Cucumber Strawberry Mint Salad (Print Version)

Refreshing spring salad featuring cucumber, strawberries, mint, and a light citrus dressing.

# Components:

→ Produce

01 - 1 large English cucumber, thinly sliced
02 - 1.5 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
03 - 0.25 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
04 - 2 cups mixed baby greens, optional

→ Dressing

05 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
06 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
07 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
08 - 0.25 teaspoon sea salt
09 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

10 - 0.25 cup crumbled feta cheese, optional
11 - 2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds, optional

# Directions:

01 - In a large salad bowl, gently combine the cucumber slices, strawberries, mint, and baby greens if using.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
03 - Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
04 - Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese and toasted almonds if desired.
05 - Serve immediately for optimal freshness and texture.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It takes fifteen minutes from farmer's market to table, which means you can actually eat seasonally without planning your whole week around it.
  • The combination of sweet strawberries with cooling mint and bright lemon feels so unexpected the first time you taste it that people always ask for the recipe.
  • You can make it vegan, dairy-free, nut-free, or add protein—it's genuinely flexible without feeling like you're compromising.
02 -
  • Don't slice your strawberries more than an hour before you eat this salad or they'll release all their juice and turn the whole thing into a sweet soup—which tastes fine but looks sad.
  • The honey or maple syrup won't actually dissolve into the lemon juice and oil unless you whisk it aggressively for about thirty seconds, and most people skip this step and then wonder why their dressing has weird grainy bits in it.
03 -
  • If you're serving this to a crowd, assemble the salad on a large platter instead of tossing it in a bowl—it looks more generous and people can see exactly what they're getting.
  • A tiny pinch of fresh garlic zest whisked into the dressing adds a whisper of something interesting without making anyone say the salad tastes garlicky.
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