This Vietnamese Cucumber Salad is bursting with flavor and fresh herbs. Perfect as a side dish or try putting it over lettuce and topping it with grilled chicken to make it a meal!
Are you always looking for new delicious side dishes to add to your rotation?
Me too!
I know some people are happy to stick with tried and true recipes.
And I get that!
Because I’ve got some favorites that are served often in my home.
Like this vinaigrette-dressed coleslaw.
And this Caribbean bean salad.
And this dip recipe.
But I get bored making (and eating) the same thing over and over.
I’ve shared one of my family’s favorite meals, Vietnamese Noodle Bowl Salads, here. It’s so fresh and healthy!
One night I wondered, why not use the dressing we love so much to make a Vietnamese cucumber salad?
I pulled out the ingredients that I always keep on hand and the recipe I’m sharing today is the result!
What Can I Make With Too Many Cucumbers?
If you’re lucky enough to have a garden that produces an abundance of cucumbers, give this Vietnamese-inspired recipe a try for something new!
We’ve all had the classic cucumber, onion and tomato salad.
But as good as it is, it’s nice to try something new sometimes.
This delicious low carb cucumber salad is bursting with flavor!
Any time you have too many cucumbers, just whip up a batch of Vietnamese cucumber salad.
This recipe includes fresh herbs like cilantro and lime along with red onions for a wonderful combination of flavors.
What is the Best Way to Eat Cucumbers?
I’m often asked what the best way is to eat cucumbers.
As someone who follows a healthy lifestyle, I eat a lot of cucumbers!
Honestly? I’m not sure there’s an answer for the best way to eat them.
Sliced up with Everything Bagel Seasoning?
Yum!
Pickled?
Yes, please!
Topped with Southwest Pimento Cheese?
Absolutely!
Marinated in Italian dressing with lots of raw veggies?
You betcha!
And now you have a new way to enjoy eating cucumbers: a keto Vietnamese cucumber salad recipe.
What are the Health Benefits of Cucumbers?
Cucumbers are so low in calories, but they’re still packed with nutrients and antioxidants.
They are a wonderful source of hydration.
Just one cup of cucumbers gives you more than 10 grams of vitamin K.
Did you know that cucumbers mayb be helpful in battling cancer? They contain a high level of nutrients called cucurbitacins which have been shown to help prevent cancer cells from multiplying.
There’s even evidence that cucumbers can help with cardiovascular health, diabetes, and inflammation.
Ingredients in Vietnamese Cucumber Salad
Okay.
This may seem obvious, but this salad includes cucumbers.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the other ingredients that are unique to a Vietnamese cucumber salad recipe.
Persian Cucumbers
Have you tried these fun miniature cucumbers yet?
They’re small, and so crunchy!
I love that the skin is thin and doesn’t need to be peeled.
Plus these little cucumbers don’t have that waxy coating you find on traditional cucumbers.
The seeds are so tiny so it’s not necessary to remove them before making this salad.
You can use English cucumbers too.
Simply slice them into 1/4-inch slices and your done.
That was easy!
If you’re using regular cucumbers, you might want to peel them and remove the seeds when you make this cucumber salad recipe.
Fish Sauce
I can’t believe how much I love fish sauce.
It’s made from fermented anchovies.
Gross, right?
That’s what I definitely would’ve thought!
But fish sauce adds such an amazing, deep flavor (often called umami) to the dressing in this recipe.
Give it a try, and I’ll bet you’ll be singing its praises right along with me!
Fresh Herbs
There’s nothing like the bright flavors of fresh mint and fresh cilantro.
This Vietnamese Cucumber Salad recipe includes both!
Each herb on its own is delicious, but when you combine the two you get a flavor that is quintessentially Vietnamese.
Ways to Enjoy This Salad
My family loves this cucumber salad as a side dish all year long.
But I always make a double batch.
Why?
Because it’s amazing with grilled chicken on top for a quick and healthy lunch!
Tips for Making This Vietnamese Cucumber Salad
I’ve used red onions in this salad because they have a more mild flavor than other onions.
But here’s a little trick for you!
Did you know that if you soak sliced onions in cold water for about 10 minutes before adding them to a salad you can make the flavor even milder?
This little trick is a great way to curb onion breath!
Slice the red onions very thin first and put them in a bowl with cold water.
Then chop up all the rest of the ingredients while they soak.
I hope you’ll love this Vietnamese inspired cucumber salad as much as my family does!
Be sure to leave a star rating and review after you make the recipe.
This helps other people to find and enjoy it too.
Plus it means the world to us!
The Best Keto Vietnamese Cucumber Salad
This Vietnamese Cucumber Salad is bursting with flavor and fresh herbs. Perfect as a side dish or top with grilled chicken to make it a meal!
Ingredients
Salad
- 6 cups miniature cucumbers, can substitute English hothouse cucumbers
- 1/3 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
- 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
Dressing
- 1/4 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed is best!
- 2 Tbsp extra light olive oil
- 2 Tbsp water
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 4 tsp Pyure, or equivalent low carb sweetener
- 1 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, or more if you prefer spicy food
Garnish
- 1/4 cup salted peanuts, chopped
Instructions
Dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, extra light olive oil, water, fish sauce, garlic, Pyure, and crushed red pepper. Set aside.
Salad
- Place thinly sliced red onion in a bowl with cold water and set aside while preparing other ingredients.
- Slice cucumbers about 1/4-inch thick. If using English cucumbers, remove seeds. Place in mixing bowl.
- Remove the seeds and membranes from a large jalapeno pepper. Mince the pepper. You can add a few of the seeds to increase the heat of the salad. Add to cucumber.
- Finely chop the fresh cilantro and fresh mint. Add to cucumber and jalapenos.
- Drain the red onions and add the onions to the cucumbers.
- Coarsely chop the peanuts and set aside.
- Stir together the vegetables with the dressing. Garnish with chopped peanuts.
Notes
Please note that we are not medical or nutritional professionals. We include nutrition information for our recipes as a courtesy to our readers. It is calculated using WP Ultimate Recipe and we remove erythritol and xylitol from the final carb count because that is how THM calculates carbs. Please refer here for our complete Nutritional Disclosure.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1 gramsAmount Per Serving Calories 155Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 1mgSodium 754mgCarbohydrates 8gFiber 2gSugar 1gProtein 4g
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