A Lebanese salad called "Khyar bi Laban" made of diced fresh cucumber in a vegan natural yogurt with dried mint and crushed garlic. A very refreshing salad that is perfect as a side or dip for many dishes.

It’s taken me a while to post this one up because I just didn’t like the taste of the available plant-based yoghurts, but now I am delighted to be able to release this refreshing vegan Lebanese cucumber yogurt salad. See ingredient notes below.
We call this “khyar bi laban” in Arabic which translates to “cucumbers in yoghurt” and it’s the most wonderful taste of cucumber freshness, yoghurt tanginess married with garlic.
Lebanese cucumber yogurt salad is paired with many delicious foods, I especially love it with any type of lentils and rice or mujadara hamra which is bulgur with lentils.
It also pairs well with Lebanese spinach pies, upside down rice called Maklouba, or purslane pockets.
There are several variations of this salad found in differing cultures. It’s called Raita in India, Tzatziki in Greece; Gurkensalat in Germany; and Mizeria in Poland. Each region offers a different way of making it, but the main ingredients of cucumber and yoghurt are always there.
😋Why you’ll love this recipe
- Vegan and gluten free
- It’s light and very refreshing
- Super easy to prepare
- A versatile Lebanese salad that pairs with many dishes
✔️What You’ll Need
The complete list of ingredients with measurements, can be found in the full recipe card below.
🥘Ingredient Notes
Cucumbers whilst my family always uses Lebanese cucumbers for this salad, you can use similar ones such as a telegraph (continental) cucumber. Avoid cucumbers with hard seeds, if you can’t avoid this, then scoop out the seeds and work with the flesh only. Another salad with these cucumbers is my cucumber and onion salad- I'm addicted!
Cucumber skin can be left on or peeled off. I generally will leave my skins on after a really good wash.
Natural plain yoghurt - be sure to purchase a no added sugar plant-based yoghurt, avoid ones that have strong tastes e.g., some coconut yoghurts. The Lebanese cucumber with yoghurt salad is traditionally made with “laban” a natural plain yoghurt.
I have recently found a brand that makes a plain kefir coconut yoghurt that has a nice mild sourness to it, this is the brand. I was sceptical at first, as I haven’t been able to find one with a more neutral flavour, but this one surprised me. Whilst this brand only delivers within Sydney, I recommend finding something similar; Kefir is sour, which works perfectly in this vegan salad. Otherwise, you can make you own vegan yogurt at home.
Garlic should be fresh, generally, one decent sized crushed garlic clove gives great flavouring, however, you can adjust the amount of garlic in this Arabic salad.
Dried mint is typically what my family uses within this salad, however, you can use fresh finely chopped mint too. I prefer the dried mint, which is ground up and easier to work with, one less item to chop up. It also makes this cucumber yogurt salad interesting to look at with all the tiny dark specks running through it.
Salt - my go-to is pink himalayan salt.
🔪Step-By-Step
Let’s get to how to make cucumber yogurt salad;
Step 1 - Finely dice one large cucumber and place it in a salad bowl. Add 1 cup of vegan plain yogurt, ½-1 teaspoon of dried mint, 1 crushed garlic clove, ½ teaspoon of salt and mix together.
Step 2 - Adjust salt if required and serve cold.
💭Pro Tips
Finely diced cucumber gives a crunchy texture and is easy to eat. Typically the cucumbers are cut immediately and not drained of their water content. It’s part of the appeal to eat this Arabic salad during hot weather.
If the yoghurt you choose is too thick, it can be watered down by adding one tablespoon of water at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.
🍲Variations
On very hot days, my mother will water this salad down into more of a soup consistency. We slurp this down - so refreshing!
To do this, just add filtered water until it is very runny. Adjustment of the ingredients may be needed to ensure the flavouring is good.
❓FAQ
Yes, cucumber yogurt salad can be store in an air-tight container in the fridge for a day or two. However, do note that the cucumbers will become soggy the longer it is stored.
Lebanese cucumbers have dark thin skin, small seeds and crisp sweet flesh that is juicy. They are generally around 10-15cm long and have a low acidic content.
🍴Serving Suggestions
As mentioned previously khyar bi laban can be served with many Lebanese foods, such as falafels, vegetable rice, and so much more.
It can also be used as a cucumber yogurt sauce which is perfect with an open faced herb omelette, or potato and tofu scramble or part of a wider spread called mezze.
I also like to use a gluten-free chip made from pita to dip into this delicious salad.
🥘Related recipes
If you like creamy salads, you need to try this vegan tahini salad.
Did you make this? I'd love to know! Leave me a comment below with a ★★★★★ star rating or tag @plantbasedfolk on social media.
Recipe
Vegan Lebanese Cucumber Yogurt Salad (Khyar Bi Laban)
Ingredients
- 1 large Cucumber finely diced
- 1 cup Dairy free natural plain yoghurt no added sweetener
- ½-1 teaspoon Ground mint heaping
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 clove Garlic crushed
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into a mixing bowl and combine.1 large Cucumber, 1 cup Dairy free natural plain yoghurt, ½-1 teaspoon Ground mint, ½ teaspoon Salt, 1 clove Garlic
- Adjust salt if required. Serve cold.
Video
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.
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Laura A Atiyeh
Question: I used to have a recipe for mujeddrah with the caramelized onions on top, then a simple green salad recipe (with lemon juice & olive oil) served ON TOP of the mujeddrah. Alas, I have lost the recipe, can you help me out, please?
Thanks very much,
Laura A. Atiyeh
Janelle Hama
Do you mean for the salad or the mujadara?
The mujadara is this https://plantbasedfolk.com/mujadara-recipe/ or this https://plantbasedfolk.com/lentil-porridge/
The salad try either this https://plantbasedfolk.com/taboule-salad/ or https://plantbasedfolk.com/malfouf-salad/ or https://plantbasedfolk.com/fresh-oregano-salad/ or even figgliyeh.
Yissra
one of my favourite all time dips, I tried that dairy free yoghurt, I agree with you!
Jacqui
Tastes like the real deal! You can’t even tell it’s vegan - amazing recipe!
Leyla
I never thought I could eat this again since I went vegan. Very refreshing.