Cucumber Noodle Salad with Shrimp

Cucumber Noodle Salad with Shrimp is a tasty summer salad that has shrimp combined with noodles made from strips of cucumber! And this refreshing salad with cucumber noodles is slightly spicy and loaded with Thai flavors!

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This Cucumber Noodle Salad with Shrimp is a perfect refreshing dish to make with it gets really hot outside! Everything about this salad featuring cucumber noodles is perfect for hot weather, and the cool “noodles” are easy to make with the Spiralizer or another type of noodle-making gadget.

And another things that makes this a perfect hot weather salad is the icy-cold thawed shrimp, and the fact that no cooking is involved. I first made this a few years ago and we loved the slightly spicy Thai flavors in this salad so much! And right now the weather is really hot, so I thought I’m reminding you about this tasty cucumber noodle salad for a no-cook lunch or dinner option! I hope you enjoy trying it.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)

• cucumbers
• medium cooked shrimp, thawed in the fridge if frozen and drained well
• thinly sliced fresh basil or Thai basil
• Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link), or other sweetener of your choice
• fresh-squeezed lime juice, I used my fresh-frozen lime juice
• Red Boat Fish Sauce (affiliate link), or fish sauce of your choice 
• Chili Garlic Sauce (affiliate link) 
• salt

How do you make cucumber noodles?

I used my Spiralizer (affiliate link) to make cucumber noodles, but you can use any of the three gadgets I spotlighted in my post about How to Make Zucchini Noodles. And if you like the idea of making noodles out of vegetables, check out Spiralizer Recipes for more recipe ideas using this fun kitchen gadget.

What gives this cucumber noodle salad the Thai flavors?

This refreshing and slightly spicy salad has Thai flavors from Fish Sauce, Chili Garlic Sauce, lime juice, and fresh basil, and if you have Thai Basil, that will make the salad even better!

How low in carbs is the Cucumber Noodle Salad with Shrimp?

This tasty shrimp salad with noodles made from cucumbers has only about 6 net carbs per serving and 18 grams of protein!

Tips for making Cucumber Noodle Salad with Shrimp:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Thaw cooked shrimp in the fridge and let them drain well.
2. I used two Chili Garlic Sauce (affiliate link) and Red Boat Fish Sauce (affiliate link) in the dressing for lots of spicy Thai flavors. Be sure the ingredients you use are gluten-free if needed.
3. Whisk together dressing ingredients.
4. Cut basil or Thai Basil into thin strips, I used my herb scissors (affiliate link) Then wash basil, and spin dry in a salad spinner (affiliate link) or dry with paper towels. 
5. Trim ends off one large European cucumber or two smaller ones and cut a slice halfway through the cucumber (so you get short noodles instead of one long one.
6. I used my Spiralizer (affiliate link) to make cucumber noodles.
7. Once you’ve made the cucumber noodles, lay a paper towel out on the counter, spread out the noodles in a thin layer, and press another paper towel down on top of them to absorb as much of the liquid as you can. (Don’t skip this or the salad will be watery.)
8. Toss the noodles with the spicy dressing.
9. Then toss in the shrimp and sliced basil and serve the cucumber noodle salad right away.

Want more Cucumber Salad Recipes?

Check out Amazing Cucumber Salad Recipes for lots more cucumber salads to help you stay cool!

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Yield: 3 servings

Cucumber Noodle Salad with Shrimp

Prep Time 25 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

This Cucumber Noodle Salad with Shrimp is loaded with Thai flavors, and this is a perfect no-cook salad for hot summer weather.

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 large European cucumber or two smaller ones (see notes)
• 1/2 lb. medium cooked shrimp, thawed overnight in the fridge if frozen and drained well
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced basil or Thai basil (more or less to taste)

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 T Monkfruit Sweetener
• 2 T fresh-squeezed lime juice (see notes)
• 2 tsp. fish sauce (see notes)
• 2 tsp. Chili Garlic Sauce (see notes)
• 1/4 tsp. salt (more or less to taste)

Instructions

1. Thaw cooked shrimp overnight in the fridge if frozen; then drain well in a colander placed in the sink.
2. While the shrimp drains, whisk together the lime juice, Monkfruit sweetener, fish sauce, Chili Garlic Sauce, and salt to make the dressing.
3. Cut the basil into thin strips (either with this chiffonade technique or using herb scissors like I did. Wash the basil with cold water and spin dry in a salad spinner (affiliate link) or dry with paper towels.
4. Cut the ends off the cucumber and cut a thin slice going halfway through the cucumber so the pieces will make individual noodles and not one long noodle.(If you don’t have thinner-skinned European cucumber, I might peel some thin strips of skin off the cucumber before you make the noodles.)
5. Then use the Spiralizer (affiliate link) or one of the Three Ways to Make Zucchini Noodles to make the cucumber noodles.
6. Put a couple of sheets of paper towel on the counter and spread the cucumber noodles out in a thin layer; then lay more towels on top of the noodles and press down until most of the liquid from the cucumbers is absorbed by the towels.
7. Put the dried noodles into a bowl and toss with the dressing.
8. Then add the drained shrimp and sliced basil and toss again.
9. The cucumber noodle salad will be best right after it’s been made while the noodles and basil are still crisp.  Enjoy!

Notes

European or Persian cucumbers with thinner skins are best. I used my fresh-frozen lime juice for this recipe. I'd use Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) but use any sweetener you prefer. I prefer Red Boat Fish Sauce, which is gluten-free and Paleo. There are good options for Chili Garlic Sauce online if you can't find it in your store. (some links are affiliate links)

I wrote a post about How to Make Zucchini Noodles, but I love my Spiralizer for an easy method!

This recipe created by Kalyn when she was having fun experimenting with the Spiralizer!

Nutrition Information

Yield

3

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 113Total Fat 1.4gSaturated Fat .4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat .8gCholesterol 160mgSodium 1288mgCarbohydrates 6.6gFiber .6gSugar 2.4gProtein 18g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
The Cucumber Noodle Salad would be suitable  for low-carb diet plans including Keto, or for for any phase of the original South Beach Diet as long as you use an approved sweetener like Monkfruit Sweetener. Even if you use a more authentic Thai sweetener like coconut sugar or brown sugar, this will still be a pretty low-carb dish. (Check your fish sauce and Chili Garlic Sauce for added sugar if you’re really watching your carbs.)

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use the Spiralizer Index to find more recipes like this one! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
The Cucumber Noodle Salad with Shrimp was first posted in 2015. It was last updated with more information in 2025.

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