Pineapple Cucumber Salad (Printable)
Juicy pineapple and cucumber tossed with lime, cilantro and a honey-lime dressing; chill briefly for brighter flavor.
# What You'll Need:
→ Produce
01 - 2 cups fresh pineapple, diced
02 - 1 large cucumber, peeled and diced
03 - 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
04 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
05 - 1 small red chili, finely sliced (optional)
→ Dressing
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
07 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
08 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
# Steps:
01 - In a large bowl, mix the diced pineapple, cucumber, red onion, cilantro, and red chili if using.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, honey or maple syrup, salt, and black pepper until the mixture is emulsified.
03 - Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss thoroughly until evenly coated.
04 - Serve immediately for freshness, or refrigerate for 20 minutes to intensify the flavors before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The punch of freshness is so satisfying, especially when the sun won’t let up outside.
- I keep coming back to this one because it’s impossible to mess up—plus, the flavors always surprise people in the best way.
02 -
- Once, I made the mistake of adding the dressing too early—everything got a little soggy by serving time.
- Letting the onion mingle with lime juice for a few minutes before mixing tames its bite beautifully.
03 -
- I always wait to dress the salad until the very end—texture is everything here.
- Stirring in a spoon of finely diced chili brings just enough heat for the adventurous eaters.