat beets. Weird, I know.
I also love this photo. Nice background!
Love beets. Love cucumber. Love a good mustard vinaigrette. Love this salad.
I had a traumatic experience with beets when I was younger that has caused me to avoid them for most of my adult life. But when I see them, I always think that they could be good. Perhaps I will give them a try someday…
We are cucumber and beet lovers and this was just perfect!!!!Thx for sharing!!
Hubby HATES cucumber, let alone beets. But I love both and will make a smaller portion for myself.
I love beets and cucumbers. This looks delicious
What you talking about? I love cucumbers.