3 Refreshing Cucumber Recipes to Cool You Down This Summer

It is July, and summer has fully announced itself here in Southern California. The early mornings are bearable and cool. But the afternoons and nights can be brutal with temperatures peaking and staying into the high nineties. The air conditioner works overtime, roaring, humming, trying its best. Light spills through a window, draping the tiles of the kitchen island in a velvety orange. 

Come 7:00 pm, I’m starting to get hungry. It is a kind of hunger that is self-defeating. My body wants food, yet it doesn’t want to do much work. I want something tasty to eat, but I don’t want to cook. Enter cucumber.  

Like the memory of my first childhood dog or a white crew neck t-shirt, I will always have space in my heart for a cucumber. Among the leftover beans in deli containers and half-cut fruit sitting in a bowl or the battalion of sauces in various states of use and non-use, there are the cucumbers, awkwardly shoved between wilting lettuces and sad cilantro, ready to be eaten. 

Like the mighty watermelon, the cucumber is primarily made out of water. Refreshing, crunchy, cool. This is what summer tastes like. I consider it synonymous with the summer months, even though the fruit is available year-round. It sounds like an exaggeration, but the cucumber is one of the most produced and consumed foods around the world. China loves cucumbers enough to produce 77 million tons of the vegetable in 2022 alone! Think pickles, smashed in a salad, sliced in a raita, madolined into ribbons for cocktails, aqua frescos, gazpachos, dipped in a spread, the cucumber is a beloved shapeshifter. A humble vegetable that happily conforms to whatever I want to eat. 

Oftentimes, I eat it straight from the fridge, peeling its skin into lengthwise strips, coring the soft middle with seeds, and making round coins. I squeeze half a lime over the dish and sprinkle a pinch of crunchy salt, a perfect snack with some ice-cold cerveza. If I want something more substantial, I can dress it up quickly, mixing some tahini with chili oil. A couple cracks of black pepper, and I have a salad I’m happy to eat, nary an oven or a stove in sight. 

What are the different types of cucumbers? 

There are three types of cucumbers: slicing, pickling, and burpless cucumbers. 

• Slicing cucumbers are good for salads and general cooking. English and hothouse cucumbers and Persian cucumbers are slicing cucumbers. 
• Burpless cucumbers, like slicing cucumbers, are made for eating without cooking or treatment. Certain English cucumbers can also be seedless. Most Asian cucumbers are burpless. 
• Pickling cucumbers are great for their namesake: pickling! These are usually gherkins.

Do I need to peel my cucumbers?

First of all, cucumber peels are perfectly edible. Do you want to eat the peels, though? That is the question. It’s a matter of preference. The peels add a certain texture to the vegetable. Thicker peeled cucumbers have waxy, bitter skin that, while edible, is not tasty. Thinner cucumbers, like Persian cucumbers, are perfectly fine to eat. 

Do I need to take out the center of the cucumbers?

This is another matter of texture! The membrane holds the seeds of the cucumber, and while the seeds are edible, they can range from soft to hard. A good general rule is that if the skin is thick and waxy, the seeds are likely to be on the harder side. For juicing and mashing, keep the center in. For all other purposes, it’s up to you! 

How do I store my cucumbers?

The best way to keep cucumbers is in the fridge — preferably in the crisper drawer, if you have one. Cucumbers can degrade if the temperature is either too hot or too cold, so it’s best to keep them at a relatively cool temperature. 

How long do cucumbers last?

Cucumbers can last up to 1-2 weeks in the fridge. 

3 No-Cook Cucumber Recipes 

From salads to sandwiches and even a cool, refreshing twist on a classic cocktail, here are three of our favorite ways to use cucumbers — no heat required.  

English Cucumber, Watermelon & Feta Salad 

Easy to throw together, this is a fun take on a cucumber salad. The sweet, refreshing flavors of the cucumber and watermelon play well with the saltiness of the feta. The herbs add just the right amount of complexity to make this an impressive yet simple dish. 

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 English cucumber
½ small watermelon
1 block feta cheese
¼ cup olive oil
1 Meyer lemon
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Chopped dill, tarragon, and mint leaves, for garnish

Directions

Cut the cucumber, watermelon, and feta into 1 ½-inch cubes.

In a mixing bowl, make the vinaigrette: whisk together the olive oil, ½ of the juice of the meyer lemon, red wine vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified.

Add the cubes of cucumber, watermelon, and feta and stir gently to coat with dressing.

Arrange the cubes on a serving dish (try stacking them for an aesthetically pleasing vibe!). Drizzle on any remaining vinaigrette. Top with pistachios and herbs. Enjoy!

Cucumber Sandwich with Sun-Dried Tomato & Salmon 

This is summer packed into a sandwich. The sun-dried tomato cream cheese is luxurious paired with the cold, crunch of the cucumbers. Add in slices of smoked salmon for a softer take on a classic morning bagel. 

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 cucumber
6 ounces cream cheese
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
4oz smoked salmon (optional)
¼ cup chives, chopped
Sea salt and black pepper
8 slices milk bread (or another soft bread)

Directions 

Slice the cucumbers length-wise and season with a big pinch of salt. Let it sit for 10 minutes. This will draw out excess moisture. Drain and pat dry.

While the cucumbers sit, make the tomato cream cheese: blend the sundried tomatoes and cream cheese together in a food processor until well-combined.

Assemble the sandwich. Cut the crust off the bread slices and spread tomato cream cheese over both sides. On the top slice, sprinkle chives. Add cucumber slices, smoked salmon (optional), ground black pepper, then top with the second slice of bread.

Cover the sandwiches and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, or serve right away. Slice into thirds to make finger sandwiches.

Persian Cucumber Mint Gin & Tonic

Cold, refreshing, and sweet, this cocktail is great for hot summer evenings, where maximum cucumber is attained with minimal effort. 

Yield: 1 cocktail 
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

2 oz gin
4-5 slices Persian cucumber
6-8 fresh mint leaves
½ ounces simple syrup
Juice of ½ lime
Tonic water, for serving 
Ice, for serving

Directions

Add the cucumber slices, mint, and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker. Muddle until broken down. 

Add the gin and lime juice. Shake with ice.

Strain into a glass, add fresh ice, and top off with tonic water. Garnish with a cucumber ribbon and a sprig of mint.

For an alcohol-free version, skip the gin and add extra tonic water. Make your own infused gin by soaking thin slices of cucumber in gin overnight in the fridge. Remember to strain the cucumber bits out before serving!