Avocado Cucumber Salad
Published June 20, 2019 • Updated February 28, 2026
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I eat guacamole by the spoonfuls, so I turned it into this avocado cucumber salad. Five minutes, one bowl, and a cilantro-lemon dressing that makes it a proper keto side.
I started making this avocado cucumber salad because I kept eating guacamole straight from the bowl with a spoon. No chips, no veggies to dip, just a spoon and a shameless lack of self-control. At some point I figured if I was going to eat avocado like a salad, I might as well make it one.
The concept is simple. Ripe avocado, cool cucumber, red onion, tomato, and a cilantro-lemon dressing that ties everything together. What makes this different from a basic side salad is the ratio. I use two full avocados to one cucumber, so every bite is creamy with just enough crunch to keep it interesting. The dressing is light (olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes) because the avocado does most of the heavy lifting.
I make this year-round, but it really shines as a keto BBQ side when everyone else is loading up on potato salad and corn on the cob. It pairs well with anything off the grill. I’ve served it next to bacon wrapped asparagus kebabs and alongside grilled vegetables, and both times it was the first dish emptied. The cilantro-lemon dressing cuts through heavier grilled meats without competing, which is why I keep coming back to it.
The whole thing comes together in about five minutes. Beth, one of my readers, told me she’s made it three times in two weeks because she keeps all the ingredients on hand now. I get that. Once you have the rhythm down, there’s nothing faster for a fresh, filling side. Chop, toss, drizzle, done.
If you’re stuck in the same keto salad rotation, this breaks the pattern. It’s not a leafy green situation. It’s chunky, creamy, and substantial enough to work as a light lunch on its own. I’ll sometimes throw in crumbled feta or swap the lemon for lime, and both variations hold up. A handful of diced bell pepper works too if you want more color.
For more keto sides, I love my broccoli cauliflower salad for meal prep days and my Asian cucumber salad when I want sesame and rice vinegar instead of the cilantro-lemon dressing.
One thing I’ve learned after making this dozens of times: don’t dice the avocado too small. You want chunky pieces that hold their shape when you toss everything together. If you cut them too fine, the dressing turns the whole bowl into mush. Quarter-inch cubes at minimum. The cucumber slices can be thinner since they’re there for crunch, not structure.
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Ingredients
1 cucumber, sliced -
2 avocados, diced
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1 tomato, diced
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½ red onion, diced
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¼ cup cilantro, chopped
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¼ cup olive oil
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2 tablespoons lemon juice
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
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1 teaspoon oregano
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1 teaspoon salt
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Chop up the veg
Prepare your vegetables and fruit. Chop up avocado, dice onion, slice cucumber, rough chop the cilantro.
Unite them all
Add to a serving bowl.
Whisk dressing
Combine the ingredients for the dressing – olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano and salt. Mix well.
Pour it on
Drizzle the dressing over the salad.
Toss
Mix until evenly coated.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this salad in advance?
I've prepped the cucumber, onion, tomato, and dressing up to a day ahead and kept them separate in the fridge. The avocado I always cut right before serving because even with lemon juice on it, the texture changes after a few hours. When I'm bringing this to a BBQ, I do all the chopping at home and toss in the avocado on site.
What can I substitute for cilantro?
I know cilantro is a love-it-or-hate-it herb. When I make this for friends who can't stand it, I swap in fresh flat-leaf parsley and it works just fine. The dressing still carries enough garlic and lemon to hold the flavor together. Fresh dill is another option I've tried. If you do love cilantro, try doubling it and serving this next to my keto cilantro lime cauliflower rice for a cilantro-heavy spread.
Can I add feta cheese to this salad?
I add crumbled feta to this all the time. About a quarter cup scattered on top after tossing. The salt from the feta means I back off the salt in the dressing a bit, so taste before you season. It adds a tangy bite that plays off the creamy avocado. If you like the feta angle, my lemon garlic kale salad uses a similar pairing.
What's the best way to keep avocado from browning?
I squeeze extra lemon juice directly over the avocado pieces before tossing them in. That buys you some time. But honestly, this is best eaten fresh. I make it right before serving, and at my house it's gone in one sitting. If you do have leftovers, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to keep air out.
How do I store leftovers?
I press plastic wrap right against the surface of the salad (not just over the bowl) and refrigerate. It keeps for about a day. The avocado browns a little, but the flavor holds up. I've also stored the dressing separately and tossed fresh avocado into the leftover cucumber mixture the next day, which works even better.
Can I use regular cucumbers instead of English cucumbers?
I've used both. Regular cucumbers have thicker skin and more seeds, so I peel them and scoop out the seeds with a spoon before slicing. English cucumbers are easier because you can skip both steps. Either way the salad turns out the same. I just prefer English for the crunch and the thinner skin.
How do I make this salad spicier?
I bump up the red pepper flakes to a full half teaspoon, and sometimes I'll dice half a jalapeno right into the mix. Seeds in if you want real heat, seeds out for just a warm kick. My Mexican coleslaw uses a similar spicy-creamy approach if you're into that combination.
Brought this to a cookout last weekend and people kept coming back for more. Someone asked what the dressing was because it tasted way more complicated than olive oil and lemon have any right to.
Took this to a friend's backyard thing last weekend and it held up way better than I expected after sitting out for a bit. The bowl was empty before I even thought to check on it. The cilantro-lemon dressing is what people kept pointing to when they asked what was in it (I had to look at my phone to remember the exact ratios). Making a double batch next time.
Ha, I still look it up. The garlic and red pepper flakes are what throws people off, they can't quite place it. Double batch, always.
My daughter picks avocado out of everything and she ate the whole bowl without a word. I think it was the lemon dressing with the red pepper flakes that got her.
Made this as a side for Sunday dinner and my husband, who normally won't touch anything with avocado, went back for more and then asked what was in the dressing. The lemon and garlic is doing all the work there. I'd go 5 stars but I dialed back the red pepper flakes for him, so landing at 4.
The avocado skeptic asking about the dressing is basically the win condition for this recipe. Half the red pepper flakes still comes through, just without the heat.
The cilantro-lemon dressing did something to me. I've been eating sad salads for months. This is actual food, the kind I used to throw together before keto, and it just fits without any weird substitutions. That got to me.
This is the first salad I've actually wanted to make again after a single try, which is saying something because I usually just default to bag salads. The dressing surprised me. I wasn't sure about lemon over lime but the oregano pulls it together in a way I didn't expect. My one honest note is that the red onion hit harder than I was ready for. I read afterward that soaking it in cold water for about 10 minutes mellows it out, which I'm trying next time. The avocado held up better than I expected sitting in the fridge for a few hours, so that was a relief for a beginner who panics about browning. Solid 4 stars with that onion adjustment in mind.
Been avoiding salads that feel like sad diet food for months, but the cilantro-lemon dressing here reminded me why I actually love eating this way. Made it in five minutes on a Tuesday and felt genuinely good about dinner for the first time in a while.
Tuesday salads shouldn't feel like punishment. The lemon is what does it, keeps everything from going flat and heavy. I make that dressing on its own sometimes and just drizzle it over whatever's in the fridge.
The cilantro-lemon dressing is the whole thing, but raw red onion hit too sharp on mine (going to quick-pickle it first next time).
Quick-pickle will fix it. I do a cold water soak when I'm in a rush - 10 minutes pulls most of the bite out too.
Thought the lemon would bug me (everything avocado in this house is lime), but honestly it's what makes this different. Cleaner somehow.
Yeah, it doesn't linger. Lime would've blurred the cilantro and garlic together.
My husband grabbed a chip and went in before I could warn him. He figured it out fast but finished it anyway. The lemon dressing makes it lighter than guacamole but you still get that creamy avocado thing. Going in the spring rotation.
Ha, the chip-and-realize moment is basically the best review. And yeah, lemon over lime is what keeps it from being just deconstructed guac.
Not a cilantro person but this lemon dressing looks like something I'd put on everything. Would parsley work as a swap?
Parsley works fine. Fresh flat-leaf over curly if you can find it, the flavor's a bit stronger. The lemon and garlic carry the dressing either way.
Made this Sunday expecting it to last maybe a day before the avocado went brown. Still looked fresh on Wednesday. If you're meal prepping, the lemon dressing holds it better than you'd think.
Wednesday. I keep telling people one day max. Going to have to update that.
Third time making this in two weeks. I've started keeping all the ingredients on hand because it's my go-to when I want something fresh and filling but don't want to actually cook. Takes like 5 minutes to throw together.
Three times in two weeks means you've got the ratio down. That cilantro-lemon dressing is basically guacamole in a bowl, so yeah, it disappears fast.