The photo looks like a thick, creamy chopped vegetable salad/dip made with cucumber, carrot, bell pepper, spring onion, fresh dill and a yogurt-based dressing. The celery sticks and toasted bread are served as crunchy accompaniments. Similar cucumber-yogurt preparations commonly use Greek yogurt, dill, garlic and lemon/vinegar, with the cucumber drained first to keep the mixture thick.
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Cleveland Clinic
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Ingredients — about 6 cups / 8 servings
Vegetable mixture
2 large English cucumbers, finely diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
4 spring onions/green onions, finely chopped
½ small red onion, very finely diced
½ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1–2 celery stalks, finely diced — optional
½ cup finely diced pickles or gherkins — optional
½ tsp salt, for draining the cucumber
Creamy dressing
1½ cups plain Greek yogurt, preferably thick/full-fat
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp sour cream or labneh, optional
1–2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp white vinegar or apple-cider vinegar
1–2 garlic cloves, finely minced
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt, or to taste
½ tsp sugar or honey, optional
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp Dijon mustard, optional
For serving
Cucumber slices
Celery sticks
Toasted baguette/bread
Crackers or pita
Extra dill and spring onion
Method
1. Prepare the cucumber
Dice the cucumber very small, roughly 5–7 mm cubes.
Sprinkle with ½ tsp salt and leave for 15–20 minutes. Drain, then squeeze gently in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.
This step is important: cucumber releases a lot of water, and removing some of it prevents the creamy salad from becoming watery. Similar published cucumber-yogurt recipes specifically recommend removing excess cucumber liquid and using thick Greek yogurt for this reason.
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Eat Move Save
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2. Prepare the vegetables
Finely dice:
carrot
red bell pepper
spring onion
red onion
celery
Keep the pieces approximately the same size so every spoonful has a mixture of colors and textures.
3. Make the dressing
Whisk together:
Greek yogurt + mayonnaise + sour cream/labneh + lemon juice + vinegar + garlic + pepper + salt + olive oil.
Taste it.
You want a balance of:
creamy → tangy → herby → lightly garlicky.
If it tastes too sharp, add ½ tsp sugar or honey.
4. Combine
Add the drained cucumber, carrot, pepper, onions, celery, dill and parsley to the dressing.
Fold gently rather than aggressively stirring, especially if you want the vegetables to remain crisp.
5. Chill
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1–2 hours.
The chilling period allows the dill, garlic and onion to flavor the dressing. Published cucumber-dill recipes also recommend chilling before serving.
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recipes.heart.org
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6. Serve like the photograph
Spoon the salad into a clear serving cup or bowl.
Top with:
a cucumber slice
1–2 celery sticks
a small piece of toasted bread
fresh dill
a little chopped red pepper
For a party, serve it as a dip/salad with bread, pita, crackers and raw vegetables.
Nut & Allergy Information
The basic recipe is naturally nut-free. There are no peanuts or tree nuts in the ingredients above.
However, check packaged ingredients carefully:
Mayonnaise — normally nut-free, but check the label.
Greek yogurt — generally not made with nuts, but check flavored/specialty products.
Mustard — check for allergen declarations.
Bread/crackers — may contain or be manufactured around nuts.
If using pesto, specialty mayonnaise or flavored dressings, they may contain nuts.
Want a nutty version?
Add 2 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds for crunch. If using actual nuts, chopped almonds or walnuts would work, but then the recipe is no longer nut-free.
Approximate Nutrition
For 8 servings, assuming the recipe uses full-fat Greek yogurt, regular mayonnaise and the quantities above:
Nutrient Approx. per serving
Calories 170–210 kcal
Protein 5–7 g
Carbohydrates 9–12 g
Fat 12–15 g
Saturated fat 2–4 g
Fiber 1.5–2.5 g
Sugar 4–6 g
Sodium ~300–450 mg
These are estimates, because the yogurt, mayonnaise, vegetables and amount of salt can substantially change the numbers. For comparison, published cucumber-yogurt recipes range from about 60 kcal for a very lean yogurt version to 160 kcal for a ½-cup Turkish-style yogurt dip.
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UNL Food
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Lower-calorie version
Use:
2 cups nonfat/low-fat Greek yogurt
¼ cup light mayonnaise
no sour cream
extra lemon and herbs
This gives you a thicker, protein-rich dressing with considerably less fat. Greek-yogurt cucumber dips commonly use this approach.
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FAQ
Can I make this without mayonnaise?
Yes. Replace the ½ cup mayonnaise with ½ cup Greek yogurt or labneh. The result will be lighter and more tangy.
Can I use regular yogurt?
Yes, but Greek yogurt is preferable because it is thicker. If using regular yogurt, strain it through cheesecloth for 1–2 hours first.
Why did my salad become watery?
Usually because the cucumber wasn’t drained sufficiently. Salt the diced cucumber, wait 15–20 minutes, then drain and squeeze it before mixing.
Can I prepare it the night before?
Yes. In fact, the flavor can improve after several hours in the refrigerator. Keep it covered and refrigerated.
How long does it keep?
For best texture, eat it within 1–2 days. Because it contains dairy and mayonnaise, keep it refrigerated and don’t leave it sitting at room temperature for extended periods.
Can I make it vegetarian?
Yes—the recipe is vegetarian as written.
Can I make it vegan?
Yes. Use unsweetened plant-based Greek-style yogurt and vegan mayonnaise. A cucumber-dill salad can also be made entirely with dairy-free yogurt and vegan mayonnaise.
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AndiAnne
Can I add chicken?
Absolutely. Add 1½–2 cups cooked shredded or finely diced chicken for a more substantial meal.
What other vegetables work?
Good additions include:
corn
peas
radish
broccoli
cherry tomatoes
finely diced cabbage
jalapeño
avocado
For the closest texture to the photograph, keep the vegetables very finely diced and colorful.
What herbs can replace dill?
Try:
parsley
mint
chives
cilantro
Dill gives the most recognizable cucumber-dip flavor, while parsley and mint make it fresher.
What should I serve with it?
The combination in the photo works particularly well: celery + cucumber + toasted bread. You can also use carrots, bell peppers, pita, whole-grain crackers or cucumber rounds. Cucumber-yogurt dips are commonly served with raw vegetables and pita/crackers.
C
Cleveland Clinic
+1
Is this a salad or a dip?
Both. Make the vegetables slightly larger and use less dressing for a salad; chop everything finer and use more thick dressing for a scoopable dip.
Best texture tip: drain the cucumber thoroughly and refrigerate the finished mixture before serving. That’s the key to getting the thick, spoonable consistency shown in the picture.