Apple Cucumber Salad With Mint Yogurt Dressing
This apple cucumber salad is paired with a creamy, minty greek yogurt-based dressing. Crisp, crunchy, and so refreshing – this easy side salad packs flavour and a nutritious punch. Plus, you’ll have this recipe ready in under 30 minutes!
Looking for a side salad that’s perfect for that summer-to-fall transitional time? This apple and cucumber salad combines crisp and refreshing cucumbers, mint, and yogurt with seasonal fall apples! It’s just perfect for those early fall days (or really, anytime of the year ;))
As a dietitian, I’ve seen many creamy cucumber salads made with a mayo-based dressing. I wanted to up the nutrition factor and swap mayo with Greek yogurt here. It tastes just as delicious, with added nutrition benefits.
As always, I’ve shared some tips for making this salad in advance and also highlighted some serving ideas for you below. I hope you enjoy this one!
Love cucumber salads? You may also enjoy my cantaloupe cucumber + feta salad, this cucumber carrot + celery salad, or my go-to tuna cucumber salad. Or, feel free to browse ALL my healthy salad recipes for more inspiration!
About the ingredients
- Apples: I used honeycrisp apples, which are my personal favourite. They’re so sweet, juicy, and have an incredible crunch. That said, you are welcome to use any variety that you love!
- Cucumber: I personally love using mini or Persian cucumbers for extra crunch and a perfect size. That said, you may also use English cucumbers – just make sure they’re not too ripe or soft. You can check this by giving the ends of a cucumber a light squeeze when purchasing. They should still be firm.
- Plain Greek yogurt: This is used for the base of the creamy dressing. You may use any fat variety as desired, although I personally go for a 2% fat greek yogurt. If you’re vegan and/or dairy-free, you may replace the yogurt with a dairy-free alternative.
- Fresh mint: This herb is blended into the yogurt dressing. It provides a refreshing, cooling, and – well – minty flavour to bring out the crispness of this salad.
- Lemon: Along with apple cider vinegar, lemon is added to the dressing for a punch of acidity. The vitamin C content of lemon will also help to slow the browning of the apples.
- Apple cider vinegar: Added to the dressing. If needed, you may swap with white wine vinegar instead.
- Garlic powder: I used garlic powder in this dressing because I love the way it smoothly integrates into the yogurt dressing. That said, you are welcome to use fresh garlic cloves if preferred.
- Honey: A touch of honey is added to the dressing to add some sweetness – this helps to offset the more acidic flavours of the dressing. You may swap with maple syrup, if needed.
- Olive oil: Also added to the dressing for some healthy fats and extra flavour!
Visual guide: how to make apple cucumber salad
To make this recipe, you’ll want to start by making the dressing first. Simply add all dressing ingredients to a food processor, including the greek yogurt, mint, lemon juice, garlic, apple cider vinegar, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Pulse the food processor until everything is blended into a creamy dressing. You may have to scrape down the sides a couple times to move things along, but it should only take about a minute.
Next, slice up your apples and cucumbers. You may do thin slices (as pictured) or cut everything up into chunks. No need to remove the skins on either – that’s where many of the nutrients are (plus it makes this salad more colourful!)
Finally, top the chopped apples and cucumbers with the yogurt dressing. Toss everything together and enjoy 🙂
Full ingredient measurements and detailed instructions are located in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Go-To Food Processor
Large Food Processor
This is my go-to large food processor from Cuisinart. It’s the one I used to make the salad dressing in this recipe. Beyond dressings, it’s a super quick and powerful way to create things like energy balls, sauces, shredded cheese, veggies, and more!
Can you make this recipe in advance?
This apple cucumber salad is not the *best* salad to make ahead of time – it can become a bit too watery and the apples can brown. I’d say that leftovers keep until the next day, but you’d probably want to serve it fresh if making it for a dinner 🙂
That said, you are welcome to make the salad dressing in advance and store it in the fridge for a few days.
I’d also advise storing the apples and cucumbers in the fridge, so that they are nice and cold (this salad is best chilled).
When you want to serve the salad, simply chop up the apples and cucumbers (this doesn’t take long) and top with the pre-made salad dressing!
What to serve with this recipe
This salad is designed to be served as a side salad. It tastes great with a variety of proteins and some whole grains.
For proteins – you may enjoy it with proteins like chicken or steak. I also love this with fish, like baked salmon or some sautéed shrimp.
For an even more filling meal, I’d serve this alongside grains like quinoa, rice, farro, or couscous.
TIP: You can even reserve some of the salad dressing and drizzle it over the grains and/or protein! I personally did this over chicken and couscous – it was divine!!
Nutrition benefits of this salad
The simple ingredients in this salad are packed with nutrition benefits. For instance:
- apples are a great source of dietary fiber, with one medium sized apple providing 5 grams. Apples are also rich in antioxidants and micronutrients like vitamin A and potassium.
- cucumbers are rich in vitamin K and vitamin C, as well as minerals like potassium, magnesium, and manganese. At 96% water, they’re also super hydrating!
- Greek yogurt is an excellent source of complete protein, as well as many B-vitamins, vitamin A, and minerals like selenium, phosphorus, and calcium.
- mint is also a source of dietary fiber, antioxidants, and micronutrients like vitamin A, iron, manganese, and folate. While it’s typically consumed in small amounts, this recipe uses 1/2 a cup of mint, helping you reap some of these benefits!
More apple salad recipes
- Simple Kale Apple Walnut Salad
- Watercress Salad With Apples & Pecorino
- Roasted Fennel & Apple Salad
- Kale Brussels Sprout Caesar Salad With Apples
Did you give this Apple Cucumber Salad Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!
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Get the Recipe: Apple Cucumber Salad With Creamy Yogurt Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 large apples (I used honeycrisp)
- 2 cups Persian or mini cucumbers, sliced (roughly 4-5 mini cucumbers; or 1 English cucumber)
Mint Yogurt Dressing:
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves (packed)
- 1 tsp garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice (roughly 1/2 a lemon)
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt + pepper, to taste (salt generously!)
Instructions
- MAKE DRESSING: Add all dressing ingredients to a food processor, starting with the fresh mint. Pulse the food processor until everything is blended into a creamy dressing. You may have to scrape down the sides a couple times to move things along, but it should only take about a minute.
- SLICE APPLES + CUCUMBERS: Slice up your apples and cucumbers, removing cores, seeds, and any tough ends. You may cut these in thin slices (as pictured) or cut everything into chunks. PS. There is no need to remove the skins on either – that's where many of the nutrients are (plus it makes this salad more colourful!)
- Transfer sliced apples and cucumbers to a large salad bowl. Top with as much of the dressing as you would like, then toss to combine well. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed, and serve immediately.
Notes
- If you’re vegan and/or dairy-free, you may replace the greek yogurt with a dairy-free alternative.
- You may swap the honey for maple syrup.
- You may also swap apple cider vinegar with white wine vinegar instead.
- Pair it with proteins, like chicken, salmon, steak, or shrimp
- You can also add a side of grains, like rice, quinoa, farro, or couscous
- You can even reserve some of the salad dressing and drizzle it over the grains and/or protein! I personally did this over chicken and couscous – it was divine 🙂
Nutrition
As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.
Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!
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6 Comments on “Apple Cucumber Salad With Mint Yogurt Dressing”
For the cucumber apple salad I am not a mint person what can I substitute for thks therese
Hi Therese! The mint has a pretty unique and refreshing flavour here that is hard to replicate! While I haven’t tried it this way, I’d say the best substitute would probably be fresh parsley 🙂
Super easy to make, and it was a hit with the family. As described, it was crispy, crunchy and refreshing. I really appreciated the info on the nutritional value. I’m going to make the cantaloupe salad next.
Thank you so much, Joe!! So happy to hear that your family enjoyed this one. The cantaloupe salad is a fan-favourite, I can’t wait to hear if you try it 🙂
Can’t wait to try this!!
I hope you enjoy it, Sharon!!