Full of classic Mediterranean ingredients, cucumber, Greek yogurt, honey, and dill, this refreshing salad is the perfect side dish for summer barbecues and backyard gatherings.

Mediterranean Cucumber Salad is a fusion of the gerkensalat (cucumber salad) from my childhood in Germany and fresh flavors from the Mediterranean. It's essentially gerkensalat meets tzatziki. Cucumbers and dill are the simple ingredients that bridge both cuisines, but the Mediterranean diet staples transform it into a definitively Greek dish.

Ingredients

English Cucumbers: For the best flavor, choose English cucumbers to make this easy Mediterranean cucumber salad. They are long, skinny, with thin skins, and fewer seeds than regular cucumbers. Most importantly, English cucumbers are sweeter.
Greek Yogurt: This ingredient is where the recipe starts to verge from the sour cream base of gerkensalat and take on a Mediterranean flair.
Honey: Sweetening this salad with honey is a nod to all of the yogurt and honey enjoyed for breakfast and dessert in Greece.
Red Wine Vinegar: Red wine vinegar adds a flavorful tang to the dressing.
Dill: Fresh ingredients make all the difference. Use fresh dill, rather than dried.
Salt: Salting the cucumber slices is an important step in this recipe. It draws out the moisture, resulting in crisp, crunchy cucumber slices. A small amount of salt is also used in the dressing to bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.
Black Pepper: Adds a little extra flavor to the dressing.

Step By Step Instructions

Slice Cucumbers: Thinly slice the fresh cucumbers with a sharp knife, or use a mandolin slicer. I use an attachment on my stand mixer to quickly prep two cucumbers in less than a minute.

Cucumbers being sliced by a mixer attachment.

Salt Cucumber Slices: This next step takes little effort and plenty of patience, but it's so important. Salting the cucumbers creates deliciously crispy cucumber slices.

In a large mixing bowl, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt over cucumbers and toss to coat.

Place the salted cucumbers in a strainer with the large bowl underneath to catch the excess water. Let the cucumbers drain for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, rinse the cucumbers to remove the salt. Pat dry and place cucumbers in a salad bowl.

Thinly sliced cucumbers in a bowl, with salt being poured on top.

Birds Eye view: thinly sliced cucumbers in an aqua mesh strainer over a metal bowl.

Prepare Greek Yogurt & Honey Salad Dressing: In a small bowl, use a fork or whisk to combine yogurt, red wine vinegar, honey, dill, remaining salt, and pepper. Pour the Greek salad dressing over the cucumbers and gently toss.

Birds Eye view: unmixed ingredients in a glass mixing bowl: yogurt, honey, vinegar, chopped dill, salt, and pepper.

A fork resting in mixed creamy dressing with dill pieces.

Chill Cucumber Salad: Place the salad in the refrigerator, ideally for 3 hours, before serving.

The chill time allows the flavors to meld together. In a pinch, you can serve this salad after 1-2 hours, but longer is ideal.

Substitutions and Variations

When adding this easy recipe to your regular salad rotation during the warm summer months, have fun experimenting with the following substitutions to add a unique twist every time you serve it.

Keeping the main ingredients of this refreshing & cream salad (English cucumbers, Greek yogurt, and honey), enjoy the following variations:

Replace Red Wine Vinegar: Substitute lime juice, lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar.
Replace Dill: Tweak the dish with other fresh herbs. My favorites are fresh basil or mint.
Additions: Include chickpeas for protein. Add any combination of ingredients from a traditional Greek salad: feta cheese, juicy tomatoes, green bell pepper, red onion, and briny Kalamata olives. Or thinly slice and salt half a white onion with the cucumbers for a stronger gerkensalat influence.

Storage

Store the cucumber salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. The cucumbers will soften a bit over time, so if preparing this dish for company, I recommend making the same day.

Cucumber salad with a light creamy dressing in a white serving dish.

This Mediterranean cucumber salad recipe will be your new go-to side dish for light summer lunches and dinners. Pair this simple salad with grilled fish or your favorite Mediterranean main dishes and invite your friends over for a backyard gathering on a hot summer day.

Serve with fresh fruit or pick a couple of lemons and make Gluten-Free Lavender Lemon Cookies for dessert.

Simply too hot to cook? Make Turkey Tenderloin with an Easy Marinade or BBQ Chicken Thighs in the air fryer to go with this fresh cucumber salad.