Cucumber Pomegranate Salad

By Naz Deravian

Updated December 11, 2023

  • Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Rating
5(1,347)
Comments
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Cucumber pomegranate salad is an early fall love story that confidently leaps into winter. Crisp and sweet Persian cucumbers are a welcome companion to ruby-red, tart pomegranate seeds, the jewels of cooler months. Tossed with red onion and both dried and fresh mint, this colorful and tangy salad enlivens a meal and your taste buds. There’s no need to prepare the dressing separately; drizzle and sprinkle everything directly on. The juice from the pomegranate seeds mingling with the lime juice makes for a pink-hued dressing that is worthy of slurping directly from a spoon.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 3 Persian cucumbers, quartered lengthwise and sliced into ¼-inch pieces

  • ½ medium red onion, finely chopped into ¼-inch pieces

  • 1 large pomegranate, seeded (about 1 cup seeds)

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons lime juice, plus more to taste (from 2 medium limes)

  • 2 teaspoons dried mint

  • Large handful of fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

10 grams carbs; 84 calories; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 5 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 239 milligrams sodium; 1 gram protein; 6 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place the cucumbers, red onion and pomegranate seeds in a medium bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil; sprinkle salt (about ½ teaspoon) and pepper to taste. Add 2 tablespoons lime juice, the dried mint and the fresh mint. Stir and taste. Add more lime juice as needed. It should make your lips smack with its tang, in a good way. Adjust for salt and serve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,347 user ratings
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Comments

mary m

I was making this and was dismayed I was out of dried mint… but wait… was I? A Harney and Sons Organic Peppermint Tea bag saved me! (I checked to make sure it was only Peppermint and it was!)

Robert in Flyover Country

I love the pairing of ingredients. An inspired choice, and particularly welcome at this time of year in the northern tier ( mid-December in Minnesota ). One suggestion; to remove the bite from the raw red onion, marinate the chopped onion for 15 minutes in either red wine or sherry vinegar. Drain off the vinegar to use in a vinaigrette, and add the marinated onion to the salad.

added feta - it made the salad!

Amazing recipe and adding feta really rounded out the flavors.

Elyse

this was too much red onion for me!

Kate

Surprisingly delicious -- more than the sum of its parts.

Patty M.

🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 This is outstanding! Brought it as a side salad to a family gathering but it wasn’t very popular; I think because it was made in advance and the colors bled. I made this again and can say that when eaten right away, it is wonderful. This is definitely making it into frequent rotation. Using frozen pomegranate seeds made this recipe much faster to make.

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