Everyone needs a quick, affordable, refreshing summer salad recipe that can be made last minute with minimal effort involved. This crunchy, spicy mojito cucumber salad, tossed in a simple mojito-inspired dressing, is the perfect summertime recipe. It takes less than five minutes to make, requires only a few inexpensive ingredients, and can withstand the hottest summer temps.
There are those lazy-hazy-crazy days of summer when turning the stove on seems like way too much work, and boiling pasta or potatoes for a simple pasta or potato salad just isn’t in the cards. Those are the days when a salad like this one is almost a necessity. No heat source is needed, no appliance needs to be dragged out, and you get to have a nip of rum in the process. Not a bad way to spend a little bit of time in the kitchen, if you ask me. And, yes, I do mean a little time. From start to finish, this mojito-inspired cucumber salad will take you approximately five minutes to throw together. It really all depends on how fast you are at slicing cucumbers and chopping mint.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup White Rum
- Zest & Juice of 2 Limes
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Sea Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 to 1 1/2 Pounds of Cucumbers (Approximately 5 Mini Cucumbers)
- 1 Cup of Very Finely Chopped Fresh Mint
Directions:
- In a medium glass bowl, whisk together the olive oil, rum, lime zest, lime juice, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Slice the cucumbers into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch slices.
- Add the sliced cucumbers and chopped mint to the bowl. Stir well to combine.
Suggestions:
- There will be enough salad dressing for 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of cucumbers.
- I used mini cucumbers for this recipe because their peels are less bitter and because they have fewer seeds which makes them easier to digest. You can use any variety of cucumber you choose. Just make sure to remove the peels if they are overly tough.
- You can peel the cucumbers or leave the peels on. I chose to peel alternating strips off of each cucumber to make them a little bit prettier in the salad.
- I like to make this cucumber salad right before serving it so that the cucumbers stay nice and crisp.
Improvements:
- Serve this cucumber salad with these Cilantro & Lime Marinated Grilled Chicken Breasts or these Tortilla Crusted Baked Marinated Pork Chops.
- Like things even spicier? Add more crushed red pepper flakes or a little bit of Sriracha.
- Add halved cherry or grape tomatoes to the cucumber salad.
- Garnish with crumbled Queso Fresco or Cotija Cheese.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup White Rum
- Zest & Juice of 2 Limes
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Sea Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 to 1 1/2 Pounds of Cucumbers (Approximately 5 Mini Cucumbers)
- 1 Cup of Very Finely Chopped Fresh Mint
Directions:
- In a medium glass bowl, whisk together the olive oil, rum, lime zest, lime juice, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Slice the cucumbers into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch slices.
- Add the sliced cucumbers and chopped mint to the bowl. Stir well to combine.
PIN THIS RECIPE
Don’t let this recipe slip away. How often do you find a recipe intriguing, yet forget where to find it when you finally get the hankering to make it? Instead of digging through old posts or wandering aimlessly around on the internet, why not Pin this recipe to Pinterest where you can find it when you eventually need it? Simply Pin the image above and you’ll have it when that time comes. You can follow us HERE on Pinterest or simply click HERE to find all of our pin-worthy recipes.
Greek Summer Corn & Cucumber Salad with Feta
Sweet & Tangy Summer Garden Cucumbers
Tangy Chickpea & English Cucumber Salad
Make sure to check out all of the other great Sunday Funday “Salads Galore” recipes below. A huge thanks to A Day in the Life on the Farm for hosting this event.
- A Day in the Life on the Farm: BYO Chef Salad Bar
- Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Fennel, Red Cabbage, Goat Cheese, & Citrus Salad
- Sneha’s Recipe: Keto Coleslaw with Keto Thousand Island Dressing
- Culinary Cam: Lahpet Thoke (Fermented Tea Leaf Salad)
- Cook with Renu: Marinated Fig and Mozzarella Salad
- Mayuri’s Jikoni: Pasta & Sweet Potato Salad
- The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen: Pasta Salad
- Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Spicy Mojito Cucumber Salad
- Food Lust People Love: Tenderstem Broccoli (Broccolini) Potato Salad
- Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Vegetarian Greek Salad with Chickpeas
