Vegan Cucumber Salad with Dill & Chives

This vegan cucumber salad is simply dressed with dill, chives, and a mustard vinaigrette for an easy, light summer side dish. No yogurt or mayonnaise needed!

This recipe was originally published in August 2018. It has been updated with improvements to the text and recipe as of June 2020.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Method
• Tips and Notes
• Substitutions
• Vegan Cucumber Salad with Dill & Chives

This vegan cucumber salad is a staple for me during the summer, and I really think it’s something that everyone could make and love. It’s a flavour packed light side with dill and chives and a simple mustard vinaigrette. If you want to up the protein and make it into more of a meal, try adding lentils or go nuts and do that plus serve it on socca – one of my warm weather favourites.

It might seem unnecessary to specify that this recipe is vegan, but I grew up eating and making German cucumber salad, which is usually made with sour cream and dill. I’ve had to move away from the cream aspect, of course, but I’m keeping the dill!

Although this isn’t traditional, it’s a modern recipe using olive oil and really, it’s better. You don’t need to worry about spoiled milk if you bring a vegan cucumber salad to a picnic!

Ingredients

• 2-3 cucumbers, depending on their size (3 garden, 2 english)
• A handful of chives
• A handful of dill
• Olive oil
• White wine vinegar
• Maple syrup
• Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper

Method

It’s a salad, so nothing complicated! Slice or chop your cucumbers, add them to a large bowl with the chopped herbs, and toss with the dressing. Serve it immediately or wait about half an hour for everything to marinate a bit (this is best).

As with any vinaigrette, it’s ket that it’s mixed very well to emulsify the oil and vinegar. I like to use a small jar and shake it like mad – it’s faster and easier than whisking. You should end up with a slightly thickened, golden coloured dressing.

Slicing the Cucumbers

I used a food processor to slice the cucumbers here and it’s certainly the fastest option, but you can also use a mandolin or slice by hand. If you’re eating the salad within a few hours of making it, ultra-thin slices as pictured are great. If you want to keep it in the fridge for a day or two, bigger chunks are better.

Tips and Notes

Dill and chives are a great beginner herb if you have a bit of space to grow something. They’re just about impossible to kill and they’ll probably come back the following year no matter what you do to them. Dill self seeds and chives are a perennial, and are best a couple of years after first planting.

They are the dandelions of the herb world (dill is called dill weed, after all), can grow in fairly poor soil, and you can use them in this excellent roasted potato salad too. Need more ideas for your garden herbs? Take a look at this collection of healthy herb recipes.

Substitutions

Use herbs you like – parsley, thyme, mint, borage, whatever you prefer. Dill and chives are classic for a reason, but other herbs are great too.

You can also sub different types of vinegar, but stick to lighter ones if possible. This isn’t the time for balsamic. Want to add more? Tomatoes are a nice addition, and so is a little very finely sliced red onion.

More Summer Salads

Chickpea Quinoa Salad
End of Summer Greek Chickpea Salad
Mexican Lentil Salad with Lime Vinaigrette
Heirloom Tomato Panzanella

Let’s connect! If you liked this recipe, make sure to leave a comment below, I love hearing from you! Tag me on instagram @occasionallyeggs and #occasionallyeggs so I can see what you’re making, and stay in touch via email, facebook, and pinterest.

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