Description
This Refreshing Cucumber Goat Cheese Salad with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette is a light, vibrant dish perfect for warm days or as a healthy side. Combining crisp cucumbers, juicy cherry tomatoes, and creamy goat cheese, all tossed in a zesty lemon-dill vinaigrette, it offers a perfect balance of fresh flavors and textures.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 2 large English cucumbers (peeled and thinly sliced into half-moons or diced)
- 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1/4 cup red onion (thinly sliced or finely diced)
- 3 tbsp fresh dill (finely chopped, divided)
- 4 oz goat cheese (crumbled)
- 1/4 cup black olives (pitted and halved, optional)
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts (roughly chopped, optional, for crunch)
Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (freshly ground, or to taste)
- 1 tbsp fresh dill (finely chopped)
Instructions
- Prepare the Vinaigrette: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of the chopped fresh dill, salt, and black pepper until well combined and emulsified. Set aside.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the prepared cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, and thinly sliced red onion. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped dill.
- Toss with Vinaigrette: Pour the prepared lemon-dill vinaigrette over the vegetables. Gently toss until all the ingredients are evenly coated.
- Add Goat Cheese and Optional Ingredients: Carefully fold in the crumbled goat cheese. If using, add the pitted black olives and toasted walnuts for extra flavor and crunch.
- Serve: Transfer the Cucumber Goat Cheese Salad to a serving platter or individual bowls. Serve immediately for the best texture and flavor.
Notes
- For best flavor and texture, serve the salad immediately after tossing.
- To prep in advance, keep the vinaigrette separate and add just before serving to prevent sogginess.
- To make it vegan, substitute goat cheese with a plant-based cheese alternative or omit it.
- Optional toasted walnuts can be replaced with other nuts like pecans or almonds for crunch.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste, especially if using salty olives.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: Cucumber salad, goat cheese salad, lemon dill vinaigrette, fresh summer salad, Mediterranean salad, healthy salad
