Carrot and Cucumber Salad

This Carrot and Cucumber Salad is an easy, tasty side salad, with Asian-inspired flavors. Fresh, light, crisp, and perfect for meal prep, too!

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This Asian-inspired cucumber and carrot salad is one of my favorite simple side dishes. It’s packed with flavor and elevates a basic meal to a delicious one. And best part? It’s easy to make and tastes even better if you make it ahead! (You’ve GOT to pair it with Korean ground turkey!)

Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe

• Quick & Easy – just a few minutes of prep and one bowl to whisk the dressing in.
• Make-Ahead Friendly – it actually tastes better the longer it sits, so it’s perfect to make a day ahead.
• Crisp & Refreshing – a crunchy, cooling contrast that’s perfect alongside a warm, saucy main.
• Budget-Friendly – simple produce and pantry staples you likely already have on hand.
• Customizable – easy to adjust the spice level or swap ingredients based on what’s in your fridge.
• Pairs Perfectly with Korean Ground Turkey – this salad and my Korean Ground Turkey were basically made for each other.
• Great for Meal Prep – prep it Sunday and it’s ready to grab all week long.

Cucumber and Carrot Salad Ingredients

• Cucumbers: obviously an essential ingredient! I love using long seedless cucumbers (that’s how the recipe is written), but you can truly use any type of cucumber you have or grow – aim for 2-3 cups of cucumber slices. Slicing is fairly low maintenance, but you can also spiralize or shave into thin ribbons to change the look of the salad.
• Carrots: the other essential ingredient! I love julienned carrots, but you can thinly chop carrots, baby carrots, or also spiralize or shave into thin ribbons.
• The dressing base: you need a neutral oil (like avocado oil), rice vinegar, sesame oil, and soy sauce (or coconut aminos for a naturally gluten and soy-free option).
• Seasonings: fresh cilantro, ginger, toasted sesame seeds, sugar, and crushed chili flakes.

How to Make Carrot and Cucumber Salad, Step-by-Step

1. Slice your carrots and cucumber and place in a bowl.
2. Whisk all remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Pour dressing over the vegetables.
4. Toss to combine! You can enjoy it immediately, but for best flavor you really need to let it chill at least 20 minutes (overnight works, too!).

Recipe Tips & Tricks

TIP 1: Make sure to toast your sesame seeds! Toasting really enhances the flavor.

TIP 2: omit the crushed red pepper flakes if spice/ heat isn’t your thing.

TIP 3: I prefer sliced cucumbers and julienned carrots, but feel free to use a vegetable peeler to shave vegetables into ribbons, or a spiralizer to make vegetable spirals.

Substitutions

If you substitute too much, this recipe changes quite a bit. Here are a few substitutions that work:

• Avocado oil – feel free to use another neutral oil, like grapeseed oil or canola oil.
• Rice vinegar – apple cider vinegar also has a similar sweet/ sour profile, so you if you need to you can substitute with apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar.
• Soy sauce – I generally use a reduced or low sodium soy sauce. If you need the salad to be gluten-free or soy-free you can use coconut aminos or tamari.

That said, I always want to encourage you to do what works for you. Make this salad, and any recipe, your own!

Variations

• Make it a full meal – add shredded rotisserie chicken, edamame, or crispy tofu for a protein boost.
• Add some crunch – top with chopped peanuts, cashews, or crispy wonton strips right before serving.
• Turn up the heat – whisk a little sriracha or gochujang into the dressing for extra spice.
• Swap the vinegar – apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar work well if you’re out of rice vinegar.
• Add some sweetness – thinly sliced mango or apple is a delicious addition for a sweeter, crisper bite.
• Gluten-Free – use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce.
• Soy-Free – coconut aminos again does the trick here.

Recipe FAQ

Meal Prep & Storage

This carrot and cucumber salad is a fantastic meal prep component — it keeps well and the flavor only gets better as it sits.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this one — the cucumbers will lose their crisp texture once thawed.

My favorite way to meal prep this: keep the salad in its own separate container from your protein and rice. That way you can reheat the warm components (like Korean Ground Turkey and rice) and then add the cold salad on top right before eating — you get that warm-and-cold contrast every time instead of a soggy, reheated salad.

What to Pair it With:

My absolute favorite thing to pair this with is my Korean Ground Turkey. Enjoy both with some rice and topped with some fresh cilantro, green onion, and sesame seeds? Perfection!

It’s also a delicious side for other entrees, like air fryer turkey burgers, BBQ chicken and zucchini skewers, and cast iron skillet steak.

How to Toast Sesame Seeds

Toast sesame seeds by placing them in a small skillet over medium-low heat (no oil!). Shaking the skillet and stirring with a wooden spoon continuously, your sesame seeds are toasted when they turn a golden brown color and smell fragrant (about 3 minutes).

Don’t go anywhere during this process! Stay at the stove. They can go from toasted to burned very quickly!

Cucumber Carrot Salad Nutrition

With a serving of 1/4 of the recipe, each serving contains 79 calories, 8 grams carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 5 g fat, 2 g fiber, 5g sugar, and 112 mg sodium.

This cucumber carrot salad is absolutely a nutrient-dense, easy, healthy side dish. It can totally fit into a balanced diet if you choose!

“Healthy” is Subjective – You Do You

Know, too, that “healthy” is subjective. The foods that help one maintain their health may or may not work for you – and that’s okay! Honor the body you have. As a registered dietitian nutritionist, I suggest eating a variety of nourishing foods that help you feel good and achieve or maintain your health, balanced with the foods you love. Remember – an election isn’t won with every vote, but the majority. Your health is the same way – the overall dietary pattern is what matters most.

More Salad Recipes You’ll Love

• Cucumber Orzo Salad
• Parsley and Tomato Salad
• Cucumber Chickpea Salad

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