Looking for delicious cucumber recipes to transform this crisp, refreshing vegetable into something spectacular? You’ve come to the right place. Our collection of cucumber recipes proves this versatile ingredient deserves a starring role far beyond the salad bowl.
From vibrant cucumber salads and cooling tzatziki to pickled cucumber favourites, chilled soups and even cucumber cocktails, these recipes showcase the incredible range of this humble veggie.
Whether you’re after quick cucumber recipes for weeknight dinners, impressive cucumber canapes for entertaining, or creative ways to preserve your garden harvest, you’ll find plenty of inspiration here.
Discover how to pickle cucumbers for that perfect burger topping and blend them into refreshing summer drinks. Or pair them with everything from grilled salmon to spiced lamb skewers. We have both traditional and contemporary cucumber recipes that highlight Asian, Mediterranean and modern Australian flavours. Yes, there’s something for every taste and occasion in this definitive guide to cooking with cucumbers.
Cucumber varieties
Telegraph or continental cucumbers are long and narrow with thick skin and are less juicy than other varieties.
Green or green ridge cucumbers are long and thick-skinned, with large seeds which can be bitter, so are often removed.
Apple or white cucumbers may be longish or round and have large seeds which may be removed before eating, if preferred. They are mild and juicy.
Lebanese cucumbers are small, long, juicy cucumbers with thin, tender skins and small, soft seeds. Eat these peeled, partly peeled to give green and white stripes, or unpeeled. Baby Lebanese cucumbers, very tender with almost no seeds, are sold as qukes.
Gherkins or pickling cucumbers are hard with tough, knobbly skins. Use small ones to pickle whole, and large ones cut into chunks for pickling.
Recipes using cucumbers
Barbecued side of salmon
Impress your guests with a stunning seafood barbecue main.
Mushu pork wraps
A richly flavoured dinner to wrap up your day.
Crispy crackling pork belly salad
The balance of savoury and sweet flavours will make this salad the star of summer.
Prawn and mango salad with rice paper crisps
A prawn salad perfect for sharing as part of a Christmas feast.
Brought to you by Calypso® Mangoes
Vietnamese-style pork lettuce cups
A generous serving made for weekend gatherings.
Chicken shawarma platter with haloumi flatbread
A feast of flavour.
Pork loin chop with Greek salad
This dinner for one is perfect for busy spring and summer evenings.
Lemon & garlic lamb kebabs with chunky Greek salad
A simple and healthy Greek salad recipe is a perfect side dish, or with the addition of these grilled lemon & garlic kebabs you can make a whole, healthy meal!
Haloumi & mango salad
This recipe is by qualified dietitian and personal trainer Lauren Marino and is from our cookbook Nourished Kitchen.
Air fryer pork belly salad with ginger & soy dressing
Make this crackling good pork belly dish for your next family gathering or even for Christmas lunch.
Tomato salad with creamed fetta
A vibrant salad platter perfect for any summer gathering.
Smashed cucumber salad
It’s packed full of flavour.
Sweet and sour pork with rice noodle salad
A fresh version of the classic dish.
Potato rendang with fried egg
Dinner for one, sorted.
Shawarma-spiced lamb chops with tzatziki
Start this lamb chop recipe ahead of time to give the meat a chance to marinate and tenderise.
Barbecued tandoori chicken with cucumber & avocado salad
Marinating and barbecuing meat on the bone with the skin on is a guaranteed way to ensure you have flavoursome chicken.
Green salad with red currants & orange dressing
Elevate a green salad with festive red currants and a bright orange dressing.
Rice bowl with lemongrass chicken
This fresh and zingy dinner for one is inspired by the flavours of the classic Vietnamese-French fusion sandwich banh mi.
Thai beef salad with chilli lime dressing
Sweet, sour and spicy, this flavour packed salad makes for a healthy lunch or dinner.
Easiest-ever ocean trout
Roasting a whole side of fish is perfect for entertaining and an oily fish like ocean trout is very forgiving. If you happen to over cook it by a few minutes, it’s still moist and juicy.
Spiced tofu bao buns with pineapple cucumber salad
Ever wanted to make your own bao buns? This recipe shows you how.
Sweet mustard pickles
Save wilting veg from the bin and create these sweet mustard pickles.
Frickles with sriracha mayonnaise
Watch out! This is a seriously addictive snack.
Bread and butter pickles
You’ll be making delicious pickled cucumbers in no time!
Ultimate Greek salad
Light, fresh and brimming with flavour.
Cucumber raita
Gives a fresh edge to rich curries.
Pickled cucumbers
Don’t let any of your veggies go to waste, turn them into a selection of tangy pickles for later in the year.
Cucumber, gin and lemon cakelettes
Cupcakes for the grown-ups.
Teriyaki salmon with edamame and cucumber rice salad
Salmon fillet, marinated in this homemade Japanese-style sauce, is perfectly paired with a low-GI rice salad full of edamame and cucumber.
Tandoori chicken with cucumber salad
The char-grill gives it that smoky tandoori flavour.
Chicken, olive and fetta salad
Fresh, flavourful and totally satisfying.
Yoghurt and cucumber dip (Tzatziki)
Light, fresh and creamy.
Mini falafel with cucumber yoghurt
Bite-sized and full of flavour.
Lamb kofta with cucumber yoghurt
Perfect for a tapas plate or light lunch, these lamb koftas go perfectly with the fresh cucumber yoghurt and warm pitta bread.
Chopped tomato salad with sesame salt
Give this fresh chopped salad an extra boost of flavour with mint and sesame salt.
Sesame chicken katsu salad
Crunchy crumbed chicken makes a perfect addition to this fresh salad with Japanese flavours
Vegetable and ginger soba noodle salad
This fresh vegetarian noodle salad is perfect for lunch or dinner on a hot summer day.
Chicken and cucumber ribbon sandwiches
Entertain in style with these elegant ribbon sandwiches
Tuna sushi sandwiches
These delicious tuna sushi style sandwiches are perfect for a kids’ lunchbox or light snack with drinks.
Brown lentil patties with grilled cucumber salad
These delicious brown lentil and spinach patties are baked, not fried, for a wonderfully healthy dinner. Serve with our fresh grilled cucumber and yoghurt salad for a filling, fibre-packed meal.
Apple Pimm’s
Enjoy a classic apple Pimm’s cocktail this festive season with this delicious recipe! Fresh and fruity!
Spiced freekeh with cucumber and garlic minted yoghurt
Feed the family with this delicious spiced freekeh with cucumber and garlic minted yoghurt – deliciously exciting and flavoursome.
Salmon and cucumber sushi
Homemade salmon and cucumber sushi are a delicious way to celebrate fresh seafood over the summer. Kept chilled, they also make a delicious quick lunchbox filler too.
Chilled cucumber soup with whipped feta toasts
Sharp and tasty whipped feta toasts make a wonderful contrast to this cool, mild chilled cucumber soup.
Cucumber and fetta salad with za’atar
Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend typically including roasted sesame seeds, thyme and sumac, although its exact combination varies according to its maker. It is delightfully tart and fragrant, and adds a unique flavour and kick to many dishes.
Vietnamese prawn and cucumber salad
The fresh flavours of Vietnam make this plump prawn and crisp cucumber salad an utterly delightful dish.
Crab, cucumber and wakame salad
Try to use the freshest crab meat you can for this dish or very good quality canned crabmeat. To obtain ginger juice, squeeze grated fresh ginger into a sieve set over a bowl. A piece of ginger measuring about 2cm (¾ inch) in length will yield 2 teaspoons of grated ginger; this amount of grated […]
Cucumber basil gimlet
Use a vegetable peeler to thinly slice the cucumber lengthways. Note
Green gazpacho
This delicious chilled soup is so easy to prepare and makes the most refreshing lunch on a hot summer’s day.
Kashmiri lamb skewers
Serve these spiced lamb skewers piping-hot with cucumber salad, cooling yoghurt dip and grilled flatbreads.
Barbecued squid and cucumber salad
Spicy barbecued squid and cooling cucumber make a mouth-watering pair in this easy salad.
Beef, mint and cucumber salad
If you’re taking this salad to work, hold the lemon juice until you’re ready to eat. Otherwise, eat the salad while the beef is still warm. Note
Oysters with mirin and cucumber
Spice up a platter of plump oysters with cucumber and piquant mirin dressing.
Oysters with cucumber and shallot salad
You can use white balsamic vinegar instead of the champagne vinegar. Chervil is a delicately flavoured herb with anise overtones and a soft feathery texture. You can use coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley instead. Note
Corn fritters with cucumber salad
You can use 1½ cups (240g) of fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels instead of canned if you prefer. Note
Thai cucumber pickle
Make your own spicy and delicious Thai cucumber pickle with this quick and easy recipe.
Cucumber salad with teriyaki salmon skewers
A divine starter for a celebratory dinner, these teriyaki salmon skewers with cucumber salad are exquisite. You can alternate salmon chunks with prawns if you like.
Braised pork hock with peanut caramel and pickled cucumber
This exquisite pork hock with peanut caramel & pickled cucumber is perfect for a special occasion.
Crab, avocado and cucumber sandwiches
Layout a full afternoon tea spread of little cakes, scones with jam and cream and these divinely spicy crab, avocado and cucumber sandwiches.
Pork with pineapple and cucumber salsa
Light and summery dish of pan-fried pork with a sweet and spicy pineapple and cucumber salsa.
Marinated cucumber sandwich
The cucumber can be sliced with a vegetable peeler for even, thin slices. Note
Sweet cucumber and orange salad
Traditionally served as an accompaniment to spicy dishes, this recipe would also make a great light vegetarian starter. Note
