Some nights you want dinner to be a giant bowl of something cold, crunchy, and creamy — and this yogurt apple cucumber shrimp salad is exactly that. It is a Chinese home-style cold toss (凉拌) built from three things that love each other: crisp salted cucumber, sweet apple, and plump chilled shrimp, all folded into a peanut-yogurt dressing that tastes far richer than it is.
The whole plate lands at a little over 200 calories, which is why it has become a go-to 减脂晚餐 — a light dinner — in so many Chinese homes. But the reason it stays in rotation is not the number. It is that the cucumber tastes clean and green, the apple gives you a sweet crunch, and that spoon of peanut butter turns plain Greek yogurt into something you want to eat with a big spoon.
There is no cooking involved if you start with cooked shrimp, and the only real work is salting the cucumber and apple so the bowl stays crisp instead of turning into a puddle. If you keep cooked shrimp in the freezer and a tub of Greek yogurt in the fridge, this is a fifteen-minute dinner you can make on the most tired weeknight of the year.
What Is 减脂晚餐酸奶拌苹果黄瓜?
It is a cold-tossed Chinese salad — a 凉拌菜 — made by salting cubed cucumber and apple, draining them, and folding them together with cooked shrimp and a dressing of Greek yogurt, peanut butter, and sea salt. The name translates roughly to “fat-loss dinner, yogurt-tossed apple and cucumber,” and it belongs to the same family as every other cold-tossed plate on a Chinese table: something crisp, something sweet, something savory, all brought together at the last minute.
What makes it different from a Western shrimp salad is the technique underneath it. The cucumber is seeded before it is cubed, because the watery center is what dilutes a dressing. The cucumber and apple are soaked in lightly salted water, which seasons them from the inside and pulls out excess moisture at the same time. And the dressing is built on Greek yogurt rather than mayonnaise, with a spoon of unsweetened peanut butter standing in for the oil — it gives body, a toasted note, and just enough fat to carry the flavor.
Think of it this way: mayonnaise is an emulsion of oil and egg, so it coats your tongue in fat. Greek yogurt is an emulsion of milk fat, protein, and water, so it coats the same way but with far less fat and a tang that wakes up sweet fruit. Adding peanut butter restores a little of the richness you gave up — and because peanut butter is itself an emulsion, it blends into yogurt without breaking.
It is also, frankly, a template. Once you have the salted-crisp base and the yogurt dressing, you can swap in whatever is in the fridge: shredded chicken, poached fish, tofu, mango, jicama, celery. The version below is the one that has stayed on repeat.
If you like the cold-tossed style, our smashed cucumber salad is the plainest, most classic expression of it — just cucumber, salt, garlic, and vinegar, ready in ten minutes.
1Easy Smashed Cucumber Salad (Pai Huang Gua / 拍黄瓜)A refreshingly crisp and intensely flavorful Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad (拍黄瓜, Pāi Huángguā). This classic Sichuan-style appetizer features smashed cucumbers tossed in a punchy dressing of fresh garlic, soy sauce, black vinegar, and a hint of chili. It’s a quick, easy, and no-cook side dish that’s perfect for any meal.Check out this recipe
For a bowl with more heat and acid, try our sour and spicy cucumber salad, where black vinegar and chili oil do the work that yogurt does here.
2Sour and Spicy Cucumber Salad (Suan La Huang Gua)A refreshing, crunchy Chinese cucumber salad with a garlicky, sour, and spicy dressing. The perfect appetizer or side dish for rice and noodles.Check out this recipe
And when you want a cold plate with real substance, our shredded cold salad (liangban sansi) shows how far the same idea can go with three shredded ingredients and a sesame dressing.
3Shredded Cold Salad (Liangban Sansi)A vibrant, crunchy, and cooling Sichuan salad featuring kelp, carrots, and glass noodles in a spicy-aromatic dressing.Check out this recipe
Why This Recipe Works
Three small decisions do almost all of the work here, and each one is easy to miss.
Salting the cucumber and apple seasons and dries them at once. Salt draws water out of the cut surfaces through osmosis, so the cubes stay snappy instead of weeping into the bowl. Because the soak is salted rather than plain, the seasoning goes all the way through rather than sitting on the surface. Fifteen minutes is enough; longer than an hour and the cucumber starts to go limp and rubbery.
Seeding the cucumber removes the part that ruins dressings. The seedy, watery core is the first thing to break down and the main reason a yogurt dressing turns thin and gray. Scooping it out with a spoon takes thirty seconds and is the difference between a salad that is still good the next day and one that is soup by dinner.
Peanut butter makes Greek yogurt taste rich without much fat. A single tablespoon of unsweetened peanut butter carries toasted, roasted flavor compounds that plain yogurt simply does not have, and its natural emulsifiers let it blend into yogurt seamlessly. You get a dressing with the mouthfeel of something much heavier for a fraction of the calories of a mayonnaise-based version.
One more thing worth knowing: the dressing is better after it sits. Give the dressed salad at least thirty minutes in the refrigerator and the peanut flavor spreads through the yogurt and into the cucumber. Add the nuts at the very end, though — chopped nuts go soft fast once they meet moisture.
If you are building a lighter cooking routine overall, our guide to choosing oil for stir frying by smoke point is a good companion read for the hot dishes that go alongside a cold plate like this.
Ingredients
Everything here is supermarket-ordinary, which is part of the appeal. The full measured list is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Japanese cucumber (日本黄瓜). About three-quarters of a long one. Japanese cucumbers have thinner skin, fewer seeds, and a snappier texture than standard slicing cucumbers, so they hold up beautifully in a cold toss. If you can only find English cucumber, that works too — just seed it thoroughly.
One small apple. Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp are all good. You want something crisp and sweet with a little acidity; a soft, mealy apple will disappear into the dressing.
Four tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt. Unsweetened, and ideally full-fat or 2%. Nonfat yogurt works but gives a thinner, tarter dressing that clings less well.
Eight cooked shrimp. Peeled and deveined. Halve them lengthwise if they are large, so each piece is roughly the size of a cucumber cube and every bite gets some.
One tablespoon of unsweetened peanut butter. Natural, no added sugar. If yours is the kind that separates, stir the jar well first.
Fine sea salt. For the soak and for the dressing. Fine salt dissolves quickly; flaky salt does not, and you will end up with salty pockets.
A small handful of chopped nuts. Toasted walnuts, almonds, or peanuts. This is not decoration — the crunch and the roasted flavor are what make the bowl feel finished.
Cooking Process
Step 1 — Cube the Apple and Cucumber
Core the apple and cut it into large 1-inch cubes; scoop the seeds out of the cucumber and cut it into large 1-inch cubes, then soak both in lightly salted water and set aside. Get the cooked shrimp ready and halve them lengthwise if they are large.
Step 2 — Mix the Yogurt Dressing
In a small bowl, stir together 4 tablespoons of Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, and a pinch of sea salt until completely smooth.
Step 3 — Drain and Combine
Drain the cucumber and apple well, then put the cucumber, apple, and shrimp together in a large mixing bowl.
Step 4 — Toss and Top
Fold the yogurt dressing through the salad until everything is coated, then scatter a little chopped nut mixture over the top.
Step 5 — Serve and Enjoy
One big plate is only a bit over 200 calories — the cucumber is fresh and clean, the apple is sweet, and the peanut-butter yogurt is seriously delicious. Eating this way for weight loss does not feel like suffering at all.
Common Mistakes When Making Yogurt Apple Cucumber Shrimp Salad
1. Skipping the salt soak. Without it, the cucumber and apple taste flat and the salt in the dressing sits only on the surface. Fix: 15 minutes in lightly salted cold water, no longer. That is enough to season the cubes through and pull out the excess water that would otherwise thin your dressing.
2. Not draining well enough. A few tablespoons of water clinging to the cucumber will turn a thick, creamy dressing into a thin, gray pool within half an hour. Fix: drain in a colander, shake it, then pat dry with a clean towel or spin in a salad spinner. The cubes should look matte, not glossy.
3. Leaving the cucumber seeds in. The watery, seedy core breaks down fastest and is the number-one cause of a soupy salad. Fix: slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and run a teaspoon down the center to scoop the seeds out before you cube it. Thirty seconds, big payoff.
4. Using sweetened or stiff peanut butter straight from the jar. Cold, sugary peanut butter will not blend into yogurt — it seizes into lumps. Fix: use natural unsweetened peanut butter and stir it well. If it is refrigerator-cold, warm the measured tablespoon for 10 seconds in the microwave before whisking it into the yogurt.
5. Tossing the nuts in with everything else. Chopped nuts go soft and chalky within an hour once they are coated in dressing. Fix: scatter them over the top right before serving, or keep them in a small dish on the side so everyone can add their own at the table.
6. Dressing the salad hours ahead. Yogurt dressings are at their best in the first few hours; after that the cucumber releases water and the whole bowl thins out. Fix: dress it 30 to 60 minutes before serving, or store the components separately and toss at the last minute.
7. Using warm shrimp. Shrimp straight from the pan will steam the cucumber and start the wilting process immediately. Fix: chill cooked shrimp completely in the refrigerator — at least 30 minutes — before folding them in.
How to Serve
This salad is a complete light dinner on its own, and it is even better as part of a small spread of cold and hot dishes. Because it is served cold and undressed until the last minute, it sits comfortably next to anything coming off the stove.
For a Chinese-style table, pair it with something steamed and savory. Our steamed pork ribs with fermented black beans bring a deep, salty counterpoint to the sweet apple and tangy yogurt, and they can steam while you assemble the salad. If you want something lighter and softer alongside the crunch, pumpkin steamed buns are a natural fit — pillowy, faintly sweet, and perfect for sopping up the last of the dressing.
For a more Western-leaning plate, serve it next to a slice of seafood pizza for a seafood-forward lunch, or finish the meal with a small wedge of Basque burnt cheesecake if you are feeding people who are not counting anything at all.
It also travels well. Pack the components separately in a lunchbox and toss at your desk — it holds up far better than a dressed salad that has been sitting since morning. And if you have dumpling fans in the house, pan fried mussel and chive potstickers make a great hot side for a cold-plate dinner.
Storage & Reheat
This is a cold dish, so there is nothing to reheat — and reheating it would ruin it. The goal is to keep the cucumber crisp and the dressing thick for as long as possible.
Undressed components: up to 24 hours. Store the drained cucumber and apple, the shrimp, the dressing, and the nuts separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. This is the best way to make it ahead.
Dressed salad: up to 2 days, though it is at its best within the first few hours. Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. Expect the cucumber to soften and some liquid to collect at the bottom — that is normal, not spoiled. Give it a quick stir before serving and drain off any excess liquid with a slotted spoon.
Do not freeze. Cucumber and yogurt both break down badly when frozen; the cucumber turns to mush and the yogurt separates irreversibly.
Food safety. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of serving (1 hour if the room is above 90°F/32°C). Cooked shrimp should reach an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) when cooked and be refrigerated promptly afterward. If the salad has been sitting out at a picnic for more than 2 hours, discard it. For the current safe-temperature and storage guidance, see the FDA cold food storage guidance and the USDA safe minimum internal temperature chart.
Allergen Notice
This recipe contains shellfish (shrimp) and peanuts. It also contains dairy from the Greek yogurt. Depending on the brand of peanut butter you use, there may be cross-contact with tree nuts or gluten — check the label if that matters to you.
If you need a nut-free version, substitute tahini or sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter and use toasted sunflower seeds or crispy fried shallots on top instead of nuts. If you need a shellfish-free version, swap the shrimp for shredded poached chicken, firm tofu, or flaked smoked salmon. If you are avoiding dairy, a thick coconut yogurt works as a one-to-one replacement, though the dressing will taste noticeably more tropical.
When in doubt, always read the labels of every packaged ingredient you use, and be aware that peanut butter jars and yogurt tubs are often produced on shared equipment.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
About the Author & Recipe Development
Hi, I’m Lin — I grew up in a Chinese kitchen where cold dishes were never an afterthought. A plate of something crisp and vinegary showed up at nearly every meal, and the technique behind it (salt the vegetables, drain them, dress them at the last minute) was simply how things were done. That is the instinct this salad comes from.
This particular recipe came out of a stretch of weeks when I wanted dinner to be lighter but did not want to eat anything sad. I started with the classic salted-cucumber method, added an apple because I had one going soft in the fruit bowl, and stirred peanut butter into Greek yogurt on a whim. The first version was too thin — I had not drained the cucumber well enough — and the second was too sweet because I used the wrong peanut butter. The version in the card below is the third or fourth attempt, and it is the one I have made every week since.
I test every recipe in a home kitchen with supermarket ingredients, and I write the amounts the way I actually cook them. If you make this and change something that works better for you, I would genuinely like to hear about it in the comments.
Authoritative References
The food-safety guidance in this post follows published government sources. For cold storage and refrigeration timing, see the FDA’s cold food storage guidance. For safe minimum internal cooking temperatures, including the 145°F (63°C) target for shrimp, see the USDA FoodSafety.gov safe minimum internal temperature chart. For broader food safety principles used in home cooking, the World Health Organization food safety fact sheet is a useful overview.
Yogurt Apple Cucumber Shrimp Salad (酸奶拌苹果黄瓜): Creamy,
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Chef’s knife
- Mixing bowls
- Small whisk
- Slotted Spoon
- Salad spinner
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 large Japanese cucumber about 3/4 of a long cucumber, seeds scooped out, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 small apple cored, cut into 1-inch cubes (Fuji or Gala)
- 8 pieces cooked shrimp peeled, deveined, halved lengthwise if large
- 1 tsp fine sea salt for the salt-water soak
For the Yogurt Dressing
- 4 tbsp Greek yogurt plain, unsweetened, full-fat or 2%
- 1 tbsp peanut butter unsweetened, natural
- 1 pinch fine sea salt or to taste
For the Topping
- 2 tbsp mixed nuts toasted, roughly chopped (walnuts, almonds, or peanuts)
Instructions
- Core the apple and cut it into large 1-inch cubes; scoop the seeds out of the cucumber and cut it into large 1-inch cubes, then soak both in lightly salted water and set aside. Get the cooked shrimp ready and halve them lengthwise if they are large.
- In a small bowl, stir together 4 tablespoons of Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, and a pinch of sea salt until completely smooth.
- Drain the cucumber and apple well, then put the cucumber, apple, and shrimp together in a large mixing bowl.
- Fold the yogurt dressing through the salad until everything is coated, then scatter a little chopped nut mixture over the top.
- One big plate is only a bit over 200 calories — the cucumber is fresh and clean, the apple is sweet, and the peanut-butter yogurt is seriously delicious. Eating this way for weight loss does not feel like suffering at all.
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