• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Plant Based Folk
  • Recipes
  • Lebanese
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Lebanese
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Lebanese
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Shop
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Vegan Lebanese Recipes

    Vegan Lebanese Cucumber Yogurt Salad (Khyar Bi Laban)

    Published: Oct 7, 2021 by Janelle Hama

    Jump to Recipe

    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.

    cucumber yogurt salad in a terracotta plate

    This website receives a commission/fee for each purchase bought through the affiliate links on this website.

    Jump to:
    • 😋Why you’ll love this recipe
    • ✔️What You’ll Need
    • 🥘Ingredient Notes
    • 🔪Step-By-Step
    • 💭Pro Tips
    • 🍲Variations
    • ❓FAQ
    • 🍴Serving Suggestions
    • 🥘Related recipes
    • Vegan Lebanese Cucumber Yogurt Salad (Khyar Bi Laban)

    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 mujadara or mujadara hamra.

    It also pairs well with Lebanese vegetable and nut rice, Lebanese spinach pies, upside down rice called Maqlouba, vegan shawarma wrap, zaatar puff pastry pinwheels 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 or can be enjoyed as a dip with your favorite vegan gluten free crackers.

    ✔️What You’ll Need

    yoghurt cucumber salad ingredients laid out on a white bench

    Notes on some of the ingredients, the full list of ingredients and their measurements can be found in the 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 vegan brown rice salad.

    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.

    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* (it has health benefits), but sea salt works well too.

    lebanese cucumber salad in a terracotta plate

    🔪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.

    khyar bi laban with a side of toasted pita bread

    ❓FAQ

    Can I store cucumber yogurt salad?

    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.

    What are Lebanese cucumbers?

    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 falafel, mujadara, vegetable rice, vegan shawarma and so much more.

    It can also be used as a cucumber yogurt sauce which is perfect with sweet potato and zucchini fritters, 4-ingredient corn fritters, open faced herb omelette, potato and tofu scramble or part of a wider spread called mezze.

    I also like to use it as a dip with roasted artichoke or with gluten-free pita chips

    🥘Related recipes

    If you like creamy salads, you need to try this tahini salad.

    • a close up of fattoush in a brown plate
      Fattoush Salad (My Family's Recipe - الفتوش)
    • a brown bowl filled with chickpeas, chopped tomato, onion and parsley salad
      Balela Salad (Lebanese Chickpea Salad)
    • Lebanese potato salad salata batata in a bowl up close
      Lebanese Potato Salad With Spring Onion (Salata Batata)

    Did you enjoy making this refreshing Lebanese cucumber yogurt salad aka khyar bi laban? I would love to hear from you, leave me a comment below and give me a rating. This will help me sustain Plant Based Folk. 

    Alternatively, did you happen to take a photo of your vegan cucumber yoghurt salad? Tag me @plantbasedfolk on Instagram to be featured via stories. If you love sharing your vegan food pics, join the PBF community group.

    If you’re into fast cooking vids, join me on Tiktok.

    Janelle x

    cucumber yogurt salad in a terracotta plate

    Vegan Lebanese Cucumber Yogurt Salad (Khyar Bi Laban)

    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 for many dishes.
    Print Pin Rate Save Recipe Saved Recipe
    Course: Salad, side
    Cuisine: Lebanese, Middle Eastern
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Author: Janelle Hama

    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
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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

    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.
    🍴Serving Suggestions
    As mentioned previously khyar bi laban can be served with many Lebanese foods, such as falafel, mujadara, vegetable rice, vegan shawarma and so much more.
    It can also be used as a cucumber yogurt sauce which is perfect with fritters, open faced herb omelette, or part of a wider spread called mezze.
    I also like to use it as a dip with roasted artichoke.
    *Shop for your healthy organic groceries at Thrive Market*.
     

    Equipment

    Bowl

    Nutrition

    Calories: 39kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 310mg | Potassium: 169mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 54IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1mg

    N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.


    Tried this recipe?Mention @Plantbasedfolk or tag #plantbasedfolk

    More Vegan Lebanese Recipes

    • a white bowl with cooked cubed potatoes, white beans, broth and green herbs
      Hearty Vegan Potato Stew (Lebanese Yakhnet Batata)
    • a metal plate with a yellowish dip and a green leaf covered in oil on top
      Authentic Lebanese Baba Ganoush Recipe (باباغنوج)
    • a round yellow sfouf cake with two pieces cut out of it
      Sfouf Lebanese Turmeric Semolina Cake (Vegan)
    • Mujadara Hamra (Lentils & Bulgur)
    106 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Laura A Atiyeh

      September 13, 2023 at 7:55 am

      5 stars
      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

      Reply
      • Janelle Hama

        September 13, 2023 at 9:24 am

        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.

        Reply
    2. Yissra

      April 19, 2022 at 8:29 am

      5 stars
      one of my favourite all time dips, I tried that dairy free yoghurt, I agree with you!

      Reply
    3. Jacqui

      March 29, 2022 at 9:12 am

      5 stars
      Tastes like the real deal! You can’t even tell it’s vegan - amazing recipe!

      Reply
    4. Leyla

      January 13, 2022 at 6:27 pm

      5 stars
      I never thought I could eat this again since I went vegan. Very refreshing.

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    A female brunette dressed in black and an apron juggling lemons

    Hello, I'm Janelle, a culinary enthusiast with over two decades of cooking experience and a keen interest in creating delicious vegan Lebanese recipes.

    Let's cook together!

    More about me →


    Recipes Not to Miss

    • a ceramic bowl filled with white beans in green herbs and red chili
      Lebanese Butter Bean Salad
    • shredded cabbage salad with flecks of brown caraways seeds in a white bowl
      Kupus Salata (Croatian White Cabbage Salad)
    • a single muffin with chocolate chips through on white paper
      Easy Eggless Chocolate Chip Muffins (Vegan)
    • Easy Vegan Broccoli Soup (Low Fat)
    a yellow cup of coffee with text reading buy me a coffee

    a preview of a e cookbook cover

    As Featured On

    various logos where Plant Based Folk has been featured

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    Accessibility Policy
    Blog
    Contact
    Cookies Policy
    Disclosure
    Privacy Policy
    Privacy Policy (GDPR)
    Terms of Use

    Newsletter + Links

    Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Web stories

    Vegan Lebanese Recipes

    Shop Middle Eastern Groceries

    Shop Kitchen Essentials

    Contact

    Work with me
    Social media
    Advertise

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Plant Based Folk