What can I make with cucumber?
Cucumber deserves better than being boiled as a side. These recipes make cucumber the centre of the plate, and the notes below cover roasting temperature, pan space, and seasoning order.
12 recipes with cucumber
Greek Village Salad (Horiatiki)
Tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, olives and a slab of feta with olive oil.
Mediterranean10m4
Greek Salad
Crisp cucumber, tomato, olives, and feta with oregano dressing.
Mediterranean10m2
Poke Bowl
Cubed raw tuna over rice with soy and sesame.
Hawaiian15m4
Fattoush
Crunchy pita salad with sumac and pomegranate molasses.
Middle Eastern20m4Nasi Goreng
Sweet, savory, spicy fried rice topped with a fried egg.
Indonesian25m4Quinoa Salad
Bright bowl of quinoa, cucumber, tomato, and herbs.
Mediterranean25m4
Sushi Rolls
Nori-wrapped rice with fish and vegetables.
Japanese25m4Swedish Meatballs
Tender meatballs in a rich creamy sauce, served with lingonberry jam and pickled cucumbers.
Scandinavian60m4
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Poached chicken with fragrant rice cooked in the poaching broth.
Singaporean75m4
Sesame Cucumber Salad
Prep the cucumbers: Peel the cucumbers.
Chinese4
Jajek
Place yogurt, water, garlic and salt in food processor and process for a few seconds.
4
Bulgarian Green Salad
Place sliced lettuce in a large bowl.
4
How to get the most flavour out of cucumber
- 1Cut into even pieces so everything finishes at the same moment.
- 2Roast at 425F on a preheated sheet pan for caramelised edges, or sear hard in a skillet if you want it fast.
- 3Do not crowd the pan; steam is the enemy of browning. Use two trays if you have to.
- 4Season in layers: salt before cooking, then acid and fat after, so the cucumber tastes finished rather than plain.
What goes well with cucumber
Cucumber is at its best with olive oil, garlic, lemon, parmesan, chili flakes and flaky salt. Any two or three of those, plus cucumber, is already a dinner rather than an ingredient list.
Storing cucumber
Store cucumber unwashed - moisture is what causes rot. Leafy types last longest wrapped loosely in a towel inside a bag; roots prefer somewhere cool and dark, not the fridge door. Anything starting to soften is ideal for soups, stocks, and roasting.
Substituting cucumber
If you are out of cucumber, look for something that behaves the same way in the pan rather than something that tastes the same. Match the moisture level, the cooking time, and the richness, and adjust the liquid slightly if your substitute releases more water. When in doubt, describe what you actually have in the chat and Mr. Chef will rewrite the recipe around it.
Cucumber recipes: common questions
- What can I make with cucumber and not much else?
- Plenty. With cucumber plus an onion, garlic, oil, and salt you already have the base of a skillet dinner, a soup, or a simple sauce. Add a starch - rice, pasta, bread, or potatoes - and it becomes a full meal. The recipes above are ordered so the ones needing the fewest extra items come first.
- What is the quickest cucumber recipe?
- Look for the entries above marked 20 minutes or less. As a rule, anything cut small and cooked in a hot pan beats anything roasted whole, and one-pan recipes save more time in cleanup than in cooking.
- Can I substitute cucumber?
- In most recipes yes, as long as the replacement plays a similar role - similar moisture, similar cooking time, similar richness. Swapping across roles (a watery vegetable for a starchy one, for instance) usually needs a change in liquid or cooking time too.
- How do I use up leftover cucumber?
- Fried rice, a frittata, a grain bowl, a soup, or a quesadilla will absorb almost any leftover cucumber without a recipe. If you want something specific, tell Mr. Chef exactly what is in the fridge and it will build a recipe around it.
- Are these cucumber recipes vegetarian-friendly?
- Many are, and the vegetarian and vegan collections filter the whole library down to recipes with no meat or no animal products at all. In the chat you can also say "vegan" or "no dairy" and every suggestion will respect it.