Shrimp Cucumber Salad

This tasty Shrimp Cucumber Salad has a spicy dressing and a touch of mint, and this salad is perfect for a cool and refreshing summer dish. You can adjust the amount of hot sauce to make the salad as spicy or mild as you prefer.

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I think this slightly-spicy Shrimp Cucumber Salad is perfect for summer parties when you want a refreshing salad. In my family a summer holiday celebration usually includes our families favorite shrimp and macaroni salad, but I’m guessing my shrimp-salad-loving family would like also like this salad with shrimp and cucumbers, that was adapted from a recipe by Ellie Krieger.

Ellie and I have some things in common when it comes to cooking style. But of course I rarely make recipes exactly the way they’re written, and I added a bit of cumin and Sriracha sauce for a slightly-spicy twist on Ellie’s salad. 

And when it’s scorching hot I do think that cucumber and shrimp are two great ingredients to help keep you cool, and in this salad there’s also a touch of mint to bump up the flavor!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• thawed frozen shrimp in the shell (see notes)
• Szeged Fish Rub (affiliate link), optional but good
• hot pepper flakes, optional, to season water when cooking shrimp
• cucumber
• mint leaves
• fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• ground cumin (affiliate link)
• Sriracha Sauce (affiliate link) (more or less to taste)
• Vege-Sal (affiliate link) (or a little less if using regular salt)
• fresh-ground black pepper
• extra virgin Olive Oil (affiliate link)

What size shrimp did I use for the Shrimp Cucumber Salad?

In the U. S. shrimp are labeled with a number that shows about how many shrimp equal a pound. I used 36-40 per pound size shrimp for this recipe.

Can you make Shrimp Cucumber Salad with pre-cooked shrimp?

If you want to use frozen cooked and shelled shrimp for the salad that will only make it easier. I do think shrimp you cook and peel yourself is a bit more flavorful, but sometimes that’s just not happening!

Want more cucumber salads to keep you cool?

Check out my collection of 30 Low-Carb Cucumber Salads for lots more salad ideas with this refreshing favorite summer vegetable!

How to Make Shrimp Cucumber Salad:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. I used one pound of frozen shrimp, which I thawed overnight in the refrigerator. Then I cooked the shrimp in boiling water, seasoned with a bit of hot pepper flakes. After exactly 3 minutes, drain shrimp quickly, plunge into ice water, then pour the shrimp into a colander placed in the sink and let them drain well while you prep other ingredients.
2. I used mini-cucumbers which have soft skins, so I kept the skins on. Chop enough cucumbers to make 2 cups chopped cucumber.
3. After the shrimp have drained well, peel the shells off with your fingers. Be sure to get all the pieces of shell; they should pull off easily.
4. Whisk together the dressing of lemon juice, cumin, Vege-Sal or salt, black pepper, Sriracha Sauce (affiliate link) and olive oil, then stir in coarsely chopped mint leaves.
5. Combine shrimp and cucumber in a bowl.
6. Mix dressing  into cucumber-shrimp combo.
7. This can be served right away or chilled for a few hours in the fridge.

How can you make Shrimp Cucumber Salad into a complete meal?

I think this salad would taste great served in lettuce cups (maybe with some Spicy Guacamole) if you wanted a more substantial meal. Or serve with another summer salad like Avocado Tomato Salad, Heart of Palm and Avocado Salad, or Napa Cabbage Asian Slaw.

More Shrimp Salads for Summer Parties:

• Lemony Shrimp Salad with Avocado, Heart of Palm, and Feta
• Shrimp and Avocado Salad
• Shrimp Salad Wraps
• Cucumber Noodle Salad with Shrimp
• Tarragon Shrimp Salad

Continue to Content

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Yield: 4 servings

Shrimp Cucumber Salad

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 3 minutes

Total Time 33 minutes

This tasty Shrimp Cucumber Salad has mint and a spicy dressing, and this is perfect for a refreshing summer dish.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. frozen shrimp in the shell (see notes)
• 1 tsp. Szeged fish rub (optional, to season water when cooking shrimp)
• 1/2 tsp. hot pepper flakes (optional, to season water when cooking shrimp)
• 2 cups diced cucumber 
• 1/2 cup packed mint leaves
• 3 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice (see notes)
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin (or more)
• 1/2 tsp. Sriracha sauce (more or less to taste)
• 1/2 tsp. Vege-Sal (or a little less if using regular salt)
• fresh-ground black pepper to taste
• 3 T extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. If using frozen shrimp, thaw overnight, then drain.
2. Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil, stir in fish rub and hot pepper flakes if using, then add shrimp and let boil exactly 3 minutes (use a timer.)
3. After 3 minutes, drain shrimp quickly, plunge into a bowl of ice water, then pour into a colander placed in the sink and let the shrimp drain well while you prep other ingredients.
4. Cut end off cucumbers and peel if the skin is thick. (If there are very many seeds, I would scrape out the seeds with a spoon before I diced the cucumbers.)
5. Dice cucumbers into 1/2 inch pieces and place in medium-sized salad bowl.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, cumin, Sriracha Sauce (affiliate link), Vege-Sal (affiliate link) or salt, and black pepper.
7. Then whisk in olive oil. (Start with smaller amount of cumin and Sriracha and add to taste.)
8. Coarsely chop mint using a chef’s knife and stir into dressing. (Next time I make this, I’d chop the mint in larger pieces than is shown in these photos, but chop it as big or small as you prefer.)
9. Check shrimp to be sure they have drained well enough to be quite dry, and pat dry with paper towels if needed.
10.  Pull off shells, including pulling off tail section, and put each shelled shrimp into salad bowl with the cucumbers as you peel it.
11. When all shrimp are peeled and gently combined with cucumbers, stir in lemon-mint dressing, taste to see if you want to add a bit more salt, ground black pepper, or Sriracha (that would be Lydia, adding more Sriracha.)
12. The salad can be served immediately but it’s best when chilled for a few hours before serving.
13. This will keep in the fridge for a day or two.

Notes

I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice for this recipe.

Thaw frozen shrimp overnight in the fridge. If you want to make the recipe easier you can use frozen precooked shrimp, but the shrimp you cook yourself are more flavorful. I used 36-40 per pound size shrimp.

This recipe adapted from The Food You Crave (affiliate link) by Ellie Krieger.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 236Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9.6gCholesterol 240mgSodium 1095mgCarbohydrates 4.2gFiber 1gSugar 1.2gProtein 26g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Shrimp Cucumber Salad is a great option for low-carb or Keto diets or for any phase of the original South Beach Diet.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Seafood Recipes or Salad Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe
This recipe was first posted in 2009. It was last updated with more information in 2023.

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