Summer Cucumber Salad with Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
Thinly sliced cucumbers, sweet corn, heirloom tomatoes, and shallots combined in a colorful summer salad and topped with a Honey Lemon Vinaigrette.
Sometimes I’m in the mood for a salad but not in the mood to eat leaves, and I love using cucumbers as a lettuce substitute. This recipe was developed for the Honey Themed Dinner Party I hosted in collaboration with Party Trick, and served alongside the Honey Lime Chicken and Biscuits.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Equipment
Mandolin or sharp knife
Cutting board
Wide mouthed mason jar
Measuring cups and spoons
Immersion blender or food processor
Serving bowl
Salad tongs
Ingredients
Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (plus more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic
Cucumber Salad
1 1/2 large english cucumbers
2 medium shallots
1 cup sweet corn kernels
1-2 red or orange heirloom tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (optional)
Method
Make the vinaigrette. Up to one week before the dinner party, make the vinaigrette. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, red pepper flakes, fresh garlic, and salt in a wide mouth mason jar. Use an immersion blender to blend everything together. Put the lid on and store in the refrigerator until ready to toss and serve the salad. If it gets too cold, put it in the microwave for ten seconds to melt the olive oil and whisk together to recombine.
Prep the vegetables. Using a mandolin or sharp knife, cut the cucumbers into 1/8” (1/3 cm) rounds, and transfer to the serving bowl. You can also cut them into half moons to make them a little easier to eat. Peel and slice the shallots 1/8” thick (1/3 cm). Cut the tomato into 1/2 inch cubes, and add the corn. Toss everything together. Just before serving, add 1/2-3/4 cup vinaigrette and toss before serving. Top with chopped fresh cilantro if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can this be made in advance? You can definitely make the vinaigrette up to a week in advance, and I even recommend doing so to save you time the day of hosting. Since the vegetables can get a little wonky if they are sliced to far in advance, I would try to prep them a few hours before, cover and refrigerate. I would toss the vinaigrette in just before serving.
Can I use corn off the cob? Of course! You could even grill it for a charred effect, I just used frozen corn because it was easier.
Can red onion be used in place of shallots? Definitely, just substitute the shallots for about 1/2 large red onion.
Can I substitute the lemon for lime juice? Yes, that would work great as well. Substitute 1:1.
Summer Cucumber Salad with Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
Thinly sliced cucumbers, sweet corn, heirloom tomatoes, and shallots combined in a colorful summer salad and topped with a honey lemon Vinaigrette.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Up to one week before you plan to use, make the vinaigrette.
- Combine olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, red pepper flakes, fresh garlic, and salt in a wide mouth mason jar.
- Use an immersion blender or food processor to blend everything together.
- Put the lid on and store in the refrigerator until ready to toss and serve the salad. If it gets too cold, put it in the microwave for ten seconds to melt the olive oil and whisk together to recombine.
- Using a mandolin or sharp knife, cut the cucumbers into 1/8” (1/3 cm) rounds, and transfer to the serving bowl. You can also cut them into half moons to make them a little easier to eat.
- Peel and slice the shallots 1/8” thick (1/3 cm).
- Cut the tomato into 1/2 inch cubes, and add the thawed sweet corn.
- Toss everything together in a serving bowl.
- Just before serving, add 1/2-3/4 cup vinaigrette and toss before serving.
- Top with chopped fresh cilantro if desired.
Notes
See recipe description for suggestions on substitutions.
