Vegan Cucumber Salad is our favourite spicy side dish to serve at a Mexican dinner party.
Our healthy Radish Cucumber Salad recipe is quick and easy to make, ready to serve in under 30 minutes.
Your family and friends will love this Cucumber and Radish Salad recipe thanks to its complex flavours and textures. Juicy cucumber, daikon and radish soak in a lime vinaigrette dressing and are topped with crunchy spicy chipotle pepper peanut brittle.
You’ll love forking through a bowl of homemade Vegan Cucumber Salad featuring flavourful dried chipotle, peanuts, maple syrup, lime, olive oil, cucumber, daikon, radish, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno pepper, and cumin.
Save this story to Pinterest!
What Is Chipotle?
Chipotle is a smoke-dried ripe jalapeño chili pepper used for seasoning. It is a chili used primarily in Mexican and Mexican-inspired cuisines, such as Tex-Mex and Southwestern United States dishes. It comes in different forms, such as chipotles en adobo and dried chipotle.
A chipotle’s heat is similar to that of the Espelette pepper, jalapeño, Guajillo chili, Anaheim pepper and Tabasco sauce.
We use dried chipotle pepper in our Mexican Cucumber Salad recipe when preparing the spicy peanut brittle, which we sprinkle over the finished dish. The ground chipotle pepper in the peanut brittle creates a delicious spicy and smoky flavour.
Join Dobbernationloves founder Andrew Dobson in the kitchen by signing up for a fun virtual cooking class! Classes begin with a cocktail that you can sip while preparing 2-3 recipes that are curated around a unique culinary theme. Check out our current Cooking Class Schedule!
Travel to Mexico by Cooking Vegan Cucumber Salad at Home
I love traveling to Latin America.
As a professional food and travel journalist, I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy amazing meals in Central America, South America and the Caribbean, from traditional markets to award winning restaurants.
For over ten years, I’ve been on the hunt for the best Mexican Radish Salad recipe. I’ve embarked on culinary adventures at local restaurants in Cuba, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Curacao, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.
In Mexico, I’ve slurped through steaming bowls of Vegan Cucumber Salad at restaurants in Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Mexico City, Merida, Chichen Itza and Playa del Carmen.
Radish Cucumber Salad is a spicy vegan salad featuringchipotle, peanuts, maple syrup, lime, olive oil, daikon, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno pepper, and cumin. It pairs perfectly as a side dish with tacos, enchiladas, taquitos and gorditas.
After enjoying your first forkful, you’ll realize why a crunchy bowl of spicy Cucumber and Radish Salad is a must-try when visiting Mexico!
Where To Eat Mexican Vegan Cucumber Salad
If you live in a large city in Canada or America you’ll likely have access to a local Mexican restaurant that serves Vegan Cucumber Salad.
Haven’t traveled to Mexico before? It may be helpful to first sample healthy Cucumber and Radish Salad at a local restaurant to better understand how it is served. You’ll get an idea for the ideal vegetable to peanut brittle ratio, the perfect spicy heat level and other Mexican dishes to serve at the table.
In Toronto, the best Mexican restaurants that may offer Vegan Cucumber Salad include El Rey, La Carnita, Playa Cabana, El Catrin, Campechano, El Trompo, Fonda Lola, Hot Mess Tex Mex, Rosalinda, Reposado Bar, Grand Electric and Milagro.
My Family Loves Radish Cucumber Salad
I love cooking Mexican Cucumber Salad for my friends and family.
I first made this Vegan Cucumber Salad for my family as a healthy side dish at a Mexican-inspired feast.
Thinly sliced cucumber, radish and daikon offer a juicy explosion in your mouth after soaking in a lime vinaigrette dressing. Clusters of spicy chipotle peanut brittle add a smoky and slight spicy heat to the dish.
I used a mandolin to get the vegetables as thin as possible but you could also use the blade attachement on your food processor for a quick alternative.
While you can serve Vegan Cucumber Salad year round, we love to prepare a big bowl at summer barbecues or on our outdoor patio on a sunny afternoon at the cottage in Muskoka.
Cucumber and Radish Salad Health Benefits
Our Mexican Vegan Cucumber Salad recipe is packed full of healthy ingredients!
Chili has been proven to help reduce the duration of sickness, prevent heart disease, and promote weight loss.
Peanuts are rich in protein, fat, and fibre. While peanuts may have a large amount of fat, most of the fats they contain are known as “good fats.”
A rich source of phytochemicals and vitamin C, limes help boost your immune system and neutralize free radicals that cause disease and skin aging. Lemons also protect against heart disease and help improve blood flow to the brain.
Olive Oil is ranked as one of the healthiest fats and is a staple in the Mediterranean diet. It contains vitamins E and K and plenty of beneficial fatty acids and antioxidants.
Cucumbers are low in calories and high in water content so are great at hydrating the body. To maximize their nutrient content, cucumbers should be eaten unpeeled. Peeling them reduces the amount of fibre, as well as certain vitamins and minerals.
Radishes are rich in antioxidants and minerals like calcium and potassium. Together, these nutrients help lower high blood pressure and reduce your risks for heart disease. The radish is also a good source of natural nitrates that improve blood flow.
A good source of bone-strengthening vitamin K, cilantro is also rich in antioxidants that help protect the eyes from damage by free radicals.
It is only recently that scientists have begun to identify the components responsible for garlic’s myriad health benefits. Rich in phytochemicals and potassium, garlic helps boost your immune system, fight cancer and protect your heart.
A rich source of blood-building iron, cumin may also help balance your blood sugar levels and reduce bad cholesterol. It is also traditionally used as a digestive aid.
Mexican Cucumber Radish Salad Recipe Tips
Spicy Vegan Cucumber Salad is quick and easy to make at home.
- The best way to prepare thinly sliced cucumbers, radish and daikon is to use a Mandolin or Food Processor.
- You can purchase dried chipotle peppers online or at your local Latin American supermarket.
- We’ve used maple syrup to sweeten the peanut brittle but you could substitute for honey or corn syrup.
- We’ve added one jalapeno pepper to the salad but if you like a lot of heat in your food feel free to add additional sliced peppers.
- You may also want to add a few chopped fermented jalapenos for another layer of flavour.
What To Serve withMexican Radish Salad
There’s nothing more satisfying than munching through a refreshing bowl of Vegan Cucumber Salad with spicy chipotle peanut brittle.
This Mexican Cucumber Salad can be enjoyed all on its own as a light lunch or as a side dish with your favourite barbecue dishes or Mexican mains.
If you’re hosting a Mexican-themed dinner party you might want to serve our Radish Cucumber Salad with Air Fryer Nachos, Healthy Vegetarian Chipotle Mexican Bean Soup, Cheesy Vegetarian Antojito, Keto Jalapeno Poppers, Chicken Fajita Tacos, Mexican Sweet Potato Rice, Tommy’s Margarita or a Mexican Mule Tequila Cocktail.
After dinner why not dazzle your guests with one of our popular desserts such as Oat Flour Cookies with Chocolate Chips, Dark Chocolate Lindt Lindor Cookies, Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes Recipe, Fig Frangipane Pistachio Tartlets, Caribbean Coconut Rum Banana Bread Bundt Cake, Maple Black Walnut Ice Cream, Baileys Banoffee Cake, Swedish Rhubarb Cherry Pie, Skittles Sugar Cookies and Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies.
You May Also Enjoy These Salad Recipes…
- Sangchu Geotjeori Sweet and Sour Korean Lettuce Salad
- Yum Woon Sen Thai Glass Noodle Salad
- Vegan Lebanese Cabbage Malfouf Salad
- Toasted Pecan Parmesan Pear and Rocket Salad
- Cambozola Currant Pear and Fennel Salad
- Healthy Romaine Salad With Tahini Caesar Dressing
- Cilantro Ginger Lime Cajun Shrimp Salad
- Vegan Spicy Turkish Salsa Ezme Salata Salad
- Kisir Recipe Healthy Vegan Turkish Bulgur Salad
- Egyptian Salad Vegan Salata Baladi
- Healthy Vegetarian Lebanese Eggplant Fatteh
- Vegan Citrus “Rojak” Singapore Salad
- Vegetarian Roasted Pumpkin Feta Salad with Beetroot & Pine Nuts
- Nam Tok Authentic Thai “Waterfall Beef” Salad
- Laos Papaya Salad Tum Mak Hoong
- Roasted Beetroot Salad with Grapefruit, Pistachio and Herbed Cream
- Mizeria Creamy Polish Cucumber Salad
- Goi Xoai Vietnamese Mango Salad
- Quick & Easy Indian Onion Salad
How To Make A Spicy MexicanVegan Cucumber Salad Recipe
Radish Cucumber Salad with Spicy Peanuts
Equipment
- Nonstick Skillet
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- baking sheet
- Spice Grinder or Food Processor
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
Chipotle Peanuts
- 1 Chipotle Chile
- 2/3 cup Peanuts
- Pinch Cayenne Pepper
- 4.5 tsp Maple Syrup
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 2 tsp Lime Zest
- 1.5 tsp Lime Juice
- 1.5 tsp Olive Oil
Radish Cucumber Salad
- 300 g English Cucumber thinly sliced on a mandoline
- 300 g Daikon thinly sliced on a mandoline
- 50 g Radishes thinly sliced on a mandoline
- 1 cup Cilantro
- 1 Garlic Clove crushed
- 1 tbsp Jalapeno Pepper chopped
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds toasted and crushed in a mortar pestle
- 1 tsp Lime Zest
- 3 tbsp Lime Juice
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
Chipotle Peanuts
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Blitz the chile in a spice grinder until you have a fine powder, or finely crush in a mortar and pestle. Measure out 1/2 tsp and place in a small saute pan along with peanuts, cayenne, maple syrup, salt, lime zest, lime juice, and olive oil. Place the pan on medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, for about 7 minutes, or until the peanuts are sticky and well coated. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and let cool. Break apart into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
- Put the cucumber, daikon, radishes, and cilantro into a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, jalapeno, cumin seeds, lime zest, lime juice, olive oil and 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Whisk well and pour the mixture over the vegetables. Transfer to a large serving platter and top with half the peanuts, serving the rest in a bowl on the side.
Nutrition
Some of the links in this story use affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through our site, Dobbernationloves will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Your support helps us to produce comprehensive content.
Save this story to Pinterest!
