Pineapple Cucumber Salad
Fresh Pineapple Cucumber Salad is a refreshing side that screams nothing but a cheery backyard party or a quick lunch or side! Cucumbers and pineapple paired with red onions, red bell peppers, and cilantro deliver a genuine flavor explosion! So get ready to rake in all the amazing reviews for this salad.
Summertime is the perfect time to hit the beach! It’s all about backyard barbecues, pool parties, and soaking in the blissful breeze! Oh, how I love summer!
Because of the fun in the sun, we need to keep our bodies hydrated. That means having refreshing drinks and watery fruits on hand, such as watermelon, citrus, cucumbers, pineapple, and more.
If you’ve noticed, I like mixing and matching fruits with veggies every now and then. Thus, the birth of this simple yet hydrating salad. I bet you’ll fall in love with this cucumber salad with pineapple!
The Secret Is the Dressing
If your salad is boring, ramp it up with a well-balanced dressing. Simple ingredients combine for an intense flavor that will make the salad your lunch showpiece! The secret to a great dressing is the perfect balance of acidity, sweetness, and fat (because fat is what carries flavor).
This humble dressing is chock full of flavor with lime juice and vinegar (acidity), olive oil (fat), and honey (sweetness). Then make it your own with spices like red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. A dash of ground cumin and coriander would add to the tropical taste.
Cucumber Pineapple Salad Ingredients
These easily accessible ingredients mean you don’t need a special occasion to whip this up. Just 10-15 minutes, and you’ll have a refreshing salad in no time!
- Pineapple chunks are the star of this show. Natural sweetness and acidity deliver a refreshing salad experience.
- Cucumbers – Hydrating and refreshing, this veggie (technically a fruit) adds a delicious crunch.
- Veggie Additions – Red onions add a gorgeous vibrance and aromatic flavor.
- Salad Dressing – Lime juice, olive oil, honey, red pepper flakes, white vinegar, salt, and pepper create the perfect balance of sweet, sour, oil, and spice.
How to Make Pineapple Cucumber Salad
- Dressing – Mix the lime juice, olive oil, honey, red pepper flakes, white vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Vigorously whisk until blended.
- Salad – In a large mixing bowl, add pineapple chunks, cucumber slices, red onion slices, diced jalapeno, diced avocado, diced bell pepper, and chopped cilantro.
- Assemble – Pour the vinaigrette dressing over the salad and toss until it coats every inch of the salad blend.
- Serve – Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour or until ready to serve.
What Else Can You Add?
Depending on your preference, you can always customize and add other fruits or fresh vegetables to your pineapple salad.
- Add some green leafy lettuce, such as romaine, arugula, and dandelion greens
- Other tropical fruits like mangos, passionfruit, and pomegranates are tasty additions
- Dried fruit like cranberries, apples, and raisins give your salad a delightful taste
- Make it a healthy, one-dish salad by topping it with some air fryer coconut shrimp
- Toss in some grated parmesan or mild cheddar cheese for a heartier side dish
What to Serve With Pineapple Cucumber Salad
This refreshing, mouthwatering pineapple salad is perfect for summer getaways or backyard barbecue parties! Be ready to impress your family and guests by serving it with baby back ribs, shrimp kabobs, or grilled chicken wings. Garlic bread is the perfect side, and feel free to top it with homemade croutons.
More Refreshing Summer Salad Recipes
Looking for more healthy and delicious salads? Check these recipes out.
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in July 2020 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
Pineapple Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pineapple, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 cucumber, seeded and cut into half-moon shapes
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 1 avocado, peeled and diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped (see notes)
Salad Dressing
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) lime juice
- ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) honey
- ½ teaspoon (1g) red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) white vinegar see note
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix the lime juice, olive oil, honey, red pepper flakes, white vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Vigorously whisk until blended.
- In a large mixing bowl, add pineapple chunks, cucumber slices, red onion slices, diced jalapeno, diced avocado, diced bell pepper, and chopped cilantro.
- Pour the vinaigrette dressing over the salad and toss until it coats every inch of the salad blend.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour or until ready to serve.
Tips & Notes:
- Cilantro isn’t everyone’s favorite herb. Feel free to replace it with flat-leafed parsley
- Rice and white wine vinegar are good substitutes for white vinegar
- Fresh pineapple tastes best, but frozen (thawed) and canned work in a pinch
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used
Hi Imma, this looks delicious but I’m not able to have cilantro. Can you suggest a complimentary alternative? Love your recipes and site!
Hello, A great alternative to cilantro that still adds a fresh, vibrant touch is flat-leaf parsley. It doesn’t have the same citrusy notes as cilantro, but it brings a lovely freshness to it . Another option, would be mix fresh mint and parsley. This mix can mimic the complexity of cilantro’s flavor profile without the soapy aftertaste that some people experience. I hope this helps, and you continue to enjoy the recipes! Happy cooking!
This was brilliant! I added corn kernels and served it with roasted pork belly bites.
Awesome! Thanks for the suggestion.
I can only get rice vinegar or clear malt vinegar. Which one would you suggest?
Thank
Ian
Hi Ian, For a pineapple salad, I’d recommend using rice vinegar over clear malt vinegar. Rice vinegar is milder and slightly sweeter, which would complement the natural sweetness of the pineapple. It’s commonly used in fruit salads and Asian-inspired dressings, making it a good fit for a pineapple salad.
Clear malt vinegar, on the other hand, has a stronger, more robust flavor that might overpower the delicate sweetness of the pineapple.
So, if you have to choose between the two, rice vinegar would likely be the better option to enhance the flavors in your pineapple salad.
Hope this helps, and happy cooking, Ian! ✨
This salad is so tasty and so easy to make. I served it to a family dinner and everyone raved about it. Thank you for this great recipe.
You are more than welcome. And if there’s a recipe you’d love to see, please let me know. Thanks:)
I haven’t made it yet, but I am thinking of adding chunks of mango to the recipe. I plan to serve it with teriyaki beef skewers and coconut rice. What are your thoughts?
Seems a great idea, Go ahead and try it but don’t forget to share how it goes!
Can I serve this with Nigeria jollof or fried rice
Yeah sure, it would be a great combination. Thank you for sharing!!!
Just made, i love it, the taste is unique
Yaay! I’m glad you gave it a go. This is actually one of my favorites.
Swap out the vinegar for tamarind paste and add roast peanuts. Thank me later
I made day before n wished I hadn’t it lost all its brightness of salad, onions were soggy next time day of.
It was very flavorful
I’m going to make this but 1st paragraph mentioned mint and green pepper recipe had no green pepper or mint.
Hi, Kathy. Thank you for bringing it up. It’s red bell pepper and cilantro. I already updated the 1st paragraph.
Hi. im from India..Made this twice so far for 2 family dinners… Everyone absolutely lovedddd it
I omitted the onions as everyone is not a fan of it for salads and used cayenne pepper instead of flakes in dressing
Tried a combination of cilantro and mint !!!
Also used a combination of iceberg lettuce and red leaf
Nice nice! I am sure your version tastes great too!
Is this an authentic south african salad? I need one for our wine dinner
Hello Ann, this is more American salad.
What could I substitute for oil or can I give it a skip?
Hi Shweta, you can try using yogurt or skip depending on your preference 🙂
Sooooo good! Thank you very much for the recipe! Used mint instead of cilantro and added leafy green lettuce (which I kept separate while the other ingredients were macerating). Went very nicely with glazed ham 🙂 Thank you again!
Thank you for sharing, Sheree!
This is my first time making salad with fruit. My picky family loved it! Thank you for your recipes. Your puff puff is always a hit wherever I take it. My daughter is excited to try some on your recipes. Thank you!
YAY! Happy to hear it worked out well. Thanks for the feedback.
Delicious made it twice already. Everyone loved it that has good taste! Love your recipes!
Thank you, Debbie! I am so glad this was a hit with you!
Hi there. In the top part of the recipe it says there are mint leaves but I don’t see the quantity in the recipe itself. Can you tell me how much to and and at what stage? Thanks so much!!
Hi Melissa,
Didn’t include mint in here. Feel to add , if desired . Add according to preference.
I wasn’t a fan of fruits in salads until I tried pineapple and red onion. Since then, I’m hooked !
That was totally me a few years back!! Now I can’t get enough either :)!
That sounds amazing!! Perfect for summer cookout!
It really is! Can’t wait for you to try it :)!
Dear: Ms. Imma, I absolutely enjoy your recipes. I am a culinary graduate and do appreciate the extra step you provide for the Cook. Your website has become my goto first when I need a recipe because I love the fact that you have the Conversion Tool installed with your recipes and the Nutritional Facts at the Ready for the Professional Cook and Home Cooks.
Thank you!
Hi Renee!! I am so thrilled to have you here. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this feedback! 🙂
This recipe is now a staple. It tastes better the next day. I omit the olive oil and the read onions and add a dash of cayenne pepper. It’s so refreshing
It’s one of our favorites, too. I’m glad you like this, Bethina. Thank you for stopping by.