This Easy Cucumber Salad Recipe is light and fresh, and chock full of healthy veggies. The fresh olive oil and vinegar drizzled over the top forms a healthy dressing that goes so well with the crunchy pistachios.
“Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!”
Okay, okay, I realize that I kind of missed the boat on the whole “summer foods” thing this year. I was walking around outside today and realized that the air felt…. Almost like… fall. DUN DUN DUN.
So please, forgive me for not posting this recipe until it’s almost too late to enjoy it. But in these last few days of summer, make the most of the warm weather. Head to the store (or your garden if you’re REALLY cool) and grab the ingredients to throw together this 5 minute Easy Cucumber Salad Recipe.
What Ingredients are In This Recipe?
Cucumbers
Green pepper
Green olives
Pistachios
Parsley
Mint leaves
Olive oil
Apple cider vinegar
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Paprika
How to Make this Easy Cucumber Salad Recipe
Cut the cucumbers and green peppers into thin strips.
Combine cucumbers and pepper slices in a bowl with green olives, parsley, mint, and pistachios.
Toss with olive oil and vinegar (almost equal parts, but a little more olive oil than vinegar), and sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Mix to combine and enjoy!
How Do You Prepare Cucumbers for this Salad?
To properly prepare your cucumbers for this salad, start by peeling them with a vegetable peeler. You can leave the skin on your cucumbers if you wish, but I far prefer the salad with no skins.
Next, cut your cucumber in half lengthwise, exposing the interior of the cucumber.
Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds in the center of the cucumber. You can also leave the seeds in the cucumber, but the salad is less watery once these sides (and the flesh surrounding them) are removed.
Then, use a knife to cut strips out of the cucumber halves. Make sure that the strips are thin. You can also cut them in half if they are too long.
How Long Can You Keep this Salad For?
This salad will stay good in the fridge for 2-3 days once it has been dressed. The cucumbers are dressed in vinegar, meaning that the longer they sit in the vinegar, the softer they will get.
My best recommendation would be to make the salad, and then only dress what you’re going to eat. This way, you can ensure that the vegetables stay crisp as long as possible.
Because there are pistachios in the salad, you’ll want to keep those from getting soggy as well!
Undressed the salad will last about 5 days. But dressed, it will last only about 2.
How Can I Customize this Easy Cucumber Salad Recipe?
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can toss some green apple in your salad! That would, admittedly, make the recipe less Algerian. But it would make the recipe even more delicious, so you can decide which is more important to you.
This weekend, authenticity was more important to me, so I chose to forgo the green apple.
I did, however, add pistachios, which weren’t in any of the ingredients for this recipe that I had seen. I had a hunch, though, and I sure am glad I acted on it. It’s pretty safe to say that pistachios make everything better.
If you’d like to use a different dressing, you can totally do that! Or if you want to add tomatoes or any other vegetables, you can do that as well.
I love customizing recipes. If you make this recipe to a T or if you customize it, let me know! I want to hear what you think.
Did you like this Easy Cucumber Salad Recipe from Algeria? If so, leave a comment letting me know what you thought. You can also post a photo on Facebook or Instagram and tag @TheForeignFork or hashtag #TheForeignFork.
If you like this recipe, don’t forget to check out the other recipes on this website I think you might like!:
- Tarator (Cucumber Yogurt Soup)
- Easy Fried Tuna Steak
- Avocado Salad Recipe
- Quinoa Salad with Sundried Tomatoes and Feta Cheese
- Chickpea Stew from Algeria
Easy Cucumber Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 green pepper, thinly sliced
- ½ cup green olive flesh, chopped
- ½ cup pistachios
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- 8 mint leaves (optional), chopped
- olive oil
- apple cider vinegar
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp paprika
Instructions
- Peel the cucumbers. Cut the cucumbers and green peppers into thin strips.
- Combine cucumbers and pepper in a bowl with green olives, parsley, mint, and pistachios.
- Toss with olive oil and vinegar (almost equal parts, but a little more olive oil than vinegar), and sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Mix to combine and enjoy!
John Nagridge says
It was delicious. I modified it slightly. I used lovage instead of parsley and I didn’t add green olives, but I did add a green apple. Some of the family wasn’t that crazy about it and thought the paprika/mint taste was too odd. I loved it.
However, the next couple days, the pistachios became soggy and flavorless. When I make it again, I will not add the pistachios to the salad. I’ll provide them on the side for me or anyone else to add on the spot to the individual serving so the pistachios retain their crunch and flavor.
Thanks for the recipe. I know I’ll be making it again for my wife and me.
The Foreign Fork says
Hi John,
Hurray, I’m so glad that you liked the recipe!! Mint and paprika are an interesting combo, but that’s why I liked this recipe so I’m glad you did too! Serving pistachios on side is a great idea if you’re looking to eat the salad over a couple of days, great thinking 🙂 Thanks so much for leaving a comment, I appreciate it so much. Have a great day!
cathy says
I am going to try this one this weekend but I hate the taste of green pepper so I am going to have to change it up a bit and use a red or yellow pepper
Alexandria Drzazgowski says
Hi Cathy, My mom feels the same way about green peppers. They also hurt her stomach! I think that red or yellow pepper would be delicious in this recipe. I’m always a fan of switching up a recipe depending on what works for you! Let me know how it turns out.