Cucumber Noodle Salad with Strawberry, Mint, and Basil

Whether you are looking for a dish to pass at the outdoor barbeque or a salad you can make ahead of time for a packed lunch, this is a great combo of fresh flavors-just throw on some shrimp or chicken for a complete meal!

The muddled magic. I love the flavor of strawberries, especially when they are fresh and in season! An easy internet search will produce many versions of a strawberry salad, often with spinach, red onion, and feta. All of these are great, and this version uses lots of the same ingredients! Since those berries are a precious flavor in the salad, I like to really make sure they shine through, not just on the bites that have a berry piece. To accomplish this, I mash up a berry or two right into the dressing and use that to toss the cucumber noodles in, giving a great sweet flavor throughout!

Small and Mighty! If you have been reading my posts for awhile, you may notice many of them start as a vegetarian option. This is done intentionally-for those that prefer a meat, add away, but on its own, these would be a complete dish. For that reason, I had a heavy serving hand when measuring the almonds for flavor and protein and wow, was the portion absolute perfection! Don’t skip the toasting step-this really brought the salad to life! Also, if I was making this purely for looks, poppy seeds are a fun pop of color contrast and great salad topping, but I opted for chia seeds, giving a bit more nutritional value while still having a gorgeous presentation-your vegetarian friends will appreciate the love!

Looking for other ways to use these little red beauties? Check out some of these other great recipes:

Strawberry Spinach Breakfast Salad with a Maple Brie Dressing

Caramelized Mushroom and Strawberry Noodle Salad

Salmon with a Strawberry Balsamic Chutney

Summer is here and it’s time to experiment with seasonal produce!! Follow along on the blog as I tour various farmers markets, showcasing different styles of markets from across the country and trying creative ways to use my findings in the kitchen!

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Cucumber Noodle Salad with Strawberry, Mint, and Basil

Hannah

A light and refreshing salad that's perfect for a summertime cookout, or a great lunch to make ahead of time. Great with some chicken or shrimp to make a complete meal!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Course Lunch, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine French, Greek, Mediterranean

Servings 2

Equipment

• Spiralizer
• Mixing bowl
• Kitchen knife
• Skillet

Ingredients

  

• 1 large Cucumber
• 1/4 large Red Onion
• 8 large Strawberries
• 1 bunch Fresh Mint
• 1 bunch Fresh Basil
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 squeezed Lemon
• 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/4 cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
• 1/4 cup Slivered Almonds
• 1 tbsp Chia Seeds (or poppy seed)
• Salt

Instructions

 

• Warm the skillet over medium heat and place slivered almonds in to toast until a light brown, tossing often. Set aside to cool.
• In mixing bowl, take a large strawberry and mash to a pulp. Add olive oil, balsamic, lemon, and salt and stir well.
• Using spiralizer, create noodles with cucumber (I used the spaghetti setting).
• Using a paper towel, dab off moisture from the cucumber, and add noodles to the mixing bowl with the dressing.
• Add slices of red onion, and about half of the almonds. Pinch pieces of the basil and mint in as well, reserving some for garnish. Toss carefully to coat all in the dressing. Separate into serving dishes.
• Slice strawberries and add on top of noodles. Sprinkle with feta, remaining almonds, mint and basil. Top with chia or poppy seeds. Drizzle with additional balsamic and enjoy!

Keyword Basil, Cucumber, Fresh, Healthy, Keto, Low-carb, Mint, Strawberry, vegetarian