Cucumber Carrot Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette

This Cucumber Carrot Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette is a refreshing, healthy and easy-to-make side dish that pairs with a variety of foods! Or make it the star of the show and add a source of protein for a balanced meal.

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Why you should make this Cucumber Carrot Salad

If you’re looking for a light and simple dish to brighten up your spring or summer meals, this Cucumber Carrot Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette is the perfect choice.

This vibrant salad comes together in minutes, using just a handful of fresh ingredients that you likely already have on hand. Crisp cucumber and sweet carrot ribbons create a light, crunchy base that’s both hydrating and satisfying. 

The honey lime vinaigrette adds the perfect balance of tang and sweet, enhancing the natural flavors without overpowering them. 

It’s also an incredibly versatile recipe. Great as a side for grilled meats, a topping for tacos or wraps, or even on its own as a light lunch (don’t forget to add a source of protein). 

Plus, it’s so quick to assemble, so it’s ideal for last-minute dinners or picnics. The bright colors and zesty dressing make it a visually appealing addition to any table. 

Whether you’re hosting a backyard barbecue or just craving something fresh, this salad delivers on flavor, simplicity, and seasonal charm. Give it a try, and it just might become your go-to warm weather favorite.

Ingredients needed

To make this salad, you will need:

• English cucumber
• Large carrots
• Fresh Italian parsley
• Raw cashews

 

For the honey lime vinaigrette, you will need:

• Olive oil
• Rice vinegar
• Lime juice
• Honey
• Garlic cloves
• Salt and pepper

 

Substitutions and add-ins

If you don’t have some of the suggested ingredients or you would like to make some adjustments, here are a few of my recommended substitutions:

• Pumpkin seeds
  • Instead of raw cashews as a crunchy element, you can use pumpkin seeds.
• White or black sesame seeds
  • Similarly, add a sprinkle of white or black sesame seeds for extra flavour and texture.
• Green onions
  • For extra flavour that’s not too overpowering, add some chopped green onions into the salad.
• Red onion
  • If you’re looking for a stronger onion taste, adding some chopped red onion will do the trick!
• Sesame oil
  • To achieve an Asian inspired flavour of dressing, substitute sesame oil for ½ of the olive oil.
• Lemon juice
  • For a similar zesty flavour, you can use lemon juice instead of lime juice in the dressing.
• Apple cider vinegar
  • Instead of rice vinegar, feel free to use apple cider vinegar in equal parts.
• Maple syrup
  • If you prefer maple syrup over honey, you can use this as the sweetener for the dressing.

How to make Cucumber Carrot Salad

Let’s make this refreshing salad! We will start off with the Honey Lime Salad Dressing.

1. In a glass measuring cup, mason jar or small bowl, add the olive oil, rice vinegar, lime juice, honey, garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Stir well and set this aside while we prepare the salad.

Next, it’s time to prep the veggies and build the salad.

1. Using a vegetable peeler or a Y peeler, peel the outer layer of the carrot and discard. Then using the same peeler or even the slicer side of a boxed cheese grater carefully peel the carrot into thinly sliced pieces. It helps to rotate the carrot every couple peels. Do this until you have approximately 2 cups worth of peeled carrots.
2. Use the same method to peel the cucumber into thin slices, but do not peel the outer layer of the cucumber. Avoid cutting into the seeds, as this will add a lot of liquid to the salad. Repeat this until you have about 2 cups worth of peel cucumber. Eat, compost or discard the cucumber seeds.
3. Place the carrot and cucumber ribbons in a large bowl. Add the roughly chopped parsley and the chopped cashews on top and combine.
4. Pour half of the dressing over the vegetables and mix well. Add more if needed. Season with salt and pepper and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. I recommend serving it as soon as possible so the veggies don’t get too soggy.

 

How to serve it

There are countless ways that you could serve this carrot cucumber salad but here are a few of my favourite:

• Keep it simple and enjoy it as a side dish to grilled chicken, steak or fish.
• Add a cooked grain to it like rice, orzo or couscous to bulk it up and create a more filling salad.
• Mix in a bean or legume for a plant-based protein source. I love adding lentils, chickpeas or black beans to this. Just remember to drain and rinse them from the can before adding them to the salad.
• Add a complete protein like chicken, fish or even crumbled tofu on top of the salad for a more balanced meal.

 

However you choose to serve it, I hope it hits the spot!

Nutrition

A salad isn’t always the most filling dish but as a dietitian, I try to make the majority of my recipes nutrient-dense. This recipe makes 4 servings. One serving, if using all of the prepared salad dressing, provides roughly:

• 4 grams of protein
• 4 grams of fibre
• A significant source of vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin K
• A variety of B vitamins, including folate
• Minerals such as magnesium, iron, zinc and more!

 

As mentioned above, there are many ways to add extra protein and fibre to this salad if desired.

I try to avoid providing calorie counts for my recipes because they can be inaccurate due to variations in ingredients and portions. My goal is to encourage a more joyful, intuitive relationship with food, focusing on flavor and satisfaction rather than numbers. 

 

Dietary considerations

This salad is already gluten free, dairy free and vegetarian. Here are some ways to accommodate a variety of other dietary restrictions:

• Nut free: omit the cashews and use pumpkin or sesame seeds instead
• Vegan: use maple syrup instead of honey as the sweetener in the dressing

 

More salad recipes!

• Parsley Quinoa Salad with Mango
• Beetroot Salad with Walnuts and Feta
• Herbed Bean and Rice Salad
• Blueberry Lentil Salad with Halloumi
• Herb and Garlic Potato Salad

 

I hope you love this Cucumber Carrot Salad! If you make this recipe, I would love to see your comment and rating below. It also makes my day seeing your creations of my recipes on Instagram- don’t forget to tag @allnutrition.rd!