Cucumber-Avocado Salad

May 28, 2025 /

This recipe popped up in my Facebook feed yesterday, and I decided to give it a try. I served it with bbq grilled chicken, fruit salad, and potato salad. Maya didn’t want bbq fake chicken, so she had a frozen pizza instead, but she had some of the salad and really enjoyed it. The avocados at the grocery store yesterday were either really overripe or barely ripe, and I went with barely ripe. My avocado didn’t break down and get glossy, but the overripe ones would have been black in the middle. I used lime juice instead of lemon or rice vinegar, and I probably could have been a bit more generous with the red pepper flakes. This was a hit, everyone really enjoyed it, and there are no leftovers. The recipe says it makes four servings, and there are three of us, so make of that what you will. Source: New York Times. The picture there is much prettier than mine.

Cucumber-Avocado Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 scallions, trimmed then sliced crosswise ¼-inch-thick
  • Ice and water
  • 1 pound cucumbers (such as 6 Persian or mini seedless, or 1 English – I used 1 English)
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 very ripe avocados
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice, or unseasoned rice vinegar, plus more as needed (I used the juice of 2 limes)
  • Red-pepper flakes or hot sauce, for serving

Instructions

Transfer the scallions to a small bowl of ice water to crisp.

Peel the cucumbers in alternating strips and trim ends. If desired, halve lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut cucumbers into bite-size pieces (thin slices, ½-inch cubes, or smashed into irregular shapes), then transfer to a colander set in the sink. Toss with 1 teaspoon salt and set aside to drain, at least 5 minutes or up to 15. (You don’t rinse the cucumbers, so be gentle with the salt – I used about 1/2 tsp of kosher, and it was plenty for us.)

When you’re ready to eat, halve the avocados and remove the pits. Using a spoon, remove the flesh from the skins, then cut the flesh into ½-inch cubes. Transfer to a large bowl, add the lime juice and season with salt. Stir to combine. (I did not season with salt, there was plenty left on the cucumbers.)

Shake the cucumbers in the colander to get rid of any excess moisture, then transfer to the bowl with the avocado. Drain and shake the scallions in the colander. Add the scallions to the bowl.

Stir the salad ingredients vigorously just until the avocado breaks down a bit. The cucumbers should be glossed with avocado but the majority of the avocado pieces should still remain cubed. Season to taste with salt (again with the salt here), lime juice, and red-pepper flakes or hot sauce.

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