When buttery lump crab + cucumber collide!
There’s a French bistro near our house that we always end up at—mainly because of one dish: their Cucumber Avocado Salad with Crab.
It might sound simple, but it’s surprisingly packed with flavor. Thinly sliced cucumber gets tossed in a zippy lemon-ginger vinaigrette, then paired with buttery lump crab, creamy avocado, and a hint of fresh mint for that pop of brightness.
It is THE dish you need to make the next time you have a get-together if your goal is impressing your family and friends with your culinary skills.
But the best part? It can be ready in less than 20 minutes!
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Cucumber. English seedless cucumbers are best in this recipe. You need either one large or two medium-sized cucumbers.
- Crab. Use lump crab meat. You can use jumbo, but it’s very expensive. Find fresh crab if it’s in season, or the canned kind (they both taste pretty comparable).
- Avocado. Depending on the size you either need one large or two small avocados. Find an avocado that is still pretty firm so it doesn’t get mushy.
- Lemon. Fresh lemon juice is key! Don’t skimp and use the bottled kind, it won’t have the same flavor.
- Ginger. Make it easy and use jarred ginger paste!
- Mint. You need about 5-6 large fresh mint leaves cut into thin strips.
Step-by-step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Prep the cucumber.
For perfectly thin and uniform slices of cucumber, use a mandoline. This is the quickest and easiest method to cut into ⅛-inch slices. You can also cut with a knife, just make sure to not slice your fingers!
Sprinkle the slices with salt and let it sit 10-15 minutes. Then dab away the extra moisture with a paper towel.
Make the dressing.
Whisk together the lemon ginger vinaigrette. Toss in the English cucumber slices and mix until combined.
Finish it off and serve.
Add in the crab, avocado, and mint just before serving. The avocado will brown and mint will get soggy if left in too long.
FAQs
English seedless cucumbers are the perfect taste and texture for salads. They are crisp and have more flesh without seeds than other varieties.
It’s best if you don’t, but you can. The peel adds a gorgeous color, crisp texture, and helps the cucumber stay intact instead of getting mushy.
Once cucumbers are sliced they begin to release moisture. To avoid this, sprinkle the slices with salt to draw out the extra water. Then simply dab it off with a paper towel.
You can, but it won’t taste nearly as good. Use no more than 2-3 teaspoons of dried mint.
Keep this cucumber avocado crab salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. But do not make it more than 1 hour in advance. The cucumber will continue to release moisture and make it soggy.
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Cucumber Crab Avocado Salad Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1-1 ¼ pounds seedless cucumber
- ¼ cup oil avocado or olive
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 ounces lump crab meat
- 2 small avocados thinly sliced
- 3-4 tablespoons mint finely chopped
Instructions
- Thinly slice cucumbers into ⅛” slices with either a mandolin or by using a knife.1-1 ¼ pounds seedless cucumber
- Lay the cucumber out into a single layer and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Let sit for 10-15 minutes and then dab any excess moisture with a paper towel.
- Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, ginger, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.¼ cup oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, ½ teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Combine cucumber slices and oil mixture in a large bowl. Toss until the cucumber is well coated.
- Add in the crab, sliced avocado, and chopped mint. Mix until just combined, being careful not to over-mix. Enjoy!6 ounces lump crab meat, 2 small avocados, 3-4 tablespoons mint
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Notes
- Slicing: A mandoline is the quickest and easiest way to slice cucumber.
- Salt: Use the salt trick to prevent excess moisture from ruining the salad.
- Avocado: You want the avocado to be ripe and firm for the best results.
- Stirring: Don’t overmix or the lump crab will fall apart and the avocado will get mushy.
- Serving: As this salad sits, the cucumber and mint will become soggy, and the avocado will brown. So serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wondering if adding artichoke small fresh hearts n radishes would be good together. Besides the cucumber n crab meat
Hmm, that sounds interesting! Let me know how it turns out if you try it!