11 Cucumber Recipes to Keep You Cool All Summer Long

For those who are hot, parched, and famished, we have three words for you: "Consume maximum cucumber."

Updated May 15, 2024

Side view of cucumber sandwiches — Serious Eats / Victor Protastio

Cucumbers are nature's twofer: Botanically, they're a fruit, but their savoriness keeps them firmly in the vegetable category. Similarly, cukes can be a satiating food, but their water content is high enough to quench thirst. We've gathered a dozen cucumber recipes that celebrate the dual nature of cukes. Most are no-cook and served cold, and thus perfect for the hottest days of summer—which, as luck would have it, is peak cucumber season. If you'd like to review the best ways for shopping for, storing, and prepping cucumbers, see our knife skills primer for cucumbers.

Milwaukee Dill Refrigerator Pickles
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
These refrigerator pickles, made with a vinegar brine flavored with dill, garlic, and onion, are a Midwestern classic. Coriander, mustard, allspice, juniper, cloves, cinnamon, and other whole spices give these pickles an exceptional flavor. For a pickle that's safe to can, see Marisa's recipe for garlic dills. If you're itching to make a batch of pickles that rely on lactic acid fermentation rather than vinegar for their mouth-puckering flavor, check out Christina's companion recipe for sour dills. Or, if you're short on time and need burger toppings ASAP, try Kenji's quick and easy dill pickle chips.
Milwaukee Dill Refrigerator Pickles
Cucumber Raita (Indian Yogurt Condiment)
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
This classic Indian yogurt dish is a perfect accompaniment to biryani and other meaty rice dishes, but we have trouble not just eating it with a spoon or using it as a dip for all manner of flatbreads. Here, Sohla calls for chaat masala, a green Thai chile, ginger, cilantro, and an extra pinch of black salt. If your spice cabinet is missing a few items, or if simplicity appeals to you, try our recipe for Persian māst-o-khiār, which pairs cucumber and yogurt with little more than salt and dried mint.
Cucumber Raita (Indian Yogurt Condiment) Recipe
Stir-Fried Cucumbers With Trumpet Mushrooms and Torch Hei
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Cooked cucumbers may seem counterintuitive, but this recipe will erase any doubts from your mind. Paired with meaty king trumpet mushrooms, these juicy cucumbers take on a lightly smoky flavor thanks to Tim's torch hei stir-frying method. If you left your blowtorch at a friend's house, Shao's more conventional recipe for stir-frying cucumbers with dried chiles and ground pork is also quite good.
Stir-Fried Cucumbers With Trumpet Mushrooms and Torch Hei
Oi-Sobagi (Korean Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi)
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
This stuffed cucumber kimchi is served fresh to keep the vegetables crisp and sweet, making this a light and refreshing summer kimchi that can be enjoyed immediately.
Oi-Sobagi (Korean Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi)
Continue to 5 of 11 below
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Serious Eats / Lynn Wolsted
This crunchy, creamy cucumber salad is made with tahini, lemon, and fresh dill. For a vinaigrette option, see Jennifer's cucumber-mint salad or Kenji's Sichuan-style smashed cucumber salad.
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Horiatiki (Greek Salad)
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Daniel's take on Greek salad foregoes lettuce for more cucumber and tomato. The feta is served on top in slabs instead of crumbled and mixed in, which allows everyone to have as much as they want in each bite.
Horiatiki (Greek Salad)
Salata Falahiyeh (Palestinian or Farmers Salad)
Serious Eats / Mai Kakish
Here, the combination of cucumber, tomato, onion, herbs, and a basic olive oil–based dressing is practically universal throughout the Mediterranean and Central and South Asia. Reem's recipe for this classic salad calls for mint, olive oil, minced lemon, lemon juice, and a minced jalapeño. For a slightly different take, Nader's recipe for sālād-é-Shirāzi takes this basic formula and swaps verjuice for the lemon juice and skips the fresh chile.
Salata Falahiyeh (Palestinian or Farmers Salad)
Icy-Cold Korean Cucumber Soup (Oi Naengguk)
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Using only a few key ingredients, this refreshing cucumber soup delivers tons of savory flavor.
Icy-Cold Korean Cucumber Soup (Oi Naengguk)
Continue to 9 of 11 below
Avocado Toast With Cucumber, Soy Sauce, and Shichimi Togarashi
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Cucumber slices add a cooling crunch to this avocado toast, with soy sauce introducing a savory note. A scattering of scallion adds a nice hit of allium goodness and a sprinkle of shichimi togarashi adds a spicy, peppery finish.
Avocado Toast With Cucumber, Soy Sauce, and Shichimi Togarashi
Cucumber Sandwiches
Serious Eats / Victor Protastio
Whether accompanied by tea or not, these simple, refeshing sandwiches are a perfect afternoon treat. We salt the cucumber slices for 20 minutes before serving, which seasons them while extracting excess moisture. A thin layer of European-style cultured butter or cream cheese adds a welcome tang.
Cucumber Sandwiches
Cucumber-Lemon Water
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Leah's easy technique for infusing water yields impressive results. Simply muddle or mash sliced cucumber, sliced lemon, and mint in some water for about a minute, steep in the refrigerator for an hour, then strain and add more water, along with more sliced cucumber, lemon, and mint. Voilà! Consider yourself refreshed.
Cucumber-Lemon Water

11 Cucumber Recipes to Keep You Cool All Summer Long

Icy-Cold Korean Cucumber Soup (Oi Naengguk)

More Serious Eats Recipes