Vibrant Pineapple Cucumber Salad with Zesty Lime Kick Recipe
A refreshing and vibrant pineapple cucumber salad featuring diced fresh pineapple, crisp cucumbers, and a zesty lime dressing with a hint of honey and spice. This salad combines sweet, tangy, and savory flavors with optional feta cheese and jalapeño for a delightful kick, perfect as a light side dish or snack.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh pineapple, diced
- 1 large English cucumber, diced (or 2 Persian cucumbers)
- ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 small jalapeño, thinly sliced (optional)
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
Dressing Ingredients
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Pineapple: Dice the pineapple into bite-sized cubes about ½-inch pieces. Allow excess juice to drain for a minute before adding to the salad bowl to prevent sogginess.
- Prepare Cucumber: Dice the cucumber into similar-sized pieces as the pineapple. For regular cucumbers, peel and remove the seeds first for best texture and flavor.
- Mellow Onion: Thinly slice the red onion and place in a small bowl of ice water for 5 minutes. This step mellows out the sharpness of the onion. Drain thoroughly afterward.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine pineapple, cucumber, drained red onion, and chopped cilantro. Add jalapeño slices if you want a spicy kick.
- Make the Dressing: In a separate small bowl, whisk together fresh lime juice, honey or maple syrup, olive oil, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes until well emulsified.
- Toss Salad: Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and gently toss to coat everything evenly. The dressing should lightly glaze each piece without pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
- Add Feta Cheese: Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese over the top if using. This adds a creamy, salty contrast to the sweet and tangy flavors.
- Serve or Chill: Serve immediately for the freshest texture and flavor or chill the salad for up to 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
Notes
- Use ripe but firm pineapple for the best texture in the salad.
- English cucumbers are preferred for their thin skin and fewer seeds, but Persian cucumbers are a good substitute.
- Adjust the amount of jalapeño and red pepper flakes according to your heat preference.
- For a vegan version, omit the feta cheese and use maple syrup instead of honey in the dressing.
- The salad is best served fresh but can be chilled for up to 30 minutes before serving.
Keywords: pineapple cucumber salad, lime dressing, fresh salad, summer salad, healthy salad, vegetarian salad, refreshing side dish
