How to Make Armenian Cucumber Salad (Easy Recipe)

Jump to Recipe

This Armenian cucumber salad recipe is refreshing and delicious, with crisp cucumbers and bright herbs. It pairs perfectly alongside spiced grilled meats to make a hearty and refreshing meal, or can be enjoyed any time of day!

Armenian cucumber salad is a delicious way to enjoy cucumbers. Cucumber salad is one of my favorite side dishes, as cucumbers are a healthy fruit that make a refreshing side dish with a crisp texture. Cucumbers go so well with herbs like fresh dill, basil, and – as in this recipe –  bright herbs like fresh mint and parsley. 

My love for cucumber salad began when I worked in a Greek restaurant. I was obsessed with the cucumber salad and the tzatziki sauce…the freshness of the cucumbers were the perfect accompaniment to many different meals. Having made these recipes at the restaurant, I started making different variations of these yummy cucumber recipes at home. Now, I make sure to have a variation of cucumber salad ready when I’m making something like grilled lamb kofta or chicken kabobs! 

There are two different delicious ways to prepare this recipe. 

Option 1 is to use olive oil as a base. This makes a simple vinaigrette for a salad that can be served with a wide variety of meals. 

Option 2 is to substitute olive oil with plain yogurt! Make sure to use Greek yogurt or skyr so that it’s not too watery. This is a great alternative for someone who is avoiding oils, or just loves a yogurt based salad dressing. It gives it more of a tzatziki flavor and goes very well with grilled meats. 

What Kind of Cucumbers to Use?

Armenian cucumbers are also known as yard-long cucumbers. The Armenian cucumber, sometimes called a snake melon or snake cucumber, is a variety of melon that is long and skinny with a flavor similar to regular cucumbers when harvested while still small. They can be hard to find at the grocery store, but you can sometimes find them at farmer’s markets – or you could try growing some yourself! 

I like using English cucumbers for cucumber salad recipes. The seeds in this type of cucumber tend to be less bitter than regular cukes, so I don’t mind including the seeds in recipes. If you are using regular cucumbers, I recommend removing the inner seeds with their gelatinous coating. Do this by slicing the cucumber in half lengthwise, and scraping out the “seed goo” with a small spoon. This will improve the flavor and texture of your salad. 

Optional Add-ins

Here are some more ingredient ideas to add in to your salad:

• Sliced green onions
• Chopped red onion
• Crumbled feta cheese
• Diced sweet peppers
• Fresh tomato slices

Comment below with your favorite add-ins!

How to Make Armenian Cucumber Salad 

Step One

Add garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil OR yogurt, lemon juice, vinegar and maple syrup to a large bowl and whisk to combine. 

Step 2

Peel cucumbers 

If using regular cucumbers or Armenian cucumbers, scrape out center seed area by slicing cucumbers in half lengthwise and removing the “seed goo” with a small spoon. 

If using English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers, you can leave the seeds if you like. 

Step 3

Slice your cucumbers into quarters lengthwise, and slice those pieces into about 1/2 cm pieces width-wise. 

Add sliced cucumbers to large bowl with other ingredients. 

Step 4

Finely chop herbs and add to large bowl.

Step 5 

Toss all ingredients with salad forks to combine.

Step 6

Top with sumac or feta cheese.

Serve in small salad bowls and enjoy alongside a healthy, hearty meal!

Storage

This salad can be stored for up to 48 hours in a well sealed glass container in the refrigerator. After this the cucumbers may become too soft to be as enjoyable.