We all do it: We all buy the bagged spinach, bring it home, and then transfer it to the garbage when it has become brown sludge. And what do we do? That’s right, we buy a new bag of sacrificial spinach and do it all again. In my house, this happens quite a bit with cucumbers. We need them for a Greek chicken bowl or swear we’ll eat them as a healthy snack, but some or all of the cucumbers are always left over and turning gooshy on the ends by Sunday. No more, I say! These recipes to use up cucumbers are so simple and easy, there’s really no reason not to enjoy every last morsel of those cukes you spent hard-earned money on. Here’s how to make the most of them.
Easy Refrigerator Pickles
If you’ve ever wondered how to make super flavorful, satisfying pickles easily, Waddle And Cluck has the recipe for you. You’re literally just mixing together a room-temperature brine, tossing in some seasonings with fresh garlic and dill, and stuffing your jar with cucumbers. Come back in 48 hours and enjoy.
Cucumber Caprese Salad
Tomatoes are the classic option, yes, but The Speckled Palate’s recipe is proof that cucumbers sub in quite nicely for them in a caprese salad. All you need to make this delicious appetizer are four ingredients and 10 minutes, and you can’t really beat that.
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Well Plated’s creamy cucumber salad is perfect for when you want something crisp, flavorful, and refreshing. It’s a versatile side dish to take to potlucks or barbecues, or an easy one to pack in your lunches for the upcoming week. The homemade dressing is a blend of Greek yogurt, white vinegar, honey, garlic, dill, and chives, which adds so much oomph to a big bowl of sliced cukes and radishes.
Cucumber Margaritas
Slightly savory cocktail people, run don’t walk to get the ingredients for The Speckled Palate’s cucumber margaritas. You’ll blend up the cucumbers and strain them so you have a smooth juice base to work with, but look at them! You know it’ll be worth the effort when you’re sipping one of these on the porch after bedtime.
Cucumber Dill Sauce
You could absolutely make traditional tzatziki sauce, but Foodie Crush will teach you how to make an extra creamy version with a sour cream and mayo base. You can use it as a dip or condiment on bowls, or pop it on top of chicken or salmon for a little something extra.
Easy Mezze Platter
I never eat more vegetables than when I sit down with a snack plate like this mezze platter from Damn Delicious. Throw your leftover cucumbers on a platter with whatever hummus, dips, cheeses, olives, nuts, and other fruits or veggies you have. A bunch of simple things, when paired together, suddenly have way more appeal.
Asian Cucumber Salad
Asian cucumber salad is one of the easiest, most flavorful ways to use up cucumbers, in my opinion. You just need cukes and a few other ingredients, ones you likely have on hand if you make Asian-inspired dishes at home often. The Forked Spoon’s recipe calls for soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and honey, as well as some fresh herbs and seasonings.
Grilled Chicken Berry Salad
It’s pretty rare that I only have one kind of produce in need of using up, so Averie Cook’s grilled chicken and berry salad really appeals to me. It’s the perfect way to enjoy those last greens, avocados, blueberries (and yes, cucumbers) before their time is up.
California Roll Sushi Bowls
Imitation krab, rice, cucumbers, carrots, and avocado — that’s all you really need to make Princess Pinky Girl’s California roll sushi bowls. A little furikake or some seaweed snacks and a dash of spicy mayo certainly take them to the next level, though. This recipe might just become a part of your weeknight dinner rotation.
Cucumber Sandwiches
How many times have you wondered what cucumber sandwiches at a tea party would taste like? Honestly, I can’t imagine them being that fantastic, but they’d be really fun to try rather than just throwing half a cucumber in the trash. Budget Bytes’ recipe will teach you how to make these classic little snacks, complete with a dill cream cheese spread.
This is it, folks. Today is the day we stop letting the cucumbers in our produce drawers wither away into nothing.
