Cucumber Noodle Salad with Shrimp

When it’s too hot to cook, grab your Spiralizer and make this low-carb Cucumber Noodle Salad with Shrimp. And this refreshing salad is slightly spicy and loaded with Thai flavors!

PIN the Cucumber Noodle Salad to try it later!

In Utah it’s hot, hot, hot, with temperatures frequently hovering around 100F the last few weeks. And there’s no doubt that kind of weather can really make you appreciate a cooling dish like this Cucumber Noodle Salad with Shrimp.

Everything about this cucumber noodle salad is perfect for hot summer weather, including the cool “noodles” made with the Spiralizer (affiliate link), the icy-cold thawed shrimp, and the fact that no cooking is involved.

I first made this a few years ago and we loved the slightly spicy Thai flavors in this salad so much that I thought it was worth reminding you about it now that the hot days are here again; enjoy!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

• cucumbers
• medium cooked shrimp, thawed in the fridge if frozen and drained well
• thinly sliced basil or Thai basil
• Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link), or other sweetener of your choice
• fresh-squeezed lime juice, I used my fresh-frozen lime juice
• Red Boat Fish Sauce (affiliate link), or fish sauce of your choice (see notes)
• Chili Garlic Sauce (affiliate link) (see notes)
• salt

What gives this cucumber noodle salad Thai flavors?

This refreshing and slightly spicy salad has Thai flavors from Fish Sauce, Chili Garlic Sauce, lime juice, and basil. If you have Thai Basil, that will make the salad even better!

How do you make the cucumber noodles?

I used my Spiralizer (affiliate link) to make cucumber noodles, but you can use any of the Three Ways to Make Zucchini Noodles I shared last summer to make the cucumber noodles, depending on what kind of spiralizing gadget you have.

Want more noodles made with vegetables?

Check out Spiralizer Recipes for more recipe ideas using this fun kitchen gadget.

Tips for making Cucumber Noodle Salad with Shrimp:

(Scroll down for complete printable recipe with nutritional information.)

1. Thaw cooked shrimp in the fridge and let them drain well. 
2. I used two Chili Garlic Sauce (affiliate link) and Red Boat Fish Sauce (affiliate link) in the dressing for lots of spicy Thai flavors. Be sure the ingredients you use are gluten-free if needed.
3. Whisk together dressing ingredients.
4. Cut basil or Thai Basil into thin strips, I used my herb scissors (affiliate link) Then wash basil, and spin dry in a salad spinner (affiliate link) or dry with paper towels. 
5. Trim ends off one large European cucumber or two smaller ones and cut a slice halfway through the cucumber (so you get short noodles instead of one long one.
6. I used my Spiralizer (affiliate link) to make cucumber noodles.
7. Once you’ve made the cucumber noodles, lay a paper towel out on the counter, spread out the noodles in a thin layer, and press another paper towel down on top of them to absorb as much of the liquid as you can. (Don’t skip this or the salad will be watery.)
8. Toss the noodles with the spicy dressing.
9. Then toss in the shrimp and sliced basil and enjoy!

More Tasty Salads with Cucumbers:

Al’s Famous Hungarian Cucumber Salad ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen

Sesame Cucumber Salad ~ Simply Recipes

Thai Cucumber Salad ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen

Smoky Cucumber, Radish, and Avocado Salad ~ Cookin’ Canuck

Cucumber Salad with Balsamic Dressing ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen

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Yield: 3 servings

Cucumber Noodle Salad with Shrimp

Prep Time 25 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Grab your Spiralizer or another noodle-making gadget and make this Cucumber Noodle Salad with Shrimp that's loaded with Thai flavors.

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 large European cucumber or two smaller ones (see notes)
• 1/2 lb. medium cooked shrimp, thawed overnight in the fridge if frozen and drained well
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced basil or Thai basil (more or less to taste)

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 T Monkfruit Sweetener
• 2 T fresh-squeezed lime juice (see notes)
• 2 tsp. fish sauce (see notes)
• 2 tsp. Chili Garlic Sauce (see notes)
• 1/4 tsp. salt (more or less to taste)

Instructions

1. Thaw cooked shrimp overnight in the fridge if frozen; then drain well in a colander placed in the sink.
2. While the shrimp drains, whisk together the lime juice, Monkfruit sweetener, fish sauce, Chili Garlic Sauce, and salt to make the dressing.
3. Cut the basil into thin strips (either with this chiffonade technique or using herb scissors like I did. Wash the basil with cold water and spin dry in a salad spinner (affiliate link) or dry with paper towels.
4. Cut the ends off the cucumber and cut a thin slice going halfway through the cucumber so the pieces will make individual noodles and not one long noodle.(If you don’t have thinner-skinned European cucumber, I might peel some thin strips of skin off the cucumber before you make the noodles.)
5. Then use the Spiralizer (affiliate link) or one of the Three Ways to Make Zucchini Noodles to make the cucumber noodles.
6. Put a couple of sheets of paper towel on the counter and spread the cucumber noodles out in a thin layer; then lay more towels on top of the noodles and press down until most of the liquid from the cucumbers is absorbed by the towels.
7. Put the dried noodles into a bowl and toss with the dressing.
8. Then add the drained shrimp and sliced basil and toss again.
9. This is best right after it’s been made while the noodles and basil are still crisp.  Enjoy!

Notes

European or Persian cucumbers with thinner skins are best. I used my fresh-frozen lime juice for this recipe. I'd use Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) but use any sweetener you prefer. I prefer Red Boat Fish Sauce, which is gluten-free and Paleo. There are good options for Chili Garlic Sauce online if you can't find it in your store. (some links are affiliate links)

I wrote a post about Three Ways to Make Zucchini Noodles, but I love my Spiralizer for an easy method!

This recipe created by Kalyn when she was having fun experimenting with the Spiralizer!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

3

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 113Total Fat: 1.4gSaturated Fat: .4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: .8gCholesterol: 160mgSodium: 1288mgCarbohydrates: 6.6gFiber: .6gSugar: 2.4gProtein: 18g

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.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This tasty Cucumber Noodle Salad would be suitable for any phase of the original South Beach Diet or for low-carb diet plans including Keto as long as you use an approved sweetener like Monkfruit Sweetener. Even if you use a more authentic Thai sweetener like coconut sugar or brown sugar, this is still a pretty low-carb dish. (Check your fish sauce and Chili Garlic Sauce for added sugar if you’re really watching your sugars.)

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

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was first posted in 2015. It was last updated with more information in 2022.

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