The Memory Behind This Treat

I started making this High Protein Cucumber Salad during one of those North Carolina summers where the air feels like warm soup and turning on the stove feels like a personal attack. My blood sugar had been all over the place, and my doctor and I were having the “protein and veggies first” conversation again. One afternoon, I opened the fridge to that classic combo of “almost nothing”: a lonely cooked chicken breast, half a red onion, a tub of Greek yogurt, and a couple of cucumbers from my small backyard garden. I remembered my grandmother’s habit of turning “scraps” into something that tasted like a little celebration, so I decided to do the same. Ten minutes later, I had a chilled bowl of creamy, crunchy, lemony goodness that actually kept me full for hours.

What surprised me most was how comforting it felt, even though it was such a light, fresh salad. I grew up on mayo-heavy chicken salads that tasted wonderful but sent my blood sugar on a roller coaster and left me feeling sluggish. This high protein cucumber salad gave me that same familiar satisfaction—tender chicken, silky dressing, bitey onion—but with Greek yogurt pulling double duty as both protein boost and creamy dressing. I started making it after morning walks, then after strength training, then pretty much any time I needed a no-fuss, low-carb lunch that wouldn’t melt me in front of the stove. Now it’s one of those recipes I can throw together almost on autopilot, and it reminds me every time that healthy food doesn’t have to be complicated or fussy to feel like real comfort.

How To Make It (Mix & Ingredients)

To pull together this High Protein Cucumber Salad, start by giving your vegetables some love. Slice 1 medium cucumber into thin rounds (or half-moons if you like smaller bites), then finely dice ½ a small red onion so it blends in instead of taking over. Dice or shred 150 g of cooked chicken breast—this is where most of your protein power comes from, so use a portion that feels satisfying for you. Mince 1 clove of garlic as finely as you can; big chunks of raw garlic can be a bit bossy in a cold salad. I like to set everything in little piles on the cutting board so I can just “swoop” it all into the bowl at once.

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Instructions Process of High Protein Cucumber Salad

Grab a medium bowl (around 750 ml is perfect) and add the cucumber, onion, and chicken first. Spoon in 160 g of low-fat Greek yogurt, then drizzle over about 6 ml of olive oil, a ½ squeeze of lemon or 1 tsp of lemon juice, and that minced garlic. Season with a good pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper—don’t be shy, cucumbers need seasoning to shine. If you love brightness like I do, add a pinch of lemon zest right over the top so the oils fall into the salad. You can either stir everything together with a spoon until every piece is coated in creamy yogurt, or pop a lid on the bowl and shake it like a little salad maraca until it looks well mixed. Taste, adjust your salt and lemon, then serve right away or chill it for 15–30 minutes if you like your High Protein Cucumber Salad extra refreshing.

Make-Ahead & Storage

This High Protein Cucumber Salad is a great little meal-prep hero, as long as you respect the cucumber. For the best texture, I like to make it up to 1 day in advance, but I keep the cucumbers and dressing separate if I’m being fussy. You can slice the cucumber and red onion, cook and dice your chicken breast, and stir together the yogurt, garlic, lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a separate container. Store everything in airtight containers in the fridge, then toss it all together right before serving so the cucumbers stay crisp instead of watery. If you’re packing lunch for work or a post-walk meal, layer it in a jar: chicken and yogurt mixture on the bottom, cucumbers and onion on top, and mix when you’re ready to eat.

If you’ve already mixed the full High Protein Cucumber Salad, it will keep safely in the refrigerator for about 2 days in an airtight container, though the cucumbers will soften and release a bit of liquid over time. Give it a good stir before serving; if it looks a little loose, you can add an extra spoonful of Greek yogurt or a pinch of salt to bring it back to life. For the best food safety (especially if you live with diabetes), don’t let the salad sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours—the yogurt and chicken both need to stay cold. This recipe doesn’t freeze well; the cucumbers turn mushy and the yogurt can separate, so keep it as a fresh, quick option rather than a long-term freezer meal. If you love this style of make-ahead, protein-packed salad, you can use the same storage tips for other yogurt-based salads and bowls in your low-carb rotation.

Best Ingredients & Party Variations

For the best High Protein Cucumber Salad, start with firm, seedless cucumbers (English or mini cucumbers work wonderfully) so your bowl stays crisp instead of watery. I like low-fat Greek yogurt around 2–5% fat for a creamy dressing that still keeps the calories in check and the protein high. Use cold, cooked chicken breast, finely diced or shredded, so it mixes evenly into every bite. Fresh garlic and a good squeeze of lemon make a bigger difference than people expect—skip the bottled lemon if you can, and taste your salad before salting since Greek yogurt and cooked chicken both already carry a little savor. I finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil for healthy fats and a smoother mouthfeel; you can absolutely bump it up slightly if you need more calories and satiety on keto.

When you want to turn this High Protein Cucumber Salad into a party platter, think of it as a mix-and-match protein bowl bar. For a crowd, I double or triple the base and offer bowls of add-ins: crumbled feta or goat cheese, halved cherry tomatoes (if your carbs allow), kalamata olives, and chopped fresh dill or mint for a bright Mediterranean twist. To keep it extra high protein, offer hard-boiled eggs, canned tuna, or grilled shrimp alongside the chicken, letting guests build their own bowl. You can serve it tucked into crisp lettuce cups, piled on low-carb wraps, or spooned over a big platter of mixed greens for folks who want more volume without extra carbs. If you have both keto eaters and carb-lovers at the table, set out pita or warm flatbread on the side so everyone can customize without you cooking separate meals.

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Serving of High Protein Cucumber Salad

Conclusion

Every time I toss this simple bowl together, I’m reminded that healthy eating doesn’t have to feel fussy or restrictive. It can be as down-to-earth as a cutting board, a sharp knife, and a few fresh ingredients coming together in your own cozy kitchen. This High Protein Cucumber Salad is one of those little everyday joys—cool, crunchy, creamy, and satisfying enough to keep your blood sugar and your taste buds happy at the same time.

I love serving this at family cookouts or weeknight dinners when everyone’s drifting into the kitchen, looking for something to nibble and chat over. Somehow a big bowl of cucumber salad always invites conversation—people lean in for “just a little scoop,” share stories, and before you know it, the bowl is scraped clean and someone’s asking for the recipe. That’s the magic of simple food: it brings us back to the table, together.

I hope you’ll give this recipe a try soon and make it part of your own family moments—messy counters, laughter, and all.

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Recipe

High Protein Cucumber Salad

Creamy, refreshing, and packed with lean protein for a fast, satisfying meal.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Servings: 1 salad

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Calories: 345

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Ingredients

• 1 medium cucumber finely sliced
• 1/2 small red onion diced
• 160 g low fat Greek yogurt
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 150 g cooked chicken breast diced or shredded
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest optional

Method

 

1. Slice the cucumber into thin rounds or half-moons and dice the red onion. Dice or shred the cooked chicken breast and mince the garlic.
2. Add the cucumber, red onion, and chicken to a medium bowl.
3. Add the Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and black pepper to the bowl.
4. Sprinkle in the optional lemon zest.
5. Stir until all ingredients are evenly coated and the salad looks creamy and well mixed.
6. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.
7. Serve immediately or cover and chill for 15–30 minutes before serving.

Notes

- Use leftover roasted or grilled chicken breast for extra flavor.
- For extra crunch, keep the cucumbers very thinly sliced and serve the salad soon after mixing.
- You can prepare the components up to 1 day ahead and mix just before serving to keep the cucumbers crisp.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.