This Cucumber Ribbon Salad with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette is a vibrant mix of English cucumbers, sweet and crunchy snow peas, and colorful shaved watermelon radish. Goat cheese crumbles and toasted pine nuts add richness, while fresh chives bring a bright, herbal finish. The sweet, creamy dressing ties everything together.
This salad is perfect for anyone craving something light, fresh, and full of flavor. It makes a stunning springtime meal or side dish, ideal for brunches, picnics, or easy weeknight dinners.
With its beautiful colors and balanced textures, it feels special without being complicated.
This salad would pair beautifully with grilled fish, scallops, or crab.
Read on for all the loving details to make Cucumber Ribbon Salad with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette.
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Featured Ingredients
Read below about a few of the ingredients used to make Cucumber Ribbon Salad with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette.
Cucumber - English cucumbers are perfect for a ribbon salad as they don't have as many seeds as other types of cucumbers.
Snow peas - These are the thinner, flatter pea pods, unlike snap peas, which are more "airy" on the inside. You can use either type.
Pine nuts -If your grocery store has a bulk section, check there first. Pine nuts can be a little expensive sometimes. Store any remaining nuts in the freezer.
Watermelon radish - This radish is much larger than a traditional red radish. It has a greenish hue on the outside, and a bright magenta color on the inside mimicking the look of a watermelon. These radishes are often found at farmers' markets or local produce markets.
Goat cheese - I use plain goat cheese in this salad. I prefer the log because it has more moisture and tastes creamy. Pre-crumbled goat cheese can be dry.
Lemon - Zest the entire lemon before juicing.
Agave - I prefer this as the sweetener, mainly because it's easy to blend in. Grain sugar works too as well as honey. I've even used simple syrup!
Seasonings - I use all powder seasonings to keep the vinaigrette as smooth and creamy as possible.
See recipe card for quantities.
Tools for the job
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Sharp knife (paid link) and cutting board
- Mixing bowls (paid link)
- Mandoline slicer (paid link) or hand peeler
- Food processor or immersion blender (optional)
How to make Cucumber Ribbon Salad with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette
Start by making the simple creamy vinaigrette, then follow the steps below to build this beautiful salad.
Making the Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette
- First, zest the entire lemon and then juice it. Set the zest aside for the salad.
- If you are using an immersion blender, add all the ingredients except for the oil into a pitcher. Blend the ingredients while slowly drizzling the oil into the pitcher.
- You can use the same process above with a food processor.
- If you make the dressing by hand, put all the ingredients into a larger mixing bowl (paid link). Stabilize the bowl on a towel. Then whisk quickly while slowly drizzling the oil into the bowl.
Preparing the vegetables for the salad
- Follow the steps below the photos to prepare the veggies for this Cucumber Ribbon Salad.
- Save the middle of the cucumber. Dice it up and use it on another salad or as a sandwich topping!
Peel four sides off the cucumber, almost creating a box shape, and discard those initial peels.
Continue to peel each side, one at a time, turning the cucumber after each peel until you see the seeds.
Stack the snow peas in groups of 3 or 4 and slice diagonally across the peas into thin strips.
Peel the watermelon radish and cut off the ends. Then slice it in half from end to end. Turning it on its side, slice off thin chips of radish. (A mandoline slicer (paid link) is helpful.)
- Heat a pan to medium-high.
- Add ¼ cup pine nuts and continuously stir them or shake the pan.
- The pine nuts easily burn, so keep them moving.
- They take about 5 minutes to brown.
- Throw away any overcooked pine nuts. They will taste very bitter.
Composing the Cucumber Ribbon Salad
- Add the cucumber ribbons to the bowl and drizzle with creamy lemon vinaigrette.
- First, top the salad with the crumbled goat cheese and toasted pine nuts.
- Then add the radishes and snap peas.
- Finish the salad by sprinkling on the fresh cracked black pepper, lemon zest, and chives.
Hot Tip!
After slicing, soak the watermelon radish in water for a few hours. This will turn the flat chips into curly and wavy pieces, giving your salad more visual appeal. You can also store leftover radish in water. It will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days like this.
Substitutions and Variations
- Goat cheese - Use a flavored goat cheese instead of plain.
- Radishes - You can try using traditional red or French radishes. Julienne them for a different texture in the salad.
- Nuts - This salad would be fantastic with toasted and chopped hazelnuts or pistachios.
Leftover Cucumber Ribbon Salad
- Leftover Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
- Leftover salad ingredients will keep in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
- I do not recommend freezing any of the ingredients.
Food Safety
- Wash all the produce before using.
- Be sure to use the hand guard if you are utilizing a mandoline slicer (paid link).
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
More spring recipes
Here are a few more spring inspired recipes you may like!
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Cucumber Ribbon Salad with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Cucumber Ribbon Salad is a fresh, spring-inspired dish with crisp cucumbers, snow peas, and watermelon radish. Creamy lemon vinaigrette, goat cheese, and pine nuts add richness and tang. It’s perfect as a light lunch or a standout side.
Ingredients
Cucumber Ribbon Salad
- 2 medium cucumbers (seedless/English preferred), shaved into ribbons
- ½ cup snow peas, thinly sliced on a bias
- 1 small watermelon radish, thinly shaved (use a mandoline if you have one)
- 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Lemon zest
Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette
- 2 T lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon agave, more to taste
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- First, make the vinaigrette. Preferably using an immersion blender, add all the ingredients except the oil into a pitcher. Slowly drizzle the oil while running the blender until the vinaigrette is fully blended and creamy. See the how-to in the post for other methods.
- To prepare the salad ingredients, shave the cucumbers into ribbons using a vegetable peeler or mandoline. Slice the watermelon radish in half, then use a mandoline to thinly slice it. If you don't have one, use a sharp knife (paid link) to slice the radish carefully into thin pieces.
- Slice the snow peas at an angle into ¼ inch pieces.
- Toast the pine nuts in a hot, dry pan, stirring constantly, until they brown or for about 5 minutes.
- To plate the salad, divide the cucumber ribbons between two bowls and drizzle on 2-3 tablespoons of creamy lemon vinaigrette per bowl. Then sprinkle the salads with crumbled goat cheese and toasted pine nuts.
- Next layer on the watermelon radish and snow peas, followed by chives, fresh cracked pepper, and lemon zest.
- Serve the salad "un-tossed".
Notes
See the how-to details in the post for how to prepare each ingredient including the cucumbers, radishes, and toasting pine nuts.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Side dish
- Method: no cooking
- Cuisine: American
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