This strawberry cucumber salad is the perfect summer salad recipe to make when juicy strawberries are in peak season. It combines fresh strawberries and crunchy cucumber with salty feta cheese, fresh basil and mint, which is all tossed in an oil-free, honey-lime dressing.

I’ve been looking for new and healthy ways to eat fresh strawberries and came up with this refreshing salad recipe. You’ll love it because it uses seasonal ingredients, requires minimal prep work, and there’s zero cooking time.

The first time my husband tried this salad, he said that his tastebuds were dancing. He was a little skeptical about pairing strawberries and cucumber together with feta cheese, but he said it tasted incredible.

This oil-free salad would be great to serve at BBQs, picnics, or as a light dinner with the addition of protein.

Table of Contents

Strawberry cucumber salad ingredients

Strawberries: These are the strar of the show, so it’s important to choose the freshest strawberries you can find. They should be bright red in color and have fresh-looking green leaves.

Cucumber: I use 3-4 Persian cucumbers (mini cucumbers) for this salad. You’ll need 2 cups of sliced cucumbers. You can use English cucumber if you prefer.

Feta cheese: The salty and tangy taste of feta cheese helps to balance the sweet flavor of the strawberries and honey.

TIP: For the best flavor, buy a block of feta cheese that’s in brine. A block is usually fresher than crumbles.

Fresh basil: This adds a delicious sweet and savory flavor that pairs beautifully with the fresh strawberries.

Fresh mint: This adds a cool and refreshing flavor to the salad.

Honey: This helps the strawberries to get extra juicy and delicious. You can substitute with agave nectar to make it vegan.

Lime juice and zest: Fresh lime juice and zest help to enhance the bright flavor of strawberries. It adds a refreshing and tangy taste to this salad.

Flaky sea salt: A little flaky sea salt helps to bring out the natural sweetness of the strawberries.

How to make strawberry cucumber salad

Clean and prep the strawberries. Before making this salad, it’s important to properly wash your strawberries to remove any dirt, bugs, and pesticides.

I like to wash my berries with vinegar and water. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of distilled white vinegar and 3 cups of water.

Add the strawberries with their green tops still on and gently swish them around in the diluted vinegar bath. You’ll notice the water will get a little brown and yucky, which means the vinegar solution is doing its job.

Do this for a few minutes, then pour the strawberries through a colander in the sink. Rine them thoroughly under cold water for 1 minute to remove any lingering vinegar solution.

Dry the strawberries thoroughly with a dish towel. Or you can spin them dry in a salad spinner lined with paper towels.

Make the dressing. In a small bowl, add the honey, lime juice and zest. Whisk together until well combined.

Assemble the salad and serve. In a large bowl, add the strawberries, cucumbers, basil, mint, and crumbled feta cheese.

Drizzle the prepared honey-lime dressing and sprinkle the flaky sea salt (if using) over the salad. Toss gently to combine and serve!

Make ahead and storage suggestions

This salad tastes best when fresh and served cold. Leftover salad will keep up to 1 day in the fridge in an airtight container.

To save time, you can prep the salad up to 1 day in advance. Cut up the strawberries and cucumber and keep them in separate, airtight containers in the fridge so they don’t get mushy.

Fresh herbs like basil and mint tend to wilt quickly after being chopped, so I would prep this right before serving.

What to serve with strawberry cucumber salad

This is a light side salad. Below are some tasty ways you can make it a complete meal.

Add a protein (grilled fish, chicken, tofu, or tempeh)
Serve it with a charcuterie board
Bruschetta
Moroccan quinoa & chickpea salad
Cherry tomato pasta
Soup (vegetable soup, minestrone, or ribollita)
Fully loaded baked potato

More summer salad recipes

Please let me know how you like this strawberry cucumber salad recipe in the comments below! Your feedback and review encourage me to keep creating new and yummy recipes. I hope you love this salad as much as I do.