Thai Cucumber-Carrot Salad
With plenty of peanuty crunch, oodles of carrots, cucumbers, and other veggies, and a sweet and tangy Thai-inspired dressing to tie it all together, this Thai Cucumber-Carrot Salad has it all! It’s perfect on a summer’s day, and because there’s no mayo, this salad is ideal for picnics and backyard BBQs!
I can’t get enough of salads like this Thai Cucumber-Carrot Salad. Not only is it so pretty, but it’s good for you, too! It’s loaded with fresh veggies, and the sweetness comes from natural honey instead of processed sugars. It’s a win-win!
Thai Cucumber-Carrot Salad
This is a really easy salad to make. Sure, there’s some chopping and slicing, but use a good mandoline to make short work of those veggies. You can also prep everything the day before, in case you don’t want to do too much chopping before assembling the salad.
I love using mini cucumbers in this cucumber carrot salad recipe, but you can also use the larger English cucumbers. Try not to use the larger waxy cucumbers in this recipe because they are watery and won’t be nearly as pretty. You don’t have to peel or remove the seeds of an English cucumber or the little minis – you can eat the whole thing!
Why I love this recipe
- It’s so pretty! Green, yellow, red, white, and orange are just some colors in this gorgeous salad.
- This Thai Cucumber-Carrot Salad is light and refreshing and pops with flavor!
- It’s delicious and pairs so well with so many dishes! Be sure to see all my suggestions below.
- It’s also a low-carb Thai salad, and there’s virtually no fat in it, so it’s great if you’re trying to eat lighter.
Gather these ingredients
- Small cucumbers – Or use full-size English cucumbers, thinly sliced.
- Radishes – Cleaned, trimmed, and thinly sliced.
- Carrots – Thinly sliced.
- Mini peppers – Seeds removed and thinly sliced.
- Green onions – White and green parts; thinly sliced.
- Roasted peanuts – Coarsely chopped.
- Cilantro – Fresh; chopped.
- Honey
- Lime juice – Freshly squeezed.
- Fish sauce
- Chili garlic sauce – You can find this in the Asian food section of larger grocery stores.
- Salt
How to make Thai Cucumber-Carrot Salad
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- Trim the vegetables, wash them, and thinly slice the cucumbers, radishes, and carrots on a mandoline. Use a knife to thinly slice the peppers and green onions.
- Assemble the vegetables in a medium-sized bowl and toss them to combine.
- Whisk the honey, fresh lime juice, fish sauce, and chili garlic sauce in a small bowl. Add salt if needed.
- Drizzle over the vegetables and toss them together to combine.
- Sprinkle the chopped peanuts and cilantro over the top of the salad.
- Serve and enjoy!
Tips & substitutions
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- You can prep the vegetables for this salad up to a day in advance. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble and serve.
- Fish sauce is optional but adds so much depth of flavor. Don’t worry – you won’t taste any fish! You can find fish sauce in the Asian foods section of your grocery store.
- You can omit the fish sauce, but then you will certainly need to add salt.
- To make this a vegan Thai Cucumber-Carrot Salad, omit the fish sauce and use agave syrup instead of honey.
- You can make the dressing up to a day in advance. Mix it well before drizzling over the salad.
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Serving suggestions
This is a fresh and fabulous Thai salad recipe, and it goes so well with anything off the grill. I love serving it on hot days when we eat outside because there’s no mayonnaise in the dressing, so there are no worries about spoilage.
I also sometimes just add some grilled chicken or shrimp to turn this easy salad into a complete meal. It’s also a fabulous side dish to entrees like chili-lime shrimp tacos, red curry sloppy Joes, and Salmon Spring Rolls
Storage
Once the dressing has been added, this salad should be eaten as soon as possible. You can pack up any leftovers and store them in the fridge for 1-2 days but expect the vegetables to wilt a bit. If you don’t think you’ll eat all the salad, store the extra dressing and vegetables separately in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Check out these awesome salad recipes while you’re here
Get the Recipe:
Thai Carrot Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 8 small cucumbers, or 4 large, thinly sliced
- 15-20 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 large carrots, thinly sliced
- 12 mini-peppers, thinly sliced
- ½ cup thinly sliced green onions
- ¾ cup coarsely chopped peanuts
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
Thai dressing:
- 2 T honey
- 5 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
- 5 tsp. fish sauce, see notes
- 5 tsp. Chili Garlic Sauce
- 1 ¼ tsp. salt, more or less to taste
Instructions
- Cut ends off the cucumbers and carrots and thinly slice with mandolin (all the same size).
- Cut off one end of the mini-peppers and scoop out the seeds; then slice into thin slices (you might need to use a knife on these).
- Slice the radishes with mandolin.
- Thinly slice the green onions.
- Coarsely chop the peanuts.
To make the dressing:
- Whisk together the honey, fresh lime juice, fish sauce, Chili Garlic Sauce, and salt.
- Put cucumbers, carrots, peppers, radishes, and green onions into a medium-sized bowl.
- Drizzle the dressing over the vegetables, and lightly toss together.
- Serve the salad, sprinkled with peanuts, and a sprinkle of fresh chopped cilantro.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
