What To Serve With Cucumber Salad – 15 Best Side Dishes

Are you looking for the perfect side dish to go with your cucumber salad?

Cucumber salad is a light and refreshing summer side dish that pairs well with grilled meats, fish, and veggies.

But if you are wondering what to serve with cucumber salad, then you are in the right place.

I’m sharing 15 of the best side dishes to pair with cucumber salad including potato sides, rice dishes, salads, sandwiches, and more.

So go ahead and give one of these delicious recipes a try!

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes With Cucumber Salad?

• To Add Color: Side dishes can add a pop of color to your cucumber salad, making it more visually appealing and inviting.
• To Add Texture: Serving side dishes with your cucumber salad can provide an interesting contrast in texture, such as crunchy croutons or creamy mashed potatoes.
• To Increase Variety: Adding side dishes to your cucumber salad will give you the opportunity to offer a wider variety of flavors and ingredients for guests to enjoy.
• To Balance Flavors: Side dishes can help balance out the flavors in your cucumber salad by adding sweetness, acidity, saltiness, or spiciness depending on what you choose to serve alongside it.
• For Nutritional Value: Serving side dishes with your cucumber salad is also a great way to increase its nutritional value by adding proteins like grilled chicken or legumes like chickpeas or lentils that are high in fiber and other essential vitamins and minerals.

What To Serve With Cucumber Salad – 15 Best Side Dishes

Cucumber salad is a delicious, light side dish. But what should you serve with it?

Here are fifteen of the best side dishes to pair with cucumber salad, offering a range of flavors and textures:

1. Grilled Chicken

Grilled chicken is the perfect complement to a cucumber salad. The smokiness of the grilled chicken makes for a great pairing with the light, acidic dressing in most cucumber salads.

2. Grilled Shrimp

Grilled shrimp adds another dimension of flavor to your cucumber salad, and also provides an added boost of protein. Be sure to season your shrimp well so it stands out amongst all the other flavors.

3. Baked Salmon

Baked salmon is another good option that pairs nicely with this light dish.

The flaky deliciousness of cooked salmon will play perfectly off the crunchy texture of a traditional cucumber salad! Add some lemon wedges or capers on top for extra zing and you’ll have yourself a winner!

4. Pan-Fried Tofu

Pan-fried tofu is a great way to add a savory and protein-packed element to any salad. Start by draining the block of tofu, then patting it dry with paper towels.

Cut the cube into cubes or blocks and carefully place in hot oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Cook until golden brown on each side and sprinkle with sea salt while frying for added flavor. Serve warm as an accompaniment to your salad of choice!

5. Falafel

Another tasty addition to salads is falafel balls or fritters—a staple of Middle Eastern cuisine that’s become increasingly popular across the globe due to its deliciousness!

The main ingredients are ground chickpeas, garlic, onion, parsley, cumin, coriander, and baking powder plus other spices depending on the recipes can also be included for an extra kick (e.g., cayenne pepper). Traditionally served deep fried on skewers but you can also bake them before adding them to your cucumber salad dish!

6. Hummus

No salad plate is complete without the addition of creamy hummus—the renowned dip made from cooked mashed chickpeas blended together with tahini (sesame paste), olive oil, and lemon juice plus other seasonings such as cumin and salt – which makes it an extremely versatile dish when accompanies many different sides like vegetables, grilled meats/poultry or even pitta bread as well as cooled boiled eggs!

Doing this would add comes more complexity thanks to filling up both sweet water clove favorites in one single go.

7. Roasted Vegetables

Roasting vegetables are a great way to enhance the flavor of any salad! Combine cubed root vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, or squash with some olive oil and your favorite herbs and spices.

Bake them at 400 ºF for around 30 minutes until they’re golden brown. When they’re done cooking, add them to your cucumber salad for an added crunch that will make it even more delicious!

8. Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is a quick-cooking grain that adds a subtle nutty flavor and texture to salads. To make it easily digestible (and tasty!), cook quinoa in vegetable broth for 15-20 minutes before stirring it into your cucumber salad.

This side can be served cold or warm depending on whether you want something comforting during colder months or light and refreshing for summer days!

9. Couscous Salad

This Middle Eastern staple grain offers both beautiful color and delicious texture when paired with any type of garden fresh produce you wish to mix in!

Simply boil couscous according to package instructions then stir in diced tomato, onion, and chopped olives, along with some feta cheese crumbles right before serving alongside cucumber salad – yum!!

10. Grilled Corn on the Cob

This is a classic side dish that can be grilled or boiled and pairs perfectly with any salad. It adds a bit of sweetness to the dish while adding texture as well.

11. Garlic Bread

For an extra creamy side, garlic bread offers amazing flavor along with a more indulgent texture than regular bread slices. Try it sliced thickly and spread with butter or olive oil – it will make your salad much more substantial!

12. Pita Bread

Light, fluffy pieces of pita are great for scooping up mouthfuls of vegetables in your cucumber salad, while they also add some extra carbs to fill you up after you’ve finished eating your greens! Perfect for tearing into chunks before dipping in dressing or spreads as well!

13. Rice Pilaf

A great side for any summer salad, this rice pilaf is sure to be a crowd-pleaser! To make it, first, cook some basmati rice in vegetable or chicken stock for extra flavor.

Then add your favorite mix of vegetables such as diced bell peppers and peas, sun-dried tomatoes, or even olive tapenade – the possibilities are endless! Once everything is cooked through, sprinkle on top freshly chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese for added flavor.

14. Lentil Soup

A comforting bowl of soup works very well to balance out the freshness of cucumber salads. To make an easy lentil soup start by cooking red lentils in vegetable stock with finely diced onions until they have softened.

Next, add your preferred vegetables such as garlic cloves and celery stalks before seasoning with spices like cumin powder and paprika. Let them all simmer together until they become fragrant then serve it alongside your salad – don’t forget a few slices of crusty bread to go along with it!

15. Vegetable Curry

Cucumber salads can benefit from the warmth of a curry dish too! Start off by sautéing some onions in coconut oil until golden brown before adding spices like curry powder and turmeric powder into the mix.

Toss in seasonal vegetables such as zucchini, carrots, or eggplant before pouring some coconut milk into the pan; let everything cook until it gets thickened up then garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves to finish off the dish. Serve it on its own as an entree or alongside your salad for an extra flavourful meal!