Kachumber Salad – Cucumber Tomato Onion Salad Recipe. Kachumbar is a simple Chopped salad with onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and a salt, pepper/cayenne, lemon dressing. Serve as a side with Indian curries, or as a dip with chips, or over burgers. Vegan Gluten-free Soy-free Oil-free Recipe. Pin this post Jump to Recipe
Kachumber / Kuchumber is a simple fresh chopped salad with chopped onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and a salt pepper lemon dressing. The chopped salad can also contain radish or carrots and the dressing can contain vinegar or yogurt. Serve as a side with Indian curries and dals, or as a dip with chips, or over burgers or add to a wrap, burrito, taco or to a bowl.
The refreshing chopped salad is somewhat like pico de gallo. It uses salt, pepper, cayenne and lime/lemon as the dressing. Kachumber Salad adds a crunchy fresh, juicy, and cooling flavor and texture to the foods and works well with hot and spicy or other sharp flavors. Some variations of the salad makes an appearance with Indian meals. It can also be served over papadums like nachos or a dip. Use it however you like. Make a big bowl of this salad for the BBQ party this Summer!
The salad has many variations. Add some mint in. Add some cumin powder, chaat masala or kala namak, or add some non dairy yogurt to make a raita dip. This is a no oil side salad. Play away!
More Salads from the blog
- Roasted Butternut, Apple Cranberry Salad with Harissa Spiced Pecans
- Roasted Beet, Satsuma Kale Salad with Almond Sesame Dressing
- Firecracker Chickpea Salad with Thai peanut dressing
- Mung Bean Sprout, Seared Carrot Salad with chili lime dressing
- Southwestern Pasta Black Bean Salad.
- Falafel spice Lentil Salad Sandwich
Pictured above, chopped Kachumber Salad with Lentil Quinoa Meatloaf Burgers.
Recipe Card
Kachumber Salad - Cucumber Tomato Onion Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped small
- 1 large cucumber chopped small
- 4-5 (4 to 5) red radishes chopped small (optional)
- 1 green chili finely chopped (remove seeds to reduce heat if needed)
- 1/4 cup (4 g) packed chopped cilantro
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) or more salt
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) or more freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) or more cayenne pure red chili powder
- 1 tsp or more freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
Instructions
- Chop the onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, wash and drain well. * Add to a bowl.
- Add the veggies and the rest of the ingredients to a bowl. Taste and adjust salt and heat. Serve.
Video
Notes
Add 2 tbsp of chopped mint.
Add a generous pinch of kala namak (Indian Sulfur black salt) or 1/4 tsp or more chaat masala to taste.
Add vinegar to taste instead of lemon juice.
Add 1/2 tsp roasted ground cumin or coriander powder.
Add 1/2 cup or more non dairy yogurt and 1/2 tsp ground cumin and mix in to make raita kind of yogurt dip. Nutritional values based on one serving
Nutrition
Eric
It was nice to go through your post. Thanks for sharing the recipe here. Keep up the good work.
Vegan Richa Support
thank you, Eric!
Shelley
Thanks, this is great! Perfect with the spring/summer veggies coming in!
Vegan Richa Support
yes!! thank you, shelley!
Vera D
This is such a refreshing salad! For some reason, cutting the veggies in small pieces lends itself to a very satisfying side salad for any hot meal, especially a spicy or flavorful main entree. The salad refreshes. I didn’t have radish, and it still came out fantastic! I added a pinch of cumin to mine…and it was wonderful.
Vegan Richa Support
yay!
Marta
Fantastic, fresh flavour
Vegan Richa Support
Thank you. 🙂
Daniela Rinaldi
Delicious salad as an accompaniment for curry. Really fresh.
Vegan Richa Support
Thanks so much!
Fran
Loved this. Served as a side dish to a South Asian themed meal. Very refreshing with the other spicy dishes, as we skipped the green chili this time, though we kept the cayenne. Included the radishes and used lime juice. A keeper.
Vegan Richa Support
🫑 Yay!
Priya Dogra
Looks so delicious, I’m definitely gonna try the Indian Keto version of this recipe. Thanks a lot for sharing this..
Mark Clayton
Made the Kachcumber today. Went really well with Fish Masalla.
Shannon
How long will this last in the frig? I’m trying to meal prep for the week and want to know how far in advance I can make this. Thank you
Vegan Richa Support
the cucumbers will go soft after a day or so – not too far in advance
Fred
Hi Richa, I am thinking of using your Kachumber salad recipe to prepare sides for my grilled salmon. Do you think that it would be a good idea?
Seema
I always have dhanajeera powder in mine for that extra flavor 🙂
Vegan Richa Support
love it
Abhay
Some people are presenting keto diet, as it’s impossible for vegetarians. but in other hand sites like @veganricha.com is making this keto very simple for vegetarian people. Thanks a lot
Vegan Richa Support
thanks!
Anusha Thomas
Hey Richa . Anusha this side . I was just going through your kachumber recipe and it looks so yummy and healthy as it contains my favorite salad vegetables . It honestly goes with all types of food and as a healthy side as you mentioned . I just had a doubt that should we heat the salad before having or serving or is it okay to serve it normally ? Can’t wait to try it and make it a part of my meals . thank you much love .
Richa
Either works. I usually serve it as side with the food
Priya Dogra
Thanks for sharing this recipe, It looks tempting and refreshing to eat. I’m definitely gonna try it share with other people too.
Vegan Richa Support
You’re welcome – I hope that it’s loved by all
Andre
Love this! So tasty yum!!! <3
Vegan Richa Support
Thank you so much for the wonderful review Andre!!!! thanks for stopping by
Pradeep Panda
I love this. All seasons. I add some raddish…Green chilly chopped and coriander . Sometimes in yoghurt or without it. Black salt and lemon a must. And it forms nearly half amount of my meal. Thanks for sharing.. I recommend it for all not only vegans…
Faye
Great recipe
Vegan
i make this, but we call it Summer Salad,, with cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes, red or green onions, and dried cilantro. We use a vegan mayo based dressing.
Richa
Sounds great! this one is an indian salad, so it has its own name and doesnt have any creamy dressing.
Tina
I love this salad ! Usually have it with a lemon juice or vinegar based dressing. Can you share your veganaise creamy dressing recipe please ? It would be nice to try a different variation. Thank you!
Richa
you can use any coleslaw kind of dressing. I use some veganmayo, vinegar, sweetener, salt and pepper
Kyle
This is my absolute favourite salad. None as fresh, crisp, and crunchy as this. I keep Cumin back for it!
Val from PA
I can’t stop eating this – it’s so simple and so good!!! I made it on Monday night and three days later, it’s still crunchy and delish – although a little pink from the radish. Thanks for the recipe!
Nina
Perhaps a bit of ginger and vinegar instead of lemon juice will enhance the flavour ?
Richa
Sure you can play around with the flavors. This is a traditional Indian salad recipe usually served as a side with curries. So the flavors are generally kept simple to match with the overall meal.
Priyanka Kothari
It is really amazing & easy to make.
Vanessa
I live in southern Japan and this is our go to summer salad with the seasonal produce available. I usually add a chopped avocado and fresh chopped basil. It’s sensational with everything as mentioned. With curries, burgers, wraps, nachos…my hubby and I eat it by the salad bowl full. ♡
Tina Dawson | Love is in my tummy
Hey Richa! I got excited to see the name Kuchumber. My grandmother and dather would call it that but no one else around me seems to recognize the name or what it was. I love to pair this with pulao and a curry. The cool peppery crunch is absolutely fantastic!
Richa
Kachumber just means everything together in small chopped form. the cooling crunchy salad goes so well with everything.
Sarah | Well and Full
This salad looks delicious, Richa! I would love it on top of avocado toast 🙂
Richa
Ah yes, that would be so awesome!
Izzy Bruning
Wow it looks so good!
Izzy | https://plantbasedizzy.wordpress.com/
AJ Paradis
India taught me that salad does not always have to begin with lettuce, a necessary life lesson. This is one of my absolute favorites, but now I’m a coriander lover in a land that despises it. This post just might get my perpetual brown thumb to try to turn green!
Virginie
So fresh and so yummy ! Thanks a lot
Cassie
I love all the fresh and delicious veggies in this salad! I always eat cucumbers after tasting every curry I have whenever I’m eating Indian food 🙂
Richa
Yes, perfect with all that heat in the food!