Lebanese Creamy Cucumber Yogurt Salad (Kh’yar bi laban)
This refreshing Lebanese-style creamy cucumber salad (Kh’yar bi laban) requires just 5 ingredients and can be served as a dip, side, and party accompaniment! Plus, this cucumber yogurt salad recipe is healthy, low-carb, gluten-free, and can be made dairy-free!
Wash your cucumbers and pat them dry with a kitchen towel. Then slice lengthwise and chop into small pieces. Or optionally slice into thin slices.If you want to salt the cucumbers to remove excess liquid, then do it at this point. Add the cucumber to a large bowl or sieve and sprinkle with salt. Leave to rest for 20-30 minutes, lightly squeeze out the excess liquid and blot with some kitchen towel - then continue with the recipe.
Step 2: Mix the creamy cucumber salad
Finely chop or crush the garlic.
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Allow to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes for better flavor, and then serve!For even better flavor, allow the cucumber mint salad to marinate for a couple of hours in the fridge before serving.
How To Store
You can store this cucumber yogurt dip in the refrigerator for between 1-2 days. If you set some of the yogurt sauce aside, then that is fridge-friendly for 3 days.Though the cucumber salad is ready to eat immediately, I suggest leaving it to marinate in the fridge for a few hours. The flavors will develop and the cucumber becomes tender.Note that, over time, the moisture within the cucumbers will thin the yogurt dressing and it can become watery/mushy. You can make this better with the tips mentioned above, though it won't avoid it entirely.
Video
Notes
If you’re unable to use yogurt, then you could try to use sour cream (or a dairy-free sour cream alternative).
The cucumbers: I’ve diced the cucumbers here. However, feel free to chop it into thin round slices, if preferred. You can also experiment with using peeled vs non-peeled cucumbers, to test which texture you prefer.
If you want to chop the cucumber into thin slices, you can use a mandoline for even slices.
For a super thick version of this yogurt cucumber salad, you could use labnehin place of the yogurt.
You can swap the cucumber with celery for an interesting take on this recipe. The flavor will differ, but celery retains its crunch for longer than the cucumber.
Optional Add-ins:
Sugar - add a pinch of sugar (or sugar-free sweetener) to the recipe to counteract the yogurt's tart flavor.
Legumes - though it's not traditional at all, I'll sometimes add chickpeas or white beans to this cucumber yogurt salad for a more filling dish.
Red onion - lightly sliced red onions are often included in cucumber salad dishes, though not typically in Lebanese cucumber salad. However, feel free to add some if you'd like.