• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Vegan Larder
  • Recipes
  • Cook Books
  • About
  • Work
  • Nav Social Menu

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cook Books
  • About
  • Work
  • Connect with me...

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Cook Books
    • About
    • Work
  • Connect with me...

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ร—
    Home ยป Salad

    Easy Cucumber and Carrot Salad

    Published: Aug 24, 2023 by Louise-Claire Cayzer ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท This blog generates income via ads ยท Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe

    This deliciously refreshing Carrot and Cucumber salad has a Maple and Soy dressing that is packed with loads of flavor. It's super easy to make for a quick side dish that can go with everything from burgers to a sushi feast. With vibrant colours that look as good as they taste, this fresh summer salad will get everyone's taste buds singing.

    Cucumber and Carrot Salad in a bowl with sesame seeds on top. this recipe

    Having a great, easy-to-make side salad idea that pairs well with all kinds of meals is essential, and this Cucumber and Carrot Salad works well on so many levels.

    Once you have a few essential Asian ingredients such as soy sauce and sesame oil, this style of salad becomes super easy to whip up, just like my other salad that has this more sesame-focused Gomae Style Dressing. The zingy dressing on fresh crunchy vegetables really lends itself to pairing with rich or fried foods, like my favourite Spicy Oyster Mushroom Burger. If you want a spicier version that's big on flavour, definitely check out this Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad as a delicious alternative.

    Jump to:
    • ๐Ÿฅ’Ingredients
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐ŸณInstructions
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • ๐Ÿ”ชEquipment
    • ๐ŸฅซStorage
    • โ—Top tip
    • โ“FAQ
    • More Salads:
    • Pairing
    • ๐Ÿ“– Recipe
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • ๐Ÿ’ฌ Comments

    ๐Ÿฅ’Ingredients

    Ingredients for the cucumber and carrot salad laid out.

    Salad Ingredients

    • Carrots - Fresh crispy carrots are key here, make sure they're not the sad wobbly ones from the bottom of the fridge that you forgot about. Save those for a stew.
    • Cucumber- I use an English/European style cucumber also known as seedless or burpless cucumber in this recipe, (mostly because these are the ones that grow easily for me!). They're fleshy but crisp, have a smooth dark green peel, and don't need to be de-seeded or peeled. Alternatives to use are the smaller Persian or Japanese cucumbers which look similar but aren't quite as large.
    • Spring Onions (Green Onions): I like the fresh mild onion lift that a spring onion gives to this crisp salad.
    • Fresh Mint: This adds a fragrant lift to the salad.
    • Fresh Chili: Optional, but I like a little heat. De-seed for less heat and just colour or leave out.
    • Sesame Seeds: I used a mixture of black and white sesame seeds because that's what I had to hand, but just one or the other is fine too.

    Dressing Ingredients

    • Neutral Oil: Choose a sunflower seed, grape seed or avocado oil rather than olive oil in this recipe.
    • Maple Syrup: Or other sweetener of choice such as agave or brown sugar.
    • Rice Vinegar: I prefer rice vinegar in this salad recipe as it's lighter and slightly sweet, and to me pairs well with the soy sauce. If you need to you can substitute for apple cider vinegar.
    • Soy Sauce: Salty and full of umami, a good quality Japanese style soy sauce such as Kikkoman is my preferred soy sauce.
    • Sesame Oil: The sesame oil really brings out the flavours, it only needs a little dash to really help enhance the overall salad.

    See recipe card for quantities.

    ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐ŸณInstructions

    Shave the carrot into slices.

    1.Prepare your carrots by peeling them. Then use your vegetable peeler to slice thin wide strips of carrot.

    Shave the cucumber into slices.

    2. The cucumber does not need to be peeled. Just use your vegetable peeler to create thin, wide slices of cucumber.

    Add chilli if wanted and add to the cucumber and salad.

    3. Finely chop the spring onions into strips. Then de-seed and chop the chilli. Finally remove the leaves from the mint and chop.

    Whisk together the dressing and drizzle over salad.

    4. Whisk together the salad dressing. Taste and adjust sugar/soy sauce as needed.

    Assemble the salad as artistically as you like, and serve immediately.

    Hint: You can assemble the salad up to 1 hour ahead of when it needs to be served and leave covered in the fridge. Pour over the dressing at the last minute.

    Substitutions & Variations

    1. Gluten Free: Choose Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (also known as Tamari) to keep this recipe gluten free.
    2. Cucumber only: Just leave out the carrots and double the cucumber!
    3. Carrot only: Leave out the cucumbers and double the carrots.
    4. Allium Free (No garlic or onions): this recipe works just as well without the green onions.
    5. Other veggies: Radishes, Sugar Snap Peas or even baby corn would be delicious in this crunchy vegetable salad.
    6. Winter Salad- why not get inspired by this similar Vegan Asian Winter Salad with Kale and a Tangy tahini Dressing
    7. Other herbs: Add or substitute in Coriander Leaf/Cilantro or flat-leaved parsley.

    ๐Ÿ”ชEquipment

    This super simple salad relies on a good vegetable peeler, however, you can also choose to use a very sharp knife or a mandolin to finely chop the carrots and cucumbers.

    ๐ŸฅซStorage

    This recipe really is better eaten on the day it is made, however if you do have leftovers, put them in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 2 days.

    The salad dressing will last longer if you have excess, just put into a glass jar with a lid and it will keep in the fridge for up to a month.

    โ—Top tip

    You can get as creative as you like with styling this salad in whirls and twirls. Just leave the dressing for last!

    โ“FAQ

    Can you eat cucumbers and carrots together in a salad?

    With a zingy and flavourful dressing, yes cucumber and carrot do go well together.

    Should I leave the skin on the cucumber in a salad?

    If you are using European/English or seedless cucumbers, they have a thin skin that is delicious in a salad. Some other varieties might have a tough skin that needs to be peeled.

    More Salads:

    Salads are great all year round, why not try some of these recipes!

    • A bowl of asparagus and pea pasta salad ready to eat with some lemons in the background and a little jug of extra dressing in the foreground.
      Asparagus & Pea Spring Pasta Salad with Lemon Dressing
    • A plate of lentil salad with spiced roasted carrots ready to eat.
      Spiced Roasted Carrot and Lentil Salad
    • A plate of salad with grilled nectarines, arugula (rocket salad), raspberries and pistachio nuts.
      Grilled Nectarine (or Peach) Arugula Salad
    • Goma Dressing in a little bowl ready to eat.
      Goma Dressing: Japanese Roasted Sesame Salad Dressing

    Pairing

    I love to serve this fresh salad with a juicy vegan burger, so why not try one of these recipes.

    • A cauliflower and chickpea burger stacked with mango chutney, lettuce and vegan cheese. There is another burger in the background.
      Spicy Indian Veggie Burgers: Chickpea & Cauliflower
    • Beyond Burgers in the Air Fryer (Frozen or Fresh)
    • oyster mushroom burger ready to eat.
      Spicy Crunchy Oyster Mushroom Burger
    • Spicy chickpea patty on a burger bun ready to eat.
      Easy Chickpea Patties (Gluten-Free)

    If you love this recipe, please share this post with your friends on Pinterest or Facebook, or tag me on Insta! Don't forget to also please comment and star โญthis recipe too!

    Love & Vegan Yummies, Louise xx (P.S. Follow me on Insta and Tik Tok!)

    ๐Ÿ“– Recipe

    Carrot and cucumber salad ready to eat in a bowl.

    Easy Cucumber and Carrot Salad (Asian Style)

    Louise-Claire Cayzer
    This crunchy and refreshing salad is perfect for eating as a quick and healthy side dish for wings, burgers or as part of an Japanese or Korean vegan feast.
    No ratings yet
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 0 minutes mins
    Total Time 10 minutes mins
    Course Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine Japanese, Korean
    Servings 4
    Calories 140 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 Vegetable peeler

    Ingredients Note:

    For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.

    (Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)

    Ingredients

    • 400 g Cucumber (approx 1 medium-large cucumber)
    • 400 g Carrots (1-3 smaller carrots)
    • 10 g fresh mint (or coriander leaf/cilantro )
    • 50 g Green Onions (Spring Onions)
    • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (toasted if you wish.)

    For the Dressing

    • 30 ml rice wine vinegar
    • 15 ml nuetral oil (such as grape seed or avocado)
    • 15 ml soy sauce
    • 5 ml maple syrup (or agaveor brown sugar)
    • 15 ml sesame seed oil

    Instructions

    • Using a vegetable peeler or mandolin, peel the carrots, then slice the carrots and cucumber into long thin slices.
      400 g Cucumber, 400 g Carrots
    • Cut the green onion/sprin onion into long thing pieces.
      50 g Green Onions
    • Finely cut the mint or pick the leaves off the coriander.
      10 g fresh mint
    • Arrange the cucumber and carrot slices in a bowl to serve, adding in the green onions and herbs.
    • Mix together all the dressing ingredients, and taste. Add more soy sauce or maple syrup to taste.
      30 ml rice wine vinegar, 15 ml nuetral oil, 15 ml soy sauce, 5 ml maple syrup, 15 ml sesame seed oil
    • Pour the dressing over the salad, and sprinkle over the sesame seeds.
      1 tablespoon sesame seeds
    • To serve: Toss the salad and eat immediately.

    Notes

    For this salad I prefer the Seedless European or English (sometimes called burpless) cucumbers, or the smaller Persian or Japanese style cucumbers. These all have thin dark skins and not many seeds, which makes them easy to slice and are also delicious to eat!ย 

    Substitutions & Variations

    Here are some ways you can mix up this cucumber and salad recipe according to what you have available or need.
    1. Gluten Free: Choose Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (also known as Tamari) to keep this recipe gluten-free.
    2. Cucumber only: Just leave out the carrots and double the cucumber!
    3. Carrot only: Leave out the cucumbers and double the carrots.
    4. Allium Free (No garlic or onions): this recipe works just as well without the green onions.
    5. Other veggies: Radishes, Sugar Snap Peas or even baby corn would be delicious in this crunchy vegetable salad.
    6. Other herbs: Add or substitute in Coriander Leaf/Cilantro or flat-leaved parsley.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 140kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 280mgPotassium: 526mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 17009IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 85mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe and loved it? Follow and Mention @vegan_larder or comment and โญ below

    More Salad

    • Grated carrot salad on a little plate ready to eat.
      Grated French Raw Carrot Salad (Carottes Rรขpรฉes)
    • A close up of the asparagus and baby potato salad ready to serve.
      Baby Potato Asparagus Salad without Mayo
    • Kale and Tahini Salad in a bowl with extra chickpeas sprinkled on top. Ready to eat.
      Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing & Roasted Chickpeas
    • Vegan Chicken Salad in a bowl with a sandwich behind it.
      Best Vegan Chicken Salad / Sandwich

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    No Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi! I'm Louise-Claire! I believe vegan and plant-based food should be easy to make, never scary and above all, absolutely delicious. Also, it's for everyone, not just for vegans!

    I'm a photographer, recipe developer and gardener. You'll find me in the kitchen, in the studio or wandering the garden, picking delicious veggies to make recipes for you! So why not stay a while, check out some of my recipes and try one or two for yourself...Find out more on my About Me page.

    Vegan Air Fryer Recipes

    • Butternut squash halved on a tray stuffed with sage and chickpea stuffing.
      Chickpea and Sage Stuffed Butternut Squash; Air fryer or Oven method
    • Cauliflower and broccoli being served on a plate.
      Air Fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower
    • Vegan Spanakopita Triangles ready to eat.
      Vegan Cheese and Spinach Spanakopita Triangles (Air Fryer or Oven Baked)
    • Plates of roasted tomato and white bean stew ready to eat.
      Roasted Tomato and White Bean Stew

    Tofu Lover? These are for you...

    • A casserole dish with vegan tuna noodle casserole in it ready to eat.
      Vegan Tuna Casserole (Tu-no Noodle)
    • A roasted pumpkin filled with hot cheese dip with a hand reaching in with a corn chip to scoop up some dip.
      Cheesy Pumpkin Dip: Savory & Dairy Free
    • A bowl of zucchini pasta ready to eat.
      Creamy Zucchini Pasta with Lemon Basil Sauce
    • A plate of pasta with a sauce made from blended creamy tofu and sundried tomatoes. There is another plate of pasta in the background, some basil leaves on top of the pasta.
      Creamy Tofu Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes (No cook sauce!)

    Vegan Dinner Inspo

    • 50 vegan asparagus recipes.
      50+ Vegan Asparagus Recipes
    • Collage of 4 recipes suited for a BBQ that are vegan.
      30+Yummy Vegan BBQ Main Recipes
    • A plate of spaghetti with vegan mushroom scallops on top. Next to the plate is a glass of white wine and half a lemon.
      Vegan Scallops with Garlic Pasta (King Oyster Mushroom)
    • A bowl of white bean puttanesca with a few olives on top ready to eat.
      White Bean Puttanesca - One Pot Recipe

    Craving something sweet?

    • Peach and Raspberry Cake with a slice cut on a plate ready to eat.
      Raspberry and Peach Cake- Dairy and Egg Free
    • Sticky Toffee pudding with ice cream and more sauce being poured over it.
      Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding (Sticky Date Pudding)
    • Vegan Pineapple Upside Down cake ready to slice.
      Easy Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake
    • Vegan Cardamom and Spinach cake with lemon buttercream and a candle on the top.
      Vegan Cardamom & Spinach Celebration Cake
    • Rhubarb cake with a slice taken out of it.
      Easy Vegan Rhubarb Cake
    • Delicious Tofu Dessert Recipes

    Recipes you're all loving!

    • Cheesy Chickpea flour crackers in a bowl. The crackers are topped with poppy seeds.
      Crispy Chickpea Flour Crackers (with chia & flaxseed)
    • A bowl of savoury chickpea granola ready to snack on.
      Savory Chickpea Granola (with flavor variation ideas)
    • A pan of creamy white beans with pan roasted mushrooms and pesto on top.
      Creamy White Beans with Mushrooms & Pesto
    • A bowl of sundried tomato and olive tapenade with crackers ready to eat.
      Sun Dried Tomato and Olive Tapenade

    Lovely Lentils

    • A plate of lentil salad with spiced roasted carrots ready to eat.
      Spiced Roasted Carrot and Lentil Salad
    • A bowl of lentil bolognese with spaghetti.
      Easy Vegan Lentil Bolognese Sauce
    • A bowl of lentil and tomato soup with some vegan cheese sprinkled over it, ready to serve.
      Lentil and Tomato Soup (Lentils Monastery Style)
    • A bowl of swede and carrot soup with a hand scooping up a spoon of soup.
      Classic Swede (Rutabaga) and Carrot Soup
    • Contact Me
    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy, Cookies, Ads & T&C's

    Footer

    โ†‘ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About Me
    • My Story

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • What I Do

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright ยฉ 2025 The Vegan Larder on the Cravings Pro Theme

    Carrot and cumber salad in a bowl and close up with sesame seeds.
    Cucumber and Carrot Salad in a bowl.
    Carrot and cucumber salad close up.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required