I am a big believer in uncomplicated recipes. And it does not get easier than this cucumber and radish salad. Not only is it easy to makes, it is bursting with the fresh, vibrant flavors of cucumber, radish and dill, with a delicious creamy Greek yogurt dressing.
Germany is known for their delicious cucumber salads (also known as Gurkensalat), either made with a vinegar and oil dressing or the creamy German Cucumber salad made with sour cream. This variation adds radishes to the mix.
"Gurke" is the word for cucumber in German and "Radieschen" the word for radishes. So this salad in German is called "Gurken-Radieschen Salat" - a bit of a mouthful! This is how you pronounce it.
These little bright red root vegetables are flavor bombs, adding a peppery taste to any salad. They divide opinions though: some hate them, some love them, but I think the cucumber radish salad is delicious as the radish and cucumber work so well together! Trust me!
Cucumber Radish Salad Ingredients:
- English Cucumbers (these are the most common cucumbers used in Gurkensalat, there is no need to peel them)
- Radishes
For the creamy salad dressing
- Greek yogurt - a nice thick yogurt, that is creamy without making the salad too wet. You can also replace it with sour cream if you like.
- Mayonnaise (affiliate link) - just a touch, but it adds richness to the vinegarette.
- neutral oil - such as avocado, rapeseed, or sunflower oil
- white wine vinegar
- mustard (affiliate link)
- salt and pepper (the salt is important to draw our the moisture of the cucumbers)
- sugar - optional just to balance the sharpness of the radishes.
How to make Cucumber Radish Salad
Peel the cucumbers, and wash the radishes. Using a sharp knife or a mandolin slicer, slice the cucumber and radishes in fine stripes and place into a colander.
Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt on the cucumber-radish mix and stir. Leave the rest for approximately 30 minutes. The salt will draw the water from the vegetables and avoid a soggy salad.
- In the meantime, make the dressing. Combine the yogurt, mayo, oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard (affiliate link), and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste, but remember that you have already added salt to the cucumbers.
- Place the cucumbers and radishes in a bowl, mix with the dressing, and leave to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
What to serve with Cucumber Radish Salad
This cucumber and radish salad is perfect for spring or summer. It is light and refreshing and will be a great side for any BBQ. Enjoy it with Bratwurst, Frankfurter Sausage, Schwenkbraten and even a little German pasta salad as a side.
I also like it with a crispy German schnitzel or a comforting bowl of cheese spaetzle.
What you need to know about radishes
Radishes are pretty easy to grow in your garden. They are undemanding, and don't take long to grow. You can harvest them 3-4 weeks after planting. This means that you can harvest them more than once during the summer. Learn how to grow radishes from the blog plantfoodathome.com
Radishes have a similar taste to horseradish. They have a more subtle flavor and do not taste as sharp as horseradishes. The intensity of the flavors depends on their variety and size, and whether it has been grown in a greenhouse or outside.
More German Salad Recipes
Recipe
German Creamy Cucumber Radish Salad
Equipment
- 1 Mandolin Slicer or a sharp knife
Ingredients
- 2 English Cucumbers
- 500 g (1 lb) radishes
- 70 g (â…“ cup) Greek yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon mayo
- 4 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon mustard either German mustard (affiliate link) or Dijon mustard (affiliate link)
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Peel the cucumbers and wash the radishes. Using a sharp knife or a mandolin slicer, slice the cucumber and radishes in fine stripes and place in a colander.2 English Cucumbers, 500 g radishes
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt on the cucumber-radish mix and stir. Leave the rest for approximately 30 minutes. The salt will draw the water out of the vegetables, and so you will avoid a soggy salad.
- In the meantime, make the dressing. Combine the yoghurt, mayo, oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard (affiliate link), and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste, but remember that you have already added salt to the cucumbers.70 g Greek yoghurt, 1 tablespoon mayo, 4 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon mustard (affiliate link), ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- Place the cucumbers and radishes in a bowl, mix with the dressing and leave to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
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